Alisha Ohl

Biography

Dr. Ohl is the Program Director and Chair of the Clarkson University Occupational Therapy Program. Her overarching goal is to foster a department that nurtures and develops the next generation of occupational therapy practitioners and contributes to the intellectual development of the profession through applied and meaningful scholarship. Dr. Ohl has been a licensed occupational therapist for over 17 years, with 8 years of experience providing related services to children and youth with disabilities and high intensity needs, and 9 years of experience in academia. Dr. Ohl's research agenda centers around occupational therapy practice with children and youth, with the broader aims of: (1) improving evaluation practices through estimating the psychometric properties of standardized occupational therapy assessments, and (2) contributing to the evidence-base supporting occupational therapy services provided in school-systems. Dr. Ohl teaches courses in pediatric assessment, theory, and professional development.

Education Background

Ph.D., Occupational Therapy - 2012 New York University
M.S., Occupational Therapy - 2004 Ithaca College
B.S., Occupational Therapy - 2003 Ithaca College

Experience

Pediatric Assessment and Intervention
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Psychometrics

Courses Taught

OT599: Seminar D: Innovation and Advanced Cases
OT547: Bridging Science to Pediatric Assessment
OT530: Foundations in Occupation Based Practice

Service

Departmental Service

2021-Present Developer, Alumni Speaker Series
2021-Present Member, OT Admissions Committee
2020-Present Member, OT Department: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
2020-Present Member, OT Competency Committee
2020-Present Member, OT Teaching and Learning Exchange Committee
2020-Present Member, ACOTE Standards Committee

University Service

2022 Member, Hiring Committee for the Chair of Physical Therapy
2021-Present Chair, Hiring Committee for the Associate Dean of the LSHS
2021-Present Member, Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee (SLOAC)
2021-Present Member, Administrative Council
2021-Present Member, Teaching Excellence Committee
2020-Present Member, Academic Integrity Committee

Professional Service

2022 External tenure and promotion reviews: 2. One at a US M1, one at a US R2.
2022 Reviewer, Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) Annual Conference 2022
2019-present Staff reviewer: American Journal of Occupational Therapy
2016-present Reviewer: Autism, Work, BMJ Open, and British Journal of Occupational Therapy.

Awards

2021 - Clarkson University Phalanx, Commendable Leadership Award
2021 - Clarkson University Phalanx, Commendable Service Award

Publications

Select Publications

Schelly, D., Ohl, A., & Meramo, H.* (2022). College students with food allergy: From hypervigilance to disclosure fatigue, Journal of Pediatric Nursing, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2022.11.027
Ohl, A., & Schelly, D. (2022). No evidence of a minimal clinically important difference for the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration in
children with autism spectrum disorder. British Journal of Occupational Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1177/03080226211057834
Ohl, A., Schelly, D., Gill, A.*, Caramia, S.*, Bennett, A.*, & Watts, MP.* (2019). Transitions during the school day: An observational study of elementary school students. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411243.2019.1647814
Ohl, A., Grice Sheff, M., Small, S.*, Nguyen, J.*, Paskor, K.*, & Zanjirian, A.* (2017). Predictors of employment status among adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Work, 56(2), 345-355. doi:10.3233/WOR-172492
Ohl, A., Graze, H., Weber, K., Kenny, S., Salvatore, C., & Wagreich, S. (2013). Effectiveness of a 10-week Tier-1 Response to Intervention program in improving fine motor and visual–motor skills in general education kindergarten students. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 67(5), 507-514. doi:10.5014/ajot.2013.008110

Recent Presentations and Talks

Schelly, D., & Ohl, A. (2022, November). Presentation: College students with food allergies:
From hypervigilance to disclosure fatigue. Clarkson University David A. Walsh Arts and Sciences Seminar Series.
Schelly, D., Ohl, A., & Riedl, M. (2022, November). Presentation: Navigating
college with food allergies: A qualitative study with practical implications for higher education. Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) Food Service Summit.
Ohl, A., Schelly, D., & Sharpe, S. (2020, July). Establishing the minimal clinically important difference of the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(4_Supplement_1):7411500011p1. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2020.74S-PO2112
Ohl, A., Schelly, D., Caramia, S.*, & Gill, A.* (2019, April). What do children do all day?
An observational study of elementary school students. Poster presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference, New Orleans, LA.