The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT) announces
Stephanie M. Foster, a certified occupational therapist from Santa Maria, has won the 2023 NBCOT Impact Award from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.
The award recognizes occupational therapy (OT) practitioners who demonstrate exceptional professional commitment through their dedication, hard work, and OT skills to improve their clients’ overall life satisfaction and engagement in valued occupations.
Foster received the NBCOT Impact Award for her work with some 3,000 families to help their children reach their greatest potential. Foster was nominated for the award by Margaret “Peg” Bledsoe.
At her private practice Kid’s Work Therapy, Foster provides state-of-the-art pediatric occupational therapy to children with developmental delays and self-regulation difficulties like autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.
“Our focus is to teach new skills and empower kids to meet challenges but make it feel like play, not work,” Foster said.
Parents who contributed to Foster’s application submission cited that their children had fewer outbursts and fights at school, needed fewer reminders from teachers to stay on task, and had improved interactions with siblings and peers.
Foster earned her national OT certification in 1989. She won the Occupational Therapy Practice Award by the Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC) in 2020. She is a former major in the U.S. Army Reserve and has provided OT services abroad in Germany, Romania, China, Thailand and Japan.
For more about the NBCOT Impact Award, visit www.nbcot.org/awards.