HOT TOPIC: Beyond Early Intervention: A Pivot to Lifespan Participation for Children with Down Syndrome in Pediatric OT
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2026
10:45 AM – 11:15 AM
Course Description
Nationwide Children’s Hospital hosts a variety of specialty clinics to provide comprehensive team support to children in the community. The Down Syndrome Clinic is a family centered clinic providing diagnostic and treatment services to children and their families. Historically, the clinic focused on early intervention, with the role of the occupational therapy practitioner being to assess children from birth to three years of age then make recommendations for what supports from which they might benefit. The clinic expanded in 2025 to support patients with a wider age range of 0-21 years. As children with Down syndrome age, families share their desire for their children to participate and be included in society (Garrels & Sigstad, 2023). As the age range that the clinic serves has expanded, this has required a shift in practitioners to reconsider what meaningful progress and participation looks like across the lifespan.
This session will explain the mindset shifts that took place in one occupational therapy practitioner that resulted in a cascade of systemic impacts including adjustments to recommendations, re-examining caregiver role, and involving patients in goal setting. Participants will briefly review evidence showing that some individuals with Down syndrome achieve milestones and self-help skills later than typical peers (Ashton & Wentz, 2022) and to balance this understanding of milestone acquisition with supporting functional participation in daily routines. Participants will reflect on how to balance patient autonomy while still helping families feel supported. Practitioners who attend this session will build confidence in how to focus on function when making recommendations and gain resources related to evidence-based practices for transition aged patients (Carroll et al., 2025) (Rodrigues de Sousa Junior et al., 2026).
Speakers
Mary Kate Uebelein, OTR/L, BCP is a pediatric occupational therapist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where she provides outpatient services to children ages 0–21 with developmental delays and feeding challenges. She serves as the occupational therapist for the Down Syndrome clinic and co-treats with speech-language pathologists to support children with complex communication, behavioral, and sensory needs. In addition to her clinical work, she supervises Level II fieldwork students, mentors new hires, and mentors feeding therapists completing the hospital feeding competency. Her prior experience includes early intervention and pediatric outpatient therapy at Mountainside ABA in West Virginia, early intervention at MECA Therapies in New Mexico, and acute care at Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital, where she helped establish outpatient pediatric therapy services at a previously adult-only clinic.
Mary Kate is a committed educator, advocate, and community volunteer. She completed the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) fellowship at the University of New Mexico and has presented department-wide on topics including executive function assessments and yoga interventions for youth mental health. She is a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher and holds certifications in infant massage, DIRFloortime, and feeding therapy approaches including SOS and Beckman Oral Motor. She is board certified in pediatrics through AOTA and is an active member of the Junior League of Columbus and the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio, where she helped lead vendor and mascot organizing for the Buddy Walk, an event attended by more than 8,000 people. Mary Kate holds a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis and a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Harding University.
Content Level
Introductory: This level assumes the audience has little or no information regarding the content area. This level assumes the audience has little or no information regarding the content area.
Practice Areas
Children and Youth