Activity Analysis, Creativity and Playfulness in Pediatric Occupational Therapy : Making Play Just Right

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Heather Kuhaneck, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is a Professor of Occupational Therapy in the College of Health Professions at Sacred Heart University. Dr. Kuhaneck is the co- editor of Case-Smith’s Occupational Therapy for Children and Adolescents and editor / co-editor of three editions of Autism: A Comprehensive Occupational Therapy Approach. She is the co-author of the Sensory Processing Measure and the Classroom Sensory Environment Assessment. She is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and practiced as an occupational therapist for over 30 years, specializing in autism and sensory integration, working in urban, suburban, and rural public schools as well as private clinics in CT, WV, and OH.

Susan L. Spitzer, PhD, OTR/L operates her own private practice for children and adolescents with play as the cornerstone and often mentors other clinicians. During her'26 years as an occupational therapist, she has also directed a hospital outpatient program; taught occupational therapy courses; and worked in early intervention programs and public and private schools. Dr. Spitzer is co-editor of Autism Across the Lifespan: A Comprehensive Occupational Therapy Approach (AOTA, 2018)'and has published various articles and book chapters on play, personal meaning, sensory integration, autism, learning disabilities, occupational therapy, observational assessment and activity analysis.

Dr. Elissa Miller is a pediatric occupational therapist in private practice and an assistant professor of occupational therapy.'Dr. Miller has practiced in a variety of traditional pediatric settings including school systems, outpatient sensory integration and pediatric home care and early intervention and also has created several community based leisure and sports programs for children with disabilities. Dr. Miller’s research interests include play preference, parent child attachment and playfulness in parent child interactions and play development from a dynamic systems theory perspective. She has published and presented in the areas of play preference, sensory processing and play, dynamic systems theory and child development and the use of assistive technology for play. Dr. Miller is an active member in both AOTA and the Connecticut Occupational Therapy Association.