Joan Toglia PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is Professor and Dean Emerita of the School of Health & Natural Sciences at Mercy University in Dobbs Ferry, New York.  She is also an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Cognitive Science in Rehabilitation Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Toglia has over 40 years of experience in Occupational Therapy and is internationally recognized as a leader in the rehabilitation of persons with cognitive deficits. In addition to her degree in Occupational Therapy, Dr. Toglia completed advanced graduate and doctoral work in Educational Psychology with specializations in cognition & learning as well as measurement & evaluation.    Dr. Toglia has contributed to the field of cognitive perceptual rehabilitation as a clinician, author, educator, and researcher, and is known for her work on the Dynamic Interactional Model and the Multicontext Approach. She has over 100 publications within the field, including journal articles, clinical assessments, book chapters, and books. She has also presented over 200 workshops and lectures around the world on cognitive rehabilitation, focusing on theory, assessment methods, and intervention strategies to support and optimize cognitive function across different ages and diagnostic groups.  In 2023, she was honored for revolutionizing cognitive rehabilitation theory and practice by the American Occupational Therapy Association,  Award of Merit, the highest Association honor recognizing an occupational therapist who has made significant contributions to the profession. Press here for a listing of publications:

Erin R. Foster, PhD, OTD, OTR/L , FAOTA, is an Associate Professor in Occupational Therapy, Neurology, and Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO and is co-author of the book, The Multicontext Approach to Cognitive Rehabilitation A Metacognitive Strategy Intervention to Optimize Functional Cognition. Dr. Foster has over 15 years of experience in occupational therapy and cognitive rehabilitation research, with a specialization in aging, neurorehabilitation, functional cognition, and intervention development and testing. Her doctoral work in Rehabilitation and Participation Science and post-doctoral work in clinical investigation and clinical neuroscience involved advanced training in rehabilitation research, neurodegenerative disease, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral intervention development and testing, self-management, functional cognition, and research design and methods. Dr. Foster directs the Cognitive and Occupational Performance Laboratory, which generates knowledge to guide the development of more effective and comprehensive rehabilitation programs for individuals with neurological disorders and cognitive dysfunction. She is recognized nationally and internationally for her work in functional cognition and Parkinson’s disease. She has received federal and foundation funding for her research, which includes studies on cognitive strategy-based interventions and, specifically, the Multicontext Approach. She has numerous peer-reviewed publications and national and international presentations on these topics. In addition, she teaches occupational therapy students in a variety of related subjects and has trained occupational therapy practitioners in the use of the Multicontext Approach. Press here for a listing of publications.

Chelsea Elkind, OTR/L, is a licensed Occupational Therapist in New York and Connecticut and the co-founder of NeuroMind, a multidisciplinary telehealth private practice specializing in functional cognition, executive functioning, and neurodiversity-affirming support for autistic individuals and those with ADHD, OCD, and related neurodevelopmental differences. Through her work at NeuroMind, Chelsea provides individualized coaching and occupational therapy services across the lifespan and develops educational programs and training for clinicians, educators, and community organizations. In addition to her work at NeuroMind, Chelsea serves as a consultant with Weill Cornell Medicine and maintains a private caseload. Throughout her career, she has held clinical and leadership positions across major hospital systems in New York City. She previously served as the Occupational Therapy Assistant Unit Supervisor for the Inpatient Adult Rehabilitation Unit at NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital/Rusk Rehabilitation and was formerly the Outpatient Neurological Occupational Therapy Clinical Specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Chelsea has also contributed to academia as an adjunct teaching associate in the occupational therapy graduate programs at Mercy College and New York University. With over a decade of experience, Chelsea has worked extensively with individuals with acquired and progressive neurological conditions, including brain injury, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease. A certified Multicontext practitioner, she has collaborated closely with Dr. Joan Toglia on multiple research projects and publications. She is the first author of a chapter on the Multicontext Approach published in Functional Cognition and Occupational Therapy (AOTA Press) and a co-author of several peer-reviewed studies examining the application, feasibility, and fidelity of the Multicontext Approach in inpatient rehabilitation settings. Chelsea is also a seasoned speaker who has presented at local and national conferences, including ACRM and AOTA, and has led numerous continuing education workshops for rehabilitation professionals throughout her career.

Lindsay Escott OTD, OTR/L is an Occupational Therapy clinician and educator with over 20 years of experience providing care to patients with neurological diagnoses in an inpatient rehabilitation setting.  She graduated from McGill University, Canada and has since worked in Australia, Canada, and the United States. In 2021, Lindsay completed a post-professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, exploring cognitive rehabilitation, functional cognition, and adult learning principles.  Her OTD capstone project addressed care partner education in the use of cognitive facilitation techniques for individuals post-TBI with impaired functional cognition.  She developed a process for completing holistic assessment, treatment and multi-faceted education experiences in joint sessions with patients and their care partners. For the past five years, Lindsay has worked as a Functional Cognition OT in the Think and Speak Lab at Shirley Ryan Abilitylab. In this role, she conducts holistic evaluations, provides interventions to address functional cognition, collaborates with interdisciplinary team members, and supports care partners for individuals with changes to their thinking and / or movement skills.   Lindsay serves as a mentor for the AOTA fellowship program and she provides collaborative learning and mentorship opportunities to OTs within the Shirley Ryan organization and its alliance sites.  She has contributed to multiple quality improvement initiatives which bring evidence-based approaches to functional cognition into daily OT Practice.  Lindsay has completed CO-OP training, is certified in the Multicontext approach, and is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist. In addition to her clinical role, Lindsay is an adjunct faculty member at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, teaching Neuro-concepts and Neuro-rehabilitation courses to second year Masters level OT students. 

Lisa Carson, OTD, OTR/L is a licensed Doctor of Occupational Therapy in St. Louis, Missouri. She received her doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Washington University School of Medicine and has over 15 years of experience in clinical research and patient care. Her focus is on supporting independence and occupational performance in individuals living with neurological conditions and cognitive impairment. Dr. Carson is skilled in addressing functional cognition through performance-based assessment and metacognitive strategy intervention as a certified Multicontext Approach practitioner. As a therapist in the Cognitive and Occupational Performance Laboratory at Washington University, she has been involved in research on the WCPA and the Multicontext Approach, has co-authored peer-reviewed journal articles, delivers clinical interventions, and presents on the topics of Parkinson’s disease, functional cognition, and the Multicontext Approach.

Disclosures: Joan Toglia PhD, OTR/L discloses the following financial conflicts of interest: Publication Royalties from the American Occupational Therapy Association, Gatekeeper Press and MC CogRehab Resources. Co-owner of MC CogRehab Resources LLC- produces Functional cognitive activities, hosts website. E.Foster receives publication royalties from Gatekeeper Press and MC CogRehab Resources LLC and receives an honorarium for courses she is teaching or co-teaching. C. Elkind, L. Escott, and L. Carson receive an honorarium for courses that they teach or co-teach.