Building Blocks to Motion

Dr. Teresa A. May-Benson, ScD, OTR/L, FAOTA

Live Online 6 Hour Course: January 21st, 2023. 8am – 4:30pm EST

$176 Members / $220 Non-Members

Description: This one-day course will provide an overview of early motor development and praxis with an emphasis on the contribution of infant reflexes to later motor skill development and praxis. The role of motor development and praxis on motor skills performance and function will be highlighted.  Practical intervention strategies will be presented which are appropriate for use in a variety of clinic, home and school environments. The format will involve lecture, videos, and interactive discussions between presenters and the audience.

Course Schedule:

• 8:30-10:00      Introduction to early infant reflexes and their relation to praxis
• 10:00-10:15    Break
• 10:15-12:00    Introduction to early motor development and its role in praxis
• 12:00-1:30      Lunch
• 1:30-2:45        Introduction to the development of praxis
• 2:45-3:00        Break
• 3:00-4:30        Practical intervention strategies for motor development and praxis

Learning Objectives: By the end of this course the participant will be able to:

1. Describe the relationship of early motor development to praxis
2. Explain the role of infant reflexes in the development of later movement patterns and praxis
3. Identify how praxis difficulties affect motor performance and function
4. Apply knowledge about motor development and praxis to create practical intervention strategies

Audience: OT, PT, SLP, OTA, PTA, Educators, Parents

Course Level: Introductory

AOTA Areas: Occupational Therapy Service Delivery: Evaluation, Intervention and Outcomes. Foundational Knowledge: Human Body, Development, and Behavior

Contact Hours: This course is 6.0 contact hours or 0.6 AOTA CEUs. Illinois Early Intervention credit applied for.

Completion Requirements: To earn contact hours or AOTA CEUs for this course participants must attend the live online session in its entirety (accessible via a Zoom link), and successfully complete the accompanying course quiz.

About the Speaker: Dr. Teresa May-Benson, ScD, OTR/L, FAOTA is an expert occupational therapist renowned for her clinical research, mentoring and education related to related to sensory integration theory and intervention, praxis, and social competency. She is currently the owner/CEO of TMB Education, LLC and serves as President and practicing occupational therapist at OTR, Inc, a private occupational therapy practice specializing in sensory integration and social competency for children and adults across the lifespan, located near Philadelphia, PA. Dr. May-Benson has a diverse background as a clinical practitioner, having worked in private and public-school settings as well as private practice. She has authored numerous book chapters and articles on praxis and sensory integration and completed her doctoral dissertation on ideational praxis. Teresa is an education and research faculty member at the SPIRAL Foundation. In her role of educator, she currently serves as adjunct faculty at Widener University and is past faculty at Tufts University and the University of Indianapolis. She has received the Virginia Scardinia Award of Excellence from AOTA for her work in ideational praxis.

Disclosure: Dr. May-Benson will be compensated for this presentation

ADA/Section 504: If you require special accommodations, please contact courses@thespiralfoundation.org

Cancellation Policies: Available here

Continuing Education: