Marta Muusz

Occupational Therapy

Past/current experiences working in the field of disabilities:

I am an occupational therapy graduate student at UIC. This is my second year as a LEND trainee and I am also a research assistant for LEND. Additionally, I am a nationally board-certified music therapist and an Illinois credentialed developmental therapist in the Early Intervention System. I have worked with families in Early Intervention since July 2006 and through this work, decided to go back to school for occupational therapy.

Goals for your LEND training experience:

My goals for the LEND experience are to learn more about autism-specific assessment, as well as evidence-based, autism-specific intervention.  I would also like to understand how autism and related developmental disorders are addressed from the perspective of a variety of different disciplines. I am also interested in participating in autism-related research and gaining a better understanding of the autism-specific screening and referral practices of Illinois health care professionals.

What you wish to contribute, in the future, as a professional/family member in the field:

I would like to go back to early intervention and work with young children and families. Families are often going through the diagnostic process during this time, and I feel that it is important for them to have healthcare professionals who are knowledgeable about and up-to-date on autism spectrum disorder issues. I would also like to eventually provide trainings about autism spectrum disorders and related screening tools, assessments, and interventions to other healthcare professionals.