Professor, Occupational Therapy
Biography
Prof. Swinth, has more than 25 years experience working in pediatrics, primarily school-based settings. Within the schools, she has provided therapy services for children from birth to 21 years of age, and has been involved in the development of several different programs and grants that address service delivery issues to students with disabilities. She also has completed research projects, worked on different local and national committees, and is a past chair of the School Systems Special Interest Section.
She has mentored student research studies for more than 12 years and has extensive experience with qualitative research, single subject studies and survey research. Currently Prof. Swinth and some of her students have been researching the effectiveness and outcomes of dynamic seating in general education classrooms to support student participation. Other research interests include effective and efficient occupational therapy services in the schools, assistive technology, and service delivery options for children with disabilities. Prof. Swinth is currently completing the data analysis of a national research project that looks at issues of efficacy and efficiency of school-based practice.
Prof. Swinth has presented locally and nationally regarding issues of school-based practice for occupational therapists and has authored several chapters in books regarding OT service delivery in the schools as well as pediatric service delivery. Most recently, she authored a chapter on school-based services for Willard and Spackman’s Occupational Therapy and a chapter on services for children with severe disabilities in the new AOTA textbook for school-based therapists. Prof. Swinth is the founding editor of the Journal of Occupational Therapy In Schools and Early Intervention.
"It is a privilege to work with the occupational therapy students and faculty at Puget Sound. I first came here as an undergraduate student, never dreaming that I would return more than 10 years and two degrees later to teach in the program. The blend between interactive classrooms, hands-on labs in state of the art clinics, with state of the art equipment and opportunities for authentic learning experiences through the onsite clinic and in the community help our students graduate from our program well prepared for their fieldwork and a future as occupational therapists. The dedicated faculty support collaboration, innovative practice and excellence in order to provide for ongoing student development and learning. Becoming an occupational therapist at Puget Sounds means joining this exciting team of faculty, students and alumni.
Research Interests
- Efficient, effective service delivery in the schools
- Integrating therapy services into the school routine
- Social skills/social participation for children with disabilities
- Play
- Sensory Processing/Sensory Integration
- Integrating sensory strategies to support participation into the general education classroom (e.g., dynamic seating)
Personal Interests
Prof. Swinth enjoys reading, crafts, outdoor activities, and spending time with her family.