TherapyEd’s Prep Course for the OTR^® Exam

Amy Bryant is an Instructor for TherapyEd and has been an occupational therapist for 32 years. She has served as the OTA program director at Keiser University in Pembroke Pines, FL and at Middle Georgia State University in Cochran, GA.   She received her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy from the University of New England in 1990, and her Master’s in Adult Education from the University of Georgia in 2007. She has completed one year of the Ed.D program at the University of St Augustine. She has spent the majority of her career in OTA education serving as a faculty member, academic fieldwork coordinator, and as a program director. She is passionate about assisting students in their preparation for the certification exam, both in regards to content and for issues related to test taking skills and test anxiety. Currently she remains active in OT/OTA education through consulting and guest lectures, and uses all her OT skills while teaching ESL classes to adults.

Dr. Costa is an Instructor for TherapyEd and formerly an Associate Professor and Program Director at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Donna was also formerly the Chair of the Occupational Therapy Program at Stony Brook University in New York and also served on the faculty of the University of Utah. She earned a doctorate from the University of Indianapolis in Occupational Therapy, as well as a Master’s degree in Health Care Administration from the New School of Social Research in NY, and dual baccalaureate degrees in Occupational Therapy and Psychology from the University of Buffalo. Dr. Costa is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and has served on the AOTA’s Board of Directors. She is the author of three books on fieldwork education published by AOTA Press, as well as numerous articles which have appeared in OT Practice. Donna serves on the editorial review boards of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy in Health Care.

Dr. Fisher is an Instructor for TherapyEd and Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences at Indiana University. He received his PhD in Education Psychology and his EdS in Educational & Counseling Psychology at the University of Kentucky, his MS in Education from Purdue University, and his BS in Occupational Therapy at the Indiana University School of Medicine.  He is a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and was honored with the AOTA Award of Merit in 2016 to recognize him for his notable contributions to the profession. He was also named “One of the 100 most influential people in OT.” Dr. Fisher’s research agenda has two lines of inquiry: (1) professional issues in occupational therapy and rehabilitation and (2) assessments and interventions for neuro-musculoskeletal injuries, including strains/sprains and traumatic brain injuries, especially as they relate to return to work and independent living.

Dr. Fleming-Castaldy is an Instructor at TherapyEd, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Scranton. She is the Chairperson for the History Preservation Project of the Occupational Therapy Leaders and Legacies Society. Dr. Fleming-Castaldy previously served as Program Director at Dominican College and on the faculty at New York University. She received her Doctor of Philosophy, post-professional M.A., and undergraduate degrees in Occupational Therapy from New York University. In addition to the best-selling “National Occupational Therapy Certification Exam Review & Study Guide”, Dr. Fleming-Castaldy is the editor of several texts and the author of numerous journal articles. She has presented nationally and internationally on a diversity of professional issues. Dr. Fleming-Castaldy serves on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy in Mental Health. Her areas of expertise include occupational therapy history, professional development and career mobility, mental health practice, community participation, and disability rights and advocacy. In 2002, she was honored by being named a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association, and in 2017 she was given the Award for Excellence in the Advancement of Occupational Therapy by the AOTA in appreciation for her extraordinary contributions to the advancement of occupational therapy.

Dr. Inda is an Instructor for TherapyEd and serves as the chairperson of the Occupational Therapy program at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, WI. She received her Occupational Therapy education at Mount Mary College, earned a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from Mount Mary University, and a Ph.D. in Occupational Therapy from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She specializes in teaching kinesiology, orthopedics, and neurorehabilitation. Her previous work experience includes inpatient, outpatient, sub acute, long term care, and home health rehab for adults with various physical disabilities. She has certification as an Ergonomics Assessment Specialist (CEAS). Her research focuses on the role of critical reasoning skills in certification exam performance and in academic performance.

Dr. Maher is an Instructor for TherapyEd and an Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy at Saint Joseph’s University (formerly University of the Sciences,) where she serves as Program Director of the Post-bac MOT Program. She received her B.S. in Occupational Therapy from Temple University, her MS Post Professional Masters in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University, and her OTD Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from the University of St. Augustine. Dr. Maher has over 30 years experience working in hospitals, hand clinics and home care. She is a certified hand therapist and is certified in manual lymph drainage. Colleen’s research interests include Upper Extremity Orthopaedics and Cancer Management. Dr. Maher has mentored seven Critically Appraised Papers (CAPS) that are published on AOTAs Evidence Exchange.

Dr. Morgan is an Instructor for TherapyEd and an Associate Professor and former Program Director in the Occupational Therapy Department at the University of Scranton. She received her B.S. degree from The Pennsylvania State University, a Master’s degree in occupational therapy (MOT) from Texas Woman’s University, and a doctorate in Educational Administration and Policy Studies from Temple University. Dr. Morgan has over 25 years of academic and clinical experience. She has held a number of academic positions including appointments at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Rush University in Chicago, Illinois and her clinical experiences include a combination of patient care and administrative responsibilities. Dr. Morgan has published and presented nationally and internationally.

Dr. Provident  is an Instructor for TherapyEd and Faculty Emeritus at Chatham University, and currently serves as an Education Specialist for Select Rehabilitation providing continuing education content and consultation for over 15,000 therapists nationwide. She has been in higher education for 30 years, having served as an Assistant Professor and Academic Fieldwork educator at Duquesne University as well as an Associate Professor and post-professional online OTD Program coordinator at Chatham University. She received her undergraduate degrees in occupational therapy at Mount Aloysius for her COTA certification and at Dominican College for her OTR.  She earned her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Education at Duquesne University.   Dr. Provident has served in a number of professional leadership positions, including the Agenda Chairperson and Pennsylvania Representative to the AOTA Representative Assembly. Dr. Provident has presented at state, national and international conferences and has over 35 peer reviewed publications on topics related to occupational therapy. Most recently she has been trained and certified in the use of Mindfulness practices which she incorporates in occupational therapy education and personal meditative practices.  She has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association for her leadership in Occupational Therapy Education.   When not involved in Therapy Ed efforts, research, or work, she enjoys traveling, quilting, kayaking and spending time with her family, particularly her two young grandchildren.

Dr. Randall is an Instructor for TherapyEd and CEO of Caballito, LLC. She is the owner and Director of the future Town Square^©® Adult Enrichment Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and provides consultation services for businesses and educational programs. A long-time educator, Dr. Randall has taught in occupational therapy, occupational therapy assistant, occupational science, educational leadership, and special education/early childhood education academic programs for over twenty-five years. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in occupational therapy education at Texas Woman’s University, her Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Chapman University, and her doctorate in Special Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Passionate about her profession, she served as Chairperson of the American Occupational Therapy Political Action Committee (AOTPAC) (2016 – 2021), Treasurer – Society for the Study of Occupation (SSO: USA) (2014 – 2017), Speaker – AOTA Representative Assembly (2010 – 2013), AOTA Board of Directors (2010 – 2013), President – Nevada Occupational Therapy Association (1999 – 2003) and Mentor – AOTA Emerging Leaders Development Program (2011 – 2019). In 2022, Dr. Randall received the AOTA Lindy Boggs Award for her advocacy efforts at the national level. She brings experience in leadership, fieldwork education, classroom instruction, and student supervision.

Dr. Thompson received her undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Illinois and earned her DrOT from Nova Southeastern University. She also earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Webster University in St. Louis. Dr. Thompson was formerly a Team Leader of Occupational Therapy and Speech Pathology at the Shriners Hospital for Children of Tampa, FL and her work experience includes service with the Peace Corps in Ecuador and Venezuela. She has significant experience in SI and NDT-Pediatrics, and has written numerous articles for a variety of Occupational Therapy and Orthopedic publications. Her areas of concentration include health care programs for Hispanic populations and the role of occupational therapy in human trafficking. She has been an instructor for TherapyEd for over 25 years and has provided individual tutoring to students as well. In 1995 she received the Award of Excellence from the Florida Occupational Therapy Association.