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Academy of Research in OT

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January 31, 2026

 

  

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Academy of Research In Occupational Therapy

AOREstablished in 1983, the AOTF Academy of Research in Occupational Therapy recognizes individuals who have made exemplary, distinguished, and sustained contributions toward the science of occupational therapy. Every year, the Academy of Research invites nominations for membership. After consideration of the nominations and supporting materials, the Academy selects individuals to be inducted into this distinguished body of researchers. Usually, inductions occur at the next AOTA Annual Conference and Exposition.  

Nominations closed for 2026 cycle

View Nomination Procedures

2026 Inductee to the Academy

Kristie K. Patten, PhD, OT/L, FAOTA

2026

Kristie K. Patten, PhD, OT/L, FAOTA

Dr. Kristie Patten is Counselor to the President at NYU, overseeing the strategic priorities of the president and university-wide initiatives. She is a professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy, having previously served as Department Chair and Vice Dean of Academic Affairs at NYU Steinhardt. Her research has focused on shifting the paradigm from a deficit-based to a strength-based or neurodiversity-affirming perspective in the field of autism. She is the principal investigator of the NEST project, funded by New York City Public Schools, the largest inclusion program in the country. The research of her lab has been funded by the National Science Foundation continuously for the last 9 years, which has focused on prioritizing autistic interests in maker clubs. She founded the NYU Connections Program, which supports autistic students, and her most recent NSF work, "Making Mentors," teaches autistic college students how to mentor autistic high school students in STEAM fields. She was awarded and delivered the Eleanor Clark Slagle Lecture in 2022. 

Members of the Academy of Research

View Full List of Academy of Research Members At-A-Glance. * indicates a deceased member.

A. Jean Ayres*, PhD, OTR, FAOTA
Helene Ross
/ Categories: AOTF Academy of Research

A. Jean Ayres*, PhD, OTR, FAOTA

1983

1920 - 1989

The sensory integration (SI) specialty was originally developed by A. Jean Ayres, PhD, OTR, who was both an occupational therapist and an educational psychologist. A former member of the USC occupational therapy faculty, she developed a theoretical framework, a set of standardized tests (today known as the Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests), and a clinical approach for identifying and remedying SI problems in children.

Her publications on sensory integration span a 30-year period from the 1960s through the 1980s and include psychometric studies as well as clinical trials and single case studies."  (Retrieved on December 18, 2014, from http://chan.usc.edu/academics/sensory-integration.) 

Selected References

Ayres, AJ. (1963). Eleanor Clarke Slagle Lecture: The development of perceptual-motor abilities: A theoretical basis for treatment of dysfunction. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 17, 221-225.
Ayres, A. J. (1972). Sensory Integration and Learning Disorders. Los Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.
Ayres, AJ. (1972). Types of sensory integrative dysfunction among disabled learners. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 26, 13-18.

Next Article Ganesh M. Babulal, PhD, OTD, MSCI, MOT, OTR/L
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