Kelly Spellman, OTD, OTR, is an occupational therapist and an assistant professor in Occupational Therapy in the entry-level doctoral program. Dr. Spellman received her Bachelors and Masters degrees at Boston University and recently completed her post-professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy here at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. She has 15 years of clinical experience in neurorehabilitation across many settings, including acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient care, and community practice settings. She maintains a clinical position at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital here in Charlestown, where she has worked since 2010.
She is passionate about occupational therapy's role in providing sex education to our clients, facilitating participation in adaptive sports, and enabling community reintegration for individuals with spinal cord injuries. She has been a volunteer Clinical Specialist and Aquatics Coordinator at Empower Spinal Cord Injury since 2012, which is a non-profit providing residential rehabilitation services for individuals with chronic spinal cord injury, with the goal of enabling participants to lead happier, more meaningful, and more independent lives. She is also a co-founder of the Knobby Tire Ride and Roll, which is an annual event focused on increasing trail accessibility for those with disabilities.
- Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Studies, Boston University: Boston, MA
- Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, Boston University: Boston, MA
- Doctor of Occupational Therapy, MGH Institute of Health Professions: Boston, MA
- Neuro-rehabilitation
- Occupational Therapy practice in Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities
- OT and Sexuality Education
- Adaptive Sports
- Community reintegration after SCI
Below is a list of Dr. Spellman's highlighted publications. Please see her CV for a complete list of publications.
A concordance table to convert FIM basic mobility and self-care scale scores to SCI-FI/AT scores.
Big Ideas in Function: Facilitate Rehab on Demand.
In addition, Dr. Spellman regularly presents at conferences and industry events. Please see her CV for a complete list of presentations.
Relating Fugl-meyer Sub-scores to Activities of Daily Living Post Stroke at the OT Summit of Scholars.
Linking FIM motor scores and SCI-FI/AT scores: Looking backward and moving forward at the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Annual Conference.
Promoting positive disability identity through residential community-based rehabilitation at the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals Annual Conference.
Re-framing rehabilitation: Residential rehabilitation in chronic spinal cord injury care at the Academy of Spinal Cord Injury Professionals Conference.
Injury Prevention in Adaptive Sports: Enabling the Athlete/Equipment Interface at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Conference.
Publications List
