Course Presenters

Genevieve Jereb

Occupational Therapist

Genevieve Jereb, OT was an Australian born paediatric occupational therapist who lectures on sensory processing disorders worldwide. Upon graduating as an OT. Genevieve took up a position in the US and during her time there worked with many top therapists including Shelia Frick, Patricia Wilbarger and Carol Stock Kranowitz (author of “The Out of Sync Child”). While in the US Genevieve also taught the course ‘Treatment Perspective for Sensory Modulation Disorders’. Genevieve returned to Australia in 2004 and upon finding a lack of special needs resources available, opened her online store (Sensorytools.net) to bring new and innovative resources to the special needs community. Genevieve was not only a therapist but a singer/songwriter having sold over 50,000 CDs with songs designed to assist with self-regulation, exercise, and relaxation. Genevieve’s greatly successful workshop, “The Traffic Jam in My Brain®” has been taught around the world. This workshop is available online each year, thousands of participants have registered for the workshop and respond with positive feedback.

Annie O'Connell

Occupational Therapist

Course: Sleep With Disability Webinar Series

Annie O’Connell is an Occupational Therapist with over 40 years of experience and has worked in a variety of paediatric settings in Australia and overseas. In 2003 Annie completed her M.App.Sc (OT) by research investigating ‘Sleep Disturbance in Children with Autism and the use of a Waterbed’. From 2003 to 2015 Annie was the Lead Practitioner for the ‘Sleepwise project’ addressing sleep disturbance in young people with developmental disabilities developed by Child and Youth Services, Disability Services in South Australia. Two research grants from the Apex Foundation For Research Into Intellectual Disability Limited allowed the evaluation of the Sleepwise approach for children 2–6 years of age and 8–18 years of age. Annie was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2009 to further explore the management of sleep disturbance in the UK, USA and Canada.

Patricia Oetter

MA, OTR/L, FAOTA

Courses: The Pervasive Impact of Breath on Function What to know! What to do!, M.O.R.E Integrating the Mouth with Sensory & Postural Functions

Ms. Oetter earned her bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Kansas and her master's degree in Special Education with special emphasis on Behavior and Learning Disorders from Kansas State University at Fort Hays State. She is also certified in the administration and interpretation of the Sensory Integration and Praxis tests. She is faculty emeritus of Sensory Integration International. Clinically, Ms Oetter is an occupational therapist with over 40 years of paediatric clinical experience in sensory integrative therapy, Therapeutic Listening, Samonas Sound Therapy, Cranial Sacral therapy and neurodevelopmental treatment (NDT). Her work encompasses many disability groups from newborn to adult, especially infants and children with oral motor, learning, communication and/or behaviour disorders. For her contribution to Occupational therapy she has been honoured as a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association and awarded two Service Awards as well.

Eileen Richter

MPH, OTR/L, FAOTA

Courses: Using Gravity to Facilitate Sensory Motor Development in Infants and Children, The Pervasive Impact of Breath on Function What to know! What to do!, M.O.R.E Integrating the Mouth with Sensory & Postural Functions

Eileen Richter has over 30 years experience working with a variety of disability groups in public schools, pediatric hospitals & private practice. Her MPH degree is in Maternal & Child Health, she is NDT certified and has published a number of books, articles and research. She is a Fellow of the AOTA, an international lecturer and has developed therapeutic equipment for infants and young children.