Andrea Carr Tyszka, OTD, MS, OTR/L, SIPT

Associate Professor, College of health sciences, Education and Rehabilitation

Andrea Tyszkaatyszka@salus.edu     

Education:   

  • OTD, Salus University
  • MSOT, Temple University
  • BSOT, Temple University

Role at Salus:

  • Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy 

Clinical Specialty:

  • Pediatrics,
  • School-based practice
  • Sensory-integration
  • Health & wellness

Selected Representative Publications:

  • Silverman, F. & Tyszka, A. (2017).  Centennial Topics -Supporting participation for children with sensory processing needs and their families: Community-based action research.  American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71, 710410010. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2017.025544
  • Silverman, F. & Tyszka, A. (February, 2017).  Creating community partnerships to support families with sensory differences. AOTA Sensory Integration Special Interest Section Quarterly, 2(1), 5-7.
  • Tyszka, A. & DiLuzio, L. (2015).  Collaborative groups: Application of a framework for interprofessional collaboration in a high school setting.  ASHA Sig 16 Perspectives on School-Based Issues, 131-138.
  • Tyszka, A. C. & Farber, R. S. (2010) Exploring the relation of health-promoting behaviors to role participation and health-related quality of life in women with multiple sclerosis: A pilot study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 64, 650-659.

Presentations:

  • April 2018: Silverman, F., Tyszka, A., Foy, C., Sponseller, L., & Brim, B. Virtual teams: Getting it right. Short course presented at the meeting of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); Salt Lake City, UT.
  • April 2018: Tyszka, A., & Knight, C. Interprofessional education: Learning through interdisciplinary case studies. Poster session accepted for presentation at the meeting of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); Salt Lake City, UT.
  • April 2018: Tyszka, A., Silverman, F. Community-based action research: Enhancing participation & wellbeing for families with children and young adults with sensory processing needs. Poster session accepted for presentation at the meeting of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); Salt Lake City, UT.
  • April 2018: Tyszka, A., Silverman, F., Hanh, C., & Tallia, A. Using sensory maps to support individuals with and without disabilities. Poster session accepted for presentation at the meeting of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA); Salt Lake City, UT.
  • March 2018: Community-based action research: Using evidence to support wellbeing for families with children with sensory processing needs. In-service presented to the Salus University faculty and staff, Elkins Park, PA.
  • November 2017: Knight, C., & Tyszka, A. Interprofessional education: Learning through interdisciplinary case studies. Poster session presented at the meeting of the American Speech, Language & hearing Association (ASHA); Los Angeles, CA.
  • October 2017: Silverman, F., & Tyszka, A. Community based action research: Using evidence to support wellbeing for families with children with sensory processing needs. Short course presented at the meeting of the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Association (NJOTA); East Windsor, NJ.
  • October 2017: Sponseller, L., & Tyszka, A. Occupational therapy’s role in ensuring infant and toddler safety through community based programming. Poster session presented at the meeting of the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Association (NJOTA); East Windsor, NJ.
  • October 2017: Hanh, C., Tallia, A., Silverman, F., & Tyszka, A. Effect of a sensory map on museum experiences. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association (POTA); State College, PA.
  • October 2017: Napier, J., & Tyszka, A. Promoting occupational therapy’s role in self-regulation when co-treating. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association  (POTA);  State College, PA.
  • October 2017: Tyszka, A., Brim, B., Sponseller, L., & Foy, C. Expanding our role in wellness through role emerging fieldwork. Short course presented at the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association (POTA); State College, PA.
  • March 2017: Kanics, I., Silverman, F., & Tyszka, A. Pre-conference institute on museum accessibility.  Workshop presentation at the 2017 American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Annual Conference and Centennial Celebration; Philadelphia, PA
  • March 2017: Farber, R., Foy, C., Larson, M., Pelham-Foster, S., Sponseller, L., & Tyszka, A.  Women’s health and health care: Providing occupational therapy reflecting the needs of today’s women and health care environment.  Short-course presentation at the 2017 American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Annual Conference and Centennial Celebration; Philadelphia, PA
  • March 2017: Farber, R., & Tyszka, A.  Positive factors contributing to greater role participation and satisfaction with maternal participation for mothers with MS.  Poster presentation at the 2017 American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Annual Conference and Centennial Celebration; Philadelphia, PA
  • March 2017: Tyszka, A., Brim, B., Silverman, F., Foy, C., Farber, R., & Sponseller, L.  Role-emerging fieldwork: Looking toward our past to build a more sustainable future.  Poster presentation at the 2017 American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Annual Conference and Centennial Celebration; Philadelphia, PA. 
  • March 2017: Silverman, F., Tyszka, A., Agnew, D., Di Stefano, T., Leuders, K., Serianni, R.  The Zika virus and microcephaly: An interprofessional response.  Poster presentation at the 2017 American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Annual Conference and Centennial Celebration; Philadelphia, PA. 
  • March 2017: Tyszka, A., Silverman, F., Vora, R., & Dudeck, B. Occupational therapy in private schools: Implementing a Response to Intervention (RtI) model for practice.  Poster presentation at the 2017 American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Annual Conference and Centennial Celebration; Philadelphia, PA. 
  • March 2017: Brief, A., Harding, A., Keogh, A., Marcy, S., McDonnell, A., Richardson, G., Silverman, F., & Tyszka, A.  Making a regional impact: An intercollegiate sensory friendly community based project.  Poster presentation at the 2017 American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Annual Conference and Centennial Celebration; Philadelphia, PA. 
  • November 2016: Tyszka, A., & DiLuzio, L.  Theoretical tools for effective collaboration: Facilitating interprofessional collaboration in a school-based setting.  Poster presented at the 2016 annual American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) conference; Philadelphia, PA.  
  • October 2016: Tyszka, A., Silverman, F., Vora, R., & Dudeck, B. Implementing Response to Intervention (RtI): Supporting wellbeing in an educational context.  Poster presented at the 2016 New Jersey Occupational Therapy Association (NJOTA) conference; Galloway, NJ.
  • October 2016: Silverman, F., & Tyszka, A. Using action research to enhance family community participation.  Short course presented at the 2016 Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association (POTA) conference; Lancaster, PA. 
  • October 2016: Tyszka, A., Silverman, F., Vora, R., & Dudeck, B.  Using Response to Intervention (RtI) to bring occupational therapy (OT) to private schools.  Poster presented at the 2016 Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association (POTA) conference; Lancaster, PA.   
  • September 2016: Rowley, S., Genovesi, J., Nolinske, T., Rais, P., Silverman, F., Smith, R., Tyszka, A., & Wenger, A.  To inclusion and beyond: Rethinking our “norms” through accessibility.  Short course presented at the 2016 annual Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) conference; Tampa, Fl.
  • April 2015: Tyszka, A., DiLuzio, L., Morse, M., & Nicolino A.  Balancing professional promotion and altruism: An example of interprofessional collaboration in school-based OT.  Short course presented at: 2015 AOTA Annual Conference & Expo; Nashville, TN.
  • April 2015: Silverman, F., Farber, R., Tyszka, A., Sponseller, L., & Foy, C.  The power of mentorship: It’s role in faculty satisfaction & productivity.  Short course presented at: 2015 AOTA Annual Conference & Expo: Nashville TN.
  • October 2014: Tyszka, A. & DiLuzio, L.  Interprofessional education: Putting principles into pediatric practice.  Short course presented at: NJOTA 40th Annual Conference; Rutgers University, Scotch Plains, NJ.  
  • 2014 Tyszka, A. & Farber, R.  The Relationship of Health-Promoting Behaviors & Participation for Women with MS: Application of the ICF.  Poster session presented at: 2014 AOTA Annual Conference & Expo; Baltimore, MD.
  • 2013 Tyszka, A., Amariti, K., Carroll, C., Abbott-Gaffney, C.  Creating Sensory Smart Classrooms: Merging Sensory Processing and Universal Design.  Short course presented at: NJOTA 39th Annual Conference; Mt. Laurel, New Jersey.
  • October 2011 Tyszka, A. & Farber R.  The Relationship of Health-Promoting Behaviors & Participation for Women with MS: Application of the ICF for Rehabilitation Practitioners.  Short course presented at the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Association Conference, Union, NJ.
  • 2010 Farber, R. & Tyszka, A.  The Relationship of Health-Promoting Behaviors & Participation for Women with Multiple Sclerosis: Application of the ICF for Rehabilitation Practitioners.  Poster session presented at: North American Collaborating Center Conference: Enhancing our understanding of the ICF; June 23 & 24, 2010; National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
  • 2009 Understanding and Meeting Sensory Needs at Orchard Friends School. In-service presented to faculty members at Orchard Friends School, Riverton, New Jersey.
  • 2009 An Overview of Demystification.  Workshop presented to a parent committee at Orchard Friends School, Riverton, New Jersey. 
  • 2006-2012 Exploration of Health-Promoting Behaviors, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Role Fall 2012   Participation of Women with Multiple Sclerosis.  Research results presented to occupational therapy students at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • 2006 A Teacher’s Guide to Navigating the Sensory Processing Information Highway. In-service presented to faculty members at Orchard Friends School, Moorestown, New Jersey. 
  • 2004-2006 Assistive Technology in the Classroom: Unlocking the Door to Education. Guest lecture Spring 2006 and lab presented to occupational therapy students at University of the Sciences, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • 2006 Lunch and Learn: OT Strategies for the Classroom.  Brown-bag faculty luncheon presented with Colleen Carroll, OTR, at Haddonfield School District, Haddonfield, New Jersey.
  • 2005 School Based OT: More than Just Handwriting.  Faculty in-service presented with Colleen Carroll, OTR, at Haddonfield School District, Haddonfield, New Jersey.
  • 2004  A Teacher’s Guide to Navigating the Sensory Processing Information Highway.  In-service presented to faculty members at Haddonfield School District, Haddonfield, New Jersey. 
  • 2004 Current Issues in School Based Practice.  Guest lecture presented with Bonni Rubin-Sugarman, MA, at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 
  • 2003  Sensory Integration Dysfunction.  Workshop presented to the Committee for Children with Special Learning Needs (CCSLN), Haddonfield School District, Haddonfield, New Jersey.
  • Television, Newspaper and Other Media
    • CBS-3 (March 14, 2006).  Interviewed for story: Mothers with Multiple Sclerosis.
    • Interactive Network for Continuing Education (2004).  Interviewed for educational CD-ROM: Multiple Sclerosis: What Do We Know?  What Should We Do?

Service and Professional Activities: 

  • Proposal reviewer for the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and New Jersey Occupational Therapy Association (NJOTA) conferences
  • 2017- Accessibility Consultant, Brandywine River Museum of Art
    current
  • 2015- Program Development, OT’s Role in RtI, The Meadowbrook School
  • 2014- current NJOTA Practice Committee member
  • 2015 Program Development, Winter Wellness for Children with Special Needs, Cherry Hill Health and Racquet Club
  • 2014 - current Accessibility Consultant, Franklin Institute
  • 2010 Consultant, MS Medical Communications Strategy, Caudex Medical
  • 2009-2012 Professional Advisory Board, Temple University, Department of Occupational Therapy
  • 2006 Student Scholar Forum with Winnie Dunn, Gary Kielhofner, and Joan Rogers, Temple University, Department of Occupational Therapy
  • 2005 Curriculum Committee for ECLC/Kindergarten Program, Haddonfield School District
  • 2003 Autism Task Force, Haddonfield School District
  • 2000 Core Values Committee, Bancroft Neurohealth

Professional Organizations:

  • American Occupational Therapy Association
  • New Jersey Occupational Therapy Association
  • National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Professional Certifications: 

  • Certificate in Health and Wellness for Occupational Therapists, Salus University
  • Professional Enhancement Certificate in Sensory Integration                                              
  • Certified in theory, administration, and interpretation of the Sensory
  • Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT).
  • New Jersey State OT License
  • New Jersey School Certification
  • Pennsylvania State OT License
  • National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (OTR)

Awards and Honors 

  • Salus Awards Gala – Outstanding Professor – College of Education & Rehabilitation
  • Salus University Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Scholarship
  • 2017: New Jersey Occupational Therapy Association (NJOTA) Certificate of Appreciation for Contribution to the Community Through OT Practice
  • 2016: American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) Award for Community Volunteerism