Pediatrics scholar Jane O'Brien co-edits textbook on occupational therapy for children

Jane O'Brien, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of New England, is co-editor of the new sixth edition of Occupational Therapy for Children, the premier textbook used in pediatric occupational therapy practice, published by Mosby press.

O'Brien is research coordinator in the UNE Department of Occupational Therapy where she teaches primarily in the area of pediatrics and research.

She co-edited the text with Jane Case-Smith, Ed.D., professor at Ohio State University.

O'Brien also co-authored a chapter in the text with Harriet Williams, Ph.D., University of South Carolina, entitled "Application of Motor Control/Motor Learning to Practice."

Her colleague Kathryn Loukas, M.S., UNE associate professor of occupational therapy, co-authored a chapter with Louise Dunn, Sc.D, of the University of Utah, entitled "Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and Community Participation."

The textbook also includes an extensive instructor's manual, with case studies, study questions, laboratory exercises, crosswords, and multiple choice exam questions. 

Additionally, O'Brien and Case-Smith developed videoclips for each chapter to illustrate key concepts and to serve as educational material. Students and faculty will have access to these videoclips and accompanying written materials via an Evolve website.

O'Brien is also co-author of the third edition of Introduction to Occupational Therapy, published by Elsevier press in 2007 and co-editor of the second edition Pediatric Skills for the Occupational Therapy Assistants, published by Elsevier in 2006.

O'Brien earned her Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina in exercise science with a concentration in neurobehavioral basis of motor control and her  M.S.O.T., Sargent College of Allied Health at Boston University. She has also studied at the University of Salzburg.

She has published articles and book chapters in the areas of play and playfulness, assistive technology, reaction time in children with developmental coordination disorder, and most recently on motor control issues of children and their families.