Alexa G, OTD, OTR/L
Director of Program Development
Blue Bird Day Employee Since 2013
Education
Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy
University of Illinois at Chicago
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy
University of Illinois at Chicago
Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Illinois State University
Awards:
- Beatrice D Wade Award of Clinical Excellence August 2011
Credentials and Certification
- Licensed and Registered Occupational Therapist
- Nonviolent Crisis Prevention Intervention Certified
- CPR/First Aid Certified
- DIR/Floortime Certified
- Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding
Clinical Expertise
- Promoting participation in meaningful daily activities such as mealtimes, social interactions and play for individuals impacted by sensory processing differences and autism
- DIR/Floortime
- Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding
- Sensory Integration
- Intentional Relationship Model
Publications
(2020). Jarvis, J., Kaelin, V., Anaby, D., Teplicky, R., & Khetani, M.A. Electronic intervention planning support for families of young children receiving rehabilitation services: A pilot study. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.14535 [Current Impact: 3.532; ranked 11/124 in pediatrics; source: Journal]
(2019). Jarvis, J.M., Gurga, A., Greif, A., Lim, H., Anaby, D., Teplicky, R., & Khetani, M.A. Usability of the Participation and Environment Measure Plus (PEM+) for client-centered and participation-focused care planning. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73, 1-8. DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2019.032235 [Impact: 3.325; source: Journal]
(Dec 2019). Gurga, A., Greif, A., Sidorowych, C., Magasi, S., & Khetani, M.A. Stakeholder engagement to optimize participation-focused e-reports for care planning in early childhood. Accessed via the Can Child Centre for Childhood Disability Participation Knowledge Hub
Presentations:
Little, L. & Stoffel, A. (2020, April). Pediatric OT and Telehealth in Illinois. Panel participant conducted via Zoom for the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association, Chicago, IL.
Greif, A. & Stoffel, A. (2019, April). Utilizing participation and occupation to guide the pediatric occupational therapy process. Paper session presented at the annual conference of American Occupational Therapy Association, New Orleans, LA.
Greif, A. & Stoffel, A. (2018, September). Utilizing participation and occupation to guide the pediatric occupational therapy process. Paper session presented at the annual conference of Illinois Occupational Therapy Association, Naperville, IL.
Greif, A., Lim, H., Gurga, A., Jarvis, J., & **Khetani, M.A. (2017, June). Partnering to pilot PEM for family centered assessment and care planning. Workshop for service providers at Blue Bird Day School, Chicago, IL.
**Stoffel, A., Khetani, M.A., Rigau, B., & Grief, A. (2017, March). Strengthening family engagement in early intervention processes of care. Invited concurrent session for the Scholarship of Practice
My Story
Through my diverse experiences in serving children with special needs, I developed my passion for occupational therapy. My initial interest in the field began while studying psychology at Illinois State University, assisting children with autism in an ABA-style preschool readiness program. I also participated in research projects, implementing and evaluating the Second Step curriculum, designed to promote social-emotional skill development in elementary-aged children. Throughout my education, I worked closely with children and families across multiple environments, promoting independent functioning in the home, community, and school settings. In 2013, I graduated from UIC with my master’s in OT. While pursuing this degree, I continued to engage in research to further develop my knowledge of the evidence-based practice. I have established a community partnership between Blue Bird Day and the University of Illinois at the Chicago-Occupational Therapy Department, with the aim to conduct research within our setting with the long term vision to make Blue Bird accessible to more children and families.
My Blue Bird Day
Blue Bird Day is truly a unique approach to therapy that values family-centered care, inter-professional teaming, and relationship-based interventions. One of my favorite things about working for Blue Bird is having the opportunity to truly get to know a child and their family through daily therapy and establishing an effective therapeutic relationship through play-based interventions. It is so rewarding to see the growth and progress our clients make as a result of their participation in our program.
My Blue Bird Day Goals
- To expand Blue Bird Day’s program to reach more children and families
- To develop my leadership and management skills through participation in research initiatives at Blue Bird Day
