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 90 publications within the field, including journal articles, clinical assessments, book chapters, and books. She has also presented over 300 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. 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 that specializes in cognitive rehabilitation and coaching for the neurodivergent community, including individuals on the autism spectrum, and those with OCD and ADHD. 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 various 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 in Dobbs Ferry, NY, and New York University in New York, NY. With over a decade of experience, she has worked extensively with a wide range of neurologic populations, including individuals with brain injury, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and, most recently, neurodivergent individuals.

A certified Multicontext practitioner, Chelsea 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, having presented at local and national conferences, such as ACRM and AOTA, and led numerous continuing education workshops throughout her career.

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, receives an honorarium for courses that she is teaching or co-teaching.