Diane Weidner | Health Professions | SIU

Education:

• Post-Professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, University of Montana- Missoula, May 2024
• Master of Science, Occupational Therapy, Rush University, Chicago, IL, December 2014
• Master of Science, Applied Linguistics, University of Illinois, Chicago
• Bachelor of Arts, French Literature, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana

Licenses and Certifications:

• Licensed Occupational Therapist, Illinois
• Registered Occupational Therapist, National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy

Overview:

Dr. Weidner is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the entry-level occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) program at SIU. Before joining SIU, she completed her post-professional doctorate through Rehab Essentials at the University of Montana-Missoula in 2024 and worked mainly as a school-based occupational therapist in the Chicago area.

Research:

Dr. Weidner’s post-professional Capstone research centered on establishing an 8-week curriculum on best practices in the school-based setting for learners in an occupational therapy or occupational therapy assistant program. Via team-based and experiential learning methods, the curriculum emphasizes ethics-centered practice, laws and policies unique to the setting, effectively applying the OT process to the school-based setting, tenets of interprofessional collaboration, and emerging topics such as trauma-informed care.

Teaching:

Dr. Weidner has taught a variety of courses across the OTD curriculum at SIU, including Introduction to Scholarly Practice, the Art of Teaching and Learning, Exploring Theories and Evidence in Mental Health, and several research courses. Using various constructivist-based learning strategies, Dr. Weidner is committed to advancing the occupational therapy profession by helping students to develop critical reasoning skills applicable across practice settings and scenarios.

Clinical Practice:

Dr. Weidner spent over ten years as a school-based occupational therapist in the Chicago suburbs. Working with children with a range of behavioral, motor, and/or developmental delays, she applied her skills in evaluation, treatment planning, intervention implementation, and discharge planning. In addition, she trained staff in using sensory strategies to promote students’ self-regulation for improved participation and occupational engagement. Further, she promoted tier-1 support, including universal design principles, early fine motor screening, whole-class interventions, and environmental or scheduling modifications to enhance learning. Her clinical experience also includes work in both early intervention and private pediatric clinics.