Meaningful Connections: OT and OTA Inter-relationships

This course is discounted for TNOTA members.

Meaningful Connections: OT and OTA Inter-relationships

Self Paced Online Course
$30 ($25 for TNOTA Members)
1.5 Contact Hour

This course is created by the Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association.

If you need assistance or accommodations, please contact us at Info@AspireOT.us
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This course was recorded at the 2021 Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference.

The goal of this occupational therapy professional development course is to encourage the understanding and collaboration between the OT and OTA within the profession. It has been noted by the various stakeholders that the interpretation of the supervisory role/guidelines may not be applied consistently, hence clarification is appropriate. The Tennessee licensure laws, AOTA standards of practice and ACOTE educational standards will be reviewed as related to the distinct value of OTA and OT practitioners including the impact of the supervisory relationship between these professionals. The panel will provide various approaches aimed at enhancing collaboration to improve practitioners’ experiences and satisfaction with their occupational roles. The panel will consist of both OTA and OT practitioners.

Presented by: Susan Sain, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA
Jason Gonzales, COTA/L
Becky Ross
Danielle Kissane, MOTR/L


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Learning objectives
After completion of this occupational therapy continuing education course, participants will be able to:
  • Identify the distinct roles of the OT and OTA
  • Explain how OTA/OT collaboration enhances client care
  • Understand Tennessee licensure guidelines and supervisory relationships
  • Discuss approaches to common problems in supervision and/or collaboration
Instructor bio
Susan Sain, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA
TNOTA Guest Instructor

Sue earned her degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and her masters degree in public health from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She has been practicing occupational therapy for 36 years spanning mental health, early intervention, pediatrics, geriatrics, and academia. Of all awards received, she is most honored with becoming a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association.


Becky Ross
TNOTA Guest Instructor

Becky Ross holds an Associate of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Jackson State Community College and a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Union University. She has spent the last eleven years working with children from birth to age 20. She currently practices as a COTA/L in the school setting and pediatric outpatient setting. Her favorite things about being an occupational therapy assistant are coming up with fun, meaningful activities; educating families; and watching her clients overcome obstacles.


Danielle Kissane, MOTR/L
TNOTA Guest Instructor

Danielle Kissane is an OTR who has been practicing for 4 years. Danielle graduated from Misericordia University in Dallas PA, and assisted in research on Lego based play to improve social skills in children with Autism. She has worked in several settings including SNF, home health, schools, and outpatient clinics. Danielle has worked in both NY and TN. She is an SOS trained feeding therapist who is pursuing a feeding certification, and is also passionate about sensory integration, reflex integration, and vision.

Completion Requirements
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In order to receive the certificate of completion, participants must meet ALL of the following criteria:
  • Complete payment or TNOTA membership log in for course enrollment
  • View the presentation recording for the full duration
  • Pass the course exam with a score of 80% or greater
Please note that no credit or certificate will be issued unless all criteria is met.  Partial credit will not be issued.  
cancellation policy
Live Courses and Webinars
Learner cancellations: In the event that the learner requests to cancel or is unable to attend a course, a refund for the total paid for the course will be granted if Aspire OT is notified via email at info@aspireot.us within 10 business days prior to date of the scheduled course, minus a non-refundable registration fee of 25% of registration price.  If the learner provides notification of cancellation less then 10 business days prior to the scheduled course, the learner will be offered the opportunity to attend the same webinar on an alternate date or enrollment in the recorded on-demand version of that webinar, instead of a refund.  

No refunds will be issued after a course has been attended for more than 30 minutes.  Partial credit will not be issued.  

Provider cancellations: In the event of inclement weather or other event resulting in the inability for a live course to be provided within the scheduled time, learners will be offered an alternate date or a full refund for registration paid.
On-Demand web Courses 
Web courses will remain available to learners for 1 year. No refunds will be available for web courses that have been attended or viewed for greater than 30 minutes. In the event of a refund, the learner will be unenrolled in the course immediately upon issuance of a refund. No refunds will be issued for any course in which a certificate has been issued.  

Course Author

Logo for Tennessee Occupational Therapy Association with blue letters and graphic spell TNOTA
This occupational therapy continuing education course is being offered as part of Aspire OT's State Association Partnership Program. This course is discounted for TNOTA Members.