In the world of pediatric occupational therapy (OT), the day-to-day complexity requires clinicians to be able to manage a lot of moving pieces. This environment can include managing family dynamics, limited resources, emotional and sensory regulation of a child, and cultural considerations to name a few. All these pieces require fast processing and adaptability to support children and their caregivers’ success towards meeting their goals.
Diana Goodman (CScD ‘18) recently wrote an article for the American Occupational Therapy Association discussing these specific challenges entitled, “Thinking on their feet: The next generation of pediatric occupational therapists.”
Goodman is an assistant professor in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at Chatham University’s College of Health Sciences. She earned her Doctor of Clinical Science (CScD) in Occupational Therapy with a focus in pediatrics from Pitt Occupational Therapy in 2018, bringing firsthand experience as a CScD graduate to her role as an educator.
During her time at Pitt, Goodman completed the CScD capstone entitled, “EmployABLE: A Transition Program to Improve Employment Outcomes for Students with Disabilities.” Goodman’s academic interests include secondary transition, employment preparation for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and nature-based and community-focused therapeutic programming. For Goodman, the line between practitioner and scholar is not a boundary but a bridge, and it is precisely that integration defines her contributions to the next generation of occupational therapists.
In her article, Goodman strives to answer the question, “What does it take to prepare the next generation of pediatric OTs” especially from an academic perspective. The article focuses on strategies to train therapists focused on clinical reasoning, flexibility and quick decision-making using the model “Prepare Some, See Some, Practice Some, Prove Some.” The main focus is to shift greater responsibility to the student by providing labs such as bring-your-own-item lab, competition-style labs, in-class debates, case-based scenarios, simulations and competency-based lab exams. These activities tend to help hands-on kinesthetic learners the most.
The Pitt CScD in OT program produces clinician-scholars who are contributing meaningfully to the profession of occupation therapy and Goodman’s article is no different.
“This article was born out of a genuine passion for preparing the next generation of pediatric OTs to think critically and adapt in the moment—and for doing that in ways that honor diverse learning styles and neurodiversity in the classroom,” says Goodman. “Pitt OT’s CScD program was transformative in shaping that vision. From building advanced clinical skills in pediatric practice and program development, to teaching as a Teaching Fellow, the program gave me the evidence-based foundation and hands-on experience to become both a stronger clinician and an effective educator.”