Target Audience

This course is intended for Occupational Therapists working with children on the autism spectrum under six years old. 

Course Information

To register for this course, use the button at the top or bottom of this page to navigate to the Zoom registration page. There is no cost to attend the webinar or receive your certificate. 

This interactive webinar equips occupational therapy practitioners with strategies to conduct holistic, evidence-based, and well-rounded evaluation processes for young children on the autism spectrum. Participants will learn how to integrate structured tools, such as the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) Curriculum Checklist and the sensory processing Measure as key data collection methods alongside developmental and sensory-motor observations, and family context analysis. Rather than relying on any single tool as primary, the session highlights how to synthesize multi-faceted data to form an authentic, occupation-focused clinical picture.

A core component of the course focuses on caregiver interviewing. Attendees will explore intentional strategies designed to understand family priorities, daily routines, and environmental factors influencing meaningful participation. Through clinical reasoning frameworks and case analysis, practitioners will learn to bridge ESDM-informed baseline data and OT-specific findings directly into family-centered goals and neurodiversity-affirming intervention plans.

Occupational Therapists in attendance can receive 1.5 contact hours of continuing education credit. 

Course Completion Requirements

To complete this course, learners must: 

  • Attend the entirety of the presentation. Partial credit is not available.
  • Pass a learning assessment of 10 multiple-choice questions with a score of at least 80%. You may take the learning assessment as many times as needed to earn a passing score.
  • Submit your learner information, and the course evaluation and feedback survey. 


Satisfactory completion will result in the attendees being eligible for 0.15 AOTA CEUs. 

Time-Ordered Agenda

00:00 – 00:04: Welcome & Overview


00:04 – 00:10: Foundations of Top-Down OT Assessment 


00:10 – 00:18: Structuring the Caregiver Interview 


00:18 – 00:30: Advanced Interviewing & Follow-Up Questioning 


00:30 – 00:41: Integrating the ESDM Curriculum Checklist 


00:41 – 00:50: Analyzing ESDM, Interview, & Observation Data


00:50 – 01:01: Clinical Reasoning & Data Triangulation 


01:01 – 01:12: Dissecting Participation Barriers 


01:12 – 01:25: Formulating Family-Centered Goals 


01:25 – 01:30: Q&A & Course Conclusion 


+ 5 minutes allotted for the learning assessment

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify skilled caregiver interviewing techniques to uncover family priorities, daily routines, and contextual factors impacting real-world participation.


2. Identify how to utilize data collected from the ESDM Curriculum Checklist alongside caregiver interview and clinical observations to construct a holistic, occupation-focused baseline for young autistic children.


3. Synthesize multi-sourced evaluation data to Select patterns of participation, distinguishing specific barriers within the child’s skill development, activity demands, and environmental factors.


4. Select functional, family-centered goals that translate synthesized assessment findings into meaningful, evidence-based occupational therapy outcomes.

Instructors

Kate Brough, MOT, OTR/L

Kate is a licensed occupational therapist and the Head of Occupational Therapy at Soar. Since joining as the clinic’s first OT in 2021, she has helped shape the development of Soar’s occupational therapy program, gradually transitioning from full-time clinical work into a leadership role focused on mentorship and team development.

She has been practicing since 2015 with experience in feeding therapy, sensory integration, and the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM). She is especially passionate about supporting young children through relationship-based, play-centered interventions.

In her current role, Kate focuses on building systems and training programs that help clinicians grow in their roles and provide sustainable, high-quality care. She enjoys supporting others, whether clients or clinicians, as they develop new skills and confidence.

Originally from Colorado, Kate enjoys scuba diving, biking, paddleboarding, and attending the theater.

Disclosures: Kate is a salaried employee of Soar Autism Center. She has no other relevant financial or non-financial relationships to disclose.


Trisha Patel, MOT, OTR/L

Trisha Patel is an Occupational Therapist with over a decade of experience specializing in pediatric care. She earned her Master’s in Occupational Therapy in Philadelphia and has practiced across various pediatric settings, including schools, home health, and outpatient clinics. Trisha currently serves as the Director of OT Services in Pennsylvania for CHOP-Soar and Director of Integrated Care at Soar. Her clinical expertise centers on play-based intervention and interdisciplinary care models. In her leadership roles, she oversees OT onboarding, clinical development, and processes to strengthen interdisciplinary integration across clinical teams. Additionally, as an ESDM-certified clinician, Trisha supports guiding clinicians through different stages of ESDM learning, from foundational training to mentorship during the certification process. Trisha is particularly passionate about the intersection between the ESDM framework and Occupational Therapy practices.

Disclosures: Trisha is a salaried employee of Soar Autism Center. She has no other relevant financial or non-financial relationships to disclose.

Accommodations & Contact Information

Captions will be turned on for this presentation. 

For additional accommodations requests, and other questions or comments, please email [email protected].