Experience. Scholarship. Leadership.
Nationally recognized occupational therapy practitioners, scholars, educators, and leaders advancing effective school-based practice.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH
YOU
ESOT was founded by nationally recognized leaders who have dedicated their careers to advancing school-based occupational therapy through scholarship, practice, leadership, and professional education. Our collective work bridges evidence and implementation, helping practitioners translate research into meaningful educational outcomes. We are committed to developing the next generation of leaders while shaping the future of school-based occupational therapy.
Dr. Yvonne
Swinth
Researcher. Educator. Mentor.
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, Washington
Dr. Patty
Laverdure
Scholar. Leader. Practitioner.
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia
DIG A LITTLE DEEPER
SPEAKERS
Inspire Thinking. Challenge Assumptions. Move Practice Forward.
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Whether we're speaking at national conferences, state associations, universities, or district leadership events, our goal is to leave audiences with practical ideas they can immediately apply. We translate complex evidence into engaging stories, clear frameworks, and actionable strategies that help practitioners make better decisions and improve student outcomes.
Our presentations are evidence-based, thought-provoking, and designed to spark meaningful conversations long after the session ends.
INSTRUCTORS
Learning That Changes Practice
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Professional development should do more than check a continuing education box.
Our courses are intentionally designed to help practitioners build confidence, strengthen professional reasoning, and translate evidence into everyday school practice. Participants leave with practical tools, decision-making frameworks, and resources they can use immediately. Whether you're new to school-based practice or an experienced leader, our instruction is designed to help you think differently, reason more clearly, and practice more effectively.
AUTHORS
Advancing the Profession Through Scholarship
Our writing reflects decades of experience at the intersection of research, education, and practice.
From peer-reviewed publications and textbook chapters to practical guides and professional resources, our work focuses on translating evidence into meaningful action. We write to bridge the gap between research and everyday practice, helping practitioners make informed, defensible decisions that improve participation and educational outcomes.
Our publications continue to shape conversations about quality, professional reasoning, evidence translation, and the future of school-based occupational therapy.
ConsultANTS
Your Challenges Become Our Work
Every school system is different. Every team has unique strengths, opportunities, and barriers.
We partner with districts, universities, state agencies, and organizations to solve complex practice challenges with thoughtful, evidence-informed solutions tailored to your context.
Whether you're strengthening service delivery, developing professional learning, implementing quality indicators, redesigning evaluation practices, or building workforce capacity, we work alongside your team to create sustainable change.
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UNPACK
LET'S
IT
PRESENTERS
MENTORS
EXPERTS
Would you like to invite Yvonne and Patty to speak at your next event or online lecture? Would you like to collaborate with them on an upcoming conference? If so, reach out!
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Addressing local and international audiences on school-based practice, both individually and as a team, they are praised for their passion, clear presentation, and tailored sessions. By combining stories, practical examples, research evidence, and policy, they help their audience grasp and apply the material. Their presentations provide practical strategies for improving services at an individual, school, and community level.​ With a focus on Quality Indicators for School-Based Practice, workshops include:
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Effective professional reasoning across school contexts.
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Addressing effective service delivery.
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Developing a Meaningful Professional Development agenda.
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Program development.
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Program evaluation.
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Advocating for effective occupational therapy in schools.
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Addressing change in your school-system.
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Mentoring and increasing capacity for effective services in schools.
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Move beyond 1:1; Providing services to populations and systems.
Mentoring graduate occupational therapy students, as well as new and experienced school-based practitioners is a shared passion. With an emphasis on collaboration, they seek to help individuals and teams develop realistic programs that support student outcomes across educational contexts. Additionally, they have mentored student research groups as well as clinician researchers to support studies addressing effective services in the schools.
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Working with school districts all over the country and State Educational systems, they facilitate program evaluation and improvement of occupational therapy services. This may include addressing development of data gathering strategies, action plans, and outcome measures. They aim to empower individuals and teams to establish realistic steps towards practice innovation and change in order to maximize student outcomes.
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They have also provided support to individual school teams, districts, and state educational agencies. This includes completing IEEs and supporting due processing hearings. They also have a passion for collaborating with students and their families/caregivers in order to ensure carry-over of skills among the school, home, and community environments. Increasingly, Yvonne has been working with schools as well, to help implement trauma-sensitive strategies.
Yvonne has extensive experience working as a clinician with children from birth to 21 years as a primary service provider, team leader, assistive technology specialist, and consultant. She's currently, focusing on speaking and teaching, while also assessing and supporting a diverse range of students, families, and school districts. She is a trainer for the Washington State Board of Education and a mentor for the state's school-based mentoring program. Yvonne has advanced training and certifications in developmental trauma, sensory integration, and neurodevelopment therapy, and helps schools implement trauma-informed practices.
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Patty has worked as a Clinician with children and youth across the care continuum, including neonatal intensive care, early intervention, and school services, in roles such as provider, consultant, and program administrator. She has served on school, regional and state educational teams, focusing on children with complex needs. Patty has developed resources to support the application of occupational therapy theory and practice to enhance the professional development and evidence-based practice of school team members. Collaborating with the Virginia Department of Education, she developed and implemented training resources for occupational and physical therapy practitioners.
