Upper Quadrant Dry Needling 1 & 2
2026-08-07 - 2026-08-09 | Utah Valley University – Lehi Campus, 2889 Ashton Blvd., Lehi, UT, 84043, United States
Course Summary

Required for the Upper Quadrant DN Certification. A brief introduction to the history of dry needling, trigger points, and myofascial pain, the OSHA Blood Borne Pathogen Standards within the context of dry needling, and an introduction to relevant pain sciences. This course was previously known as OT/CHT DN.

Email for Member discount code before registering: uotavicepresident@gmail.com.
For more information and to register, click here.

UOTA Executive Board Meeting - September 2026
2026-09-01 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Denver) | Online
Meetings are always online via Zoom from 7-8pm (MST). Email uotasecretary@gmail.com for the Zoom link.
All UOTA members are welcome to join.

Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
2026-10-05 18:00 - 21:00
FREE 3-HOUR CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSE
Why Visual Performance Matters: Foundations for Occupational Therapy Practice
3.0 contact hours / 0.3 AOTA CEU • Introductory • OT Service Delivery • Live virtual or on-demand through the 2026 UOTA Fall Conference • No cost to participants for Live virtual
About this course
A passed vision screening tells you a student can resolve a letter on a chart. It tells you very little about whether that student can use vision to do the work of the day. This course gives occupational therapy practitioners a defensible, occupation-based way to observe, describe, and act on visual performance — without stepping outside the OT scope of practice.
The course is built in six blocks. Each block opens with a brief anchor concept, then spends the majority of its time on expanded application material: classroom and clinic signatures, referral decision-making, comorbidity patterns, and modifications a practitioner can put in place the next workday. Practitioners who have attended a prior Visual Minds Learning session will recognize the anchors as a quick refresher; the substance of each block is new material. For first-time participants, the course stands alone as a complete foundation.
Course objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

Explain why a passed vision screening is a starting point, not an endpoint and articulate how visual performance influences reading, writing, attention, and occupational participation.
Describe the visual pathway from eye to occupation using functional, non-diagnostic language that supports clinical observation, documentation, and interdisciplinary communication.
Identify behavioral signatures of ventral (“what”) and dorsal (“where”) visual processing differences as they present in classroom, clinic, and home tasks.
Distinguish visual red flags requiring referral to optometry or ophthalmology from findings addressable through occupational therapy and justify that decision with occupation-based rationale.
Analyze how autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and dysgraphia alter the visual performance picture and integrate that understanding into intervention planning rather than addressing vision in isolation.
Construct an immediate environmental and task-modification plan matched to observed visual performance limitations including a written next-step summary usable the following workday.

Agenda — three hours, six blocks

TIME
BLOCK

0:00 – 0:25
Vision as a performance system: why a passed screening tells you little

0:25 – 0:55
What vision looks like in occupation: classroom, clinic, and home signatures

0:55 – 1:30
Recognize and refer: red flags by urgency and the scope line

1:30 – 2:00
When it is not just vision: autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia

2:00 – 2:35
Modify Monday morning: environmental and task modifications

2:35 – 3:00
Where this goes next: from observation to structure and measurement

Every block includes a poll, a case vignette, and a reflection prompt.
Who should attend

Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants in school-based, pediatric outpatient, and early-intervention settings
OT practitioners in home health, outpatient, or community settings who encounter low-vision presentations
Practitioners serving clients with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, or dysgraphia who want to integrate visual performance screening into evaluation
OT students and new graduates preparing for pediatric, school-based, or community fieldwork

Completion requirements
Participants complete all six blocks including the embedded case-application exercises, pass the post-course examination with a score of at least 80% (unlimited retakes permitted), and submit the course evaluation. A certificate is issued listing participant name and credentials, course title, 3.0 contact hours (0.3 AOTA CEUs), completion date, provider name and number, and a unique verification code validated at visualmindslearning.com/ceu/verify. Completion records are retained for a minimum of five years.
Presenter

Jeff Foster, OTR/L
Occupational therapist and vision impairment specialist with Madison County Schools, and founder of Visual Minds Learning, LLC. Jeff developed the Five-Level Visual Performance Framework and the Visual Performance Assessment (VPA) to give school-based and pediatric practitioners a structured, occupation-based way to identify and address visual performance limitations that interfere with learning and participation.
Provider statement

Visual Minds Learning, LLC is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. Provider #0000001618. This course is offered at 0.3 AOTA CEUs (3.0 contact hours), introductory level, OT Service Delivery. AOTA does not endorse specific course content, products, or clinical procedures.
How to Attend
This is a free event for members of the Utah Occupational Therapy Association (UOTA). All current UOTA members will have an email sent to them on approximately Thursday, October 1, 2026 with instructions to join this virtual event. Please make sure your email is current so that you receive the email (UOTA webpage > Membership > My Account). If you don’t receive emails from UOTA, you will want to make sure your email is not blocking these emails or sending them to your junk box.
This event will be recorded and made available to those attending the UOTA Fall Conference in November.

Questions?
Please reach out to Travis Chamberlain, OTD, OTR/L, UOTA Continuing Education Committee Chair at Travis.Chamberlain@Utah.edu

UOTA Executive Board Meeting - October 2026
2026-10-06 19:00 - 20:00 | Online

UOTA Executive Board Meeting - November 2026
2026-11-03 19:00 - 20:00 | Online

2026 UOTA Annual Conference
2026-11-06 - 2026-11-07 | Utah Valley University – Orem Campus
Sponsor or table at the conference!

UOTA Executive Board Meeting - December 2026
2026-12-01 19:00 - 20:00 | Online

Handwriting Without Tears
2027-01-11 13:00 - 16:00
UOTA Continuing Education Presents:
Handwriting Without Tears

Readiness & Writing for Pre-K on Monday, January 11th, 1-4 pm
Handwriting Without Tears® Print (K–2) on Monday, Feb 1st, 1-4 pm

These virtual offerings are the first two courses that lead to the Handwriting Specialist Certification from Learning Without Tears.

Course Descriptions & Objectives:
Readiness & Writing for Pre-K
During this three-hour workshop, participants will receive a complete review of the HWT Print program and learn to access and use their teaching resources and classroom materials. Participants will join in collaborative discussion through virtual engagement tools including polls, chats, and breakout sessions. Carefully designed activity pages are available for participation in group activities, note taking, reflection, and action planning.
Participants will…

Identify the 4 steps of explicit handwriting instruction that can be applied when teaching or remediating letters, words, and sentences.
Select effective hands-on, multisensory activities to teach handwriting skills including grip, position concepts, alphabet knowledge, letter formation, and sentence skills.
Choose 2 strategies that can be used to help children generalize handwriting skills across all subjects.
Locate progress monitoring and differentiated instructional supports within print and digital educator resources.

Handwriting Without Tears® Print (K–2)
During this three-hour workshop, participants will receive a complete review of the Readiness & Writing program and learn to access and use their teaching resources and classroom materials. Participants will join in collaborative discussion through virtual engagement tools including polls, chats, and breakout sessions. Carefully designed activity pages are available for participation in group activities, note taking, reflection, and action planning.
Participants will…

Identify a developmental sequence for teaching readiness & writing skills that can be used to plan and differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students.
Discover multisensory strategies and our step-by-step approach to effectively teach grip, fine motor and coloring skills using music and tools for little hands.
Select purposeful hands-on, multisensory manipulatives, music and digital learning to teach position concepts, alphabet knowledge, letter formation, and name writing to promote Kindergarten readiness.
Locate progress monitoring supports within print and digital educator resources.

Can’t participate in the live trainings? No problem! Participants will have access to the recordings for 60 days.

EARLY BIRD
Member Pricing
Non-member Pricing

OTR/Other Professional
$150
$200

OTA
$125
$175

OT Student
$50
$100

These prices reflect the difference in the member vs. non-member fee. The price also reflects the early bird registration that ends December 1, 2026. On December 2, the cost increases by 20%

REGULAR REGISTRATION
Member Pricing
Non-member Pricing

OTR/Other Professional
$180
$240

OTA
$150
$210

OT Student
$60
$120

Please reach out to the Continuing Education Chair, Travis Chamberlain, OTD, OTR/L at Travis.Chamberlain@Utah.edu with any questions.
