Target Audience:
OTPs interested in innovative ways to elevate their practice
When:
Live Webinar Occurred
Tuesday, October 21st, 2025 7-8 PM CST
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify key features and types of adaptive clothing that support client safety, dignity, and functional independence during dressing tasks.
- Describe how incorporating adaptive clothing into your OT services can enhance client quality of life and provide a unique value proposition in private or community-based practice.
1 contact hour available for OTPs. Must be present for the entire webinar to receive CEU credit or watch the replay and pass the test with 80% accuracy.
Speakers:
Dr. Brandy Archie, OTD, OTR/L, CLIPP- is the founder of AskSAMIE and OT Connected, platforms designed to make getting to the right adaptive equipment and resources easier for caregivers and occupational therapists alike. With a deep belief in tech-powered care and community-driven practice, she’s helping OTPs across the country grow their impact—and their income—without doing it all alone.
Nicole Cuervo is the founder and CEO of Springrose, a company designing adaptive intimates inspired by her grandmother’s experience with chronic pain and arthritis. Trained in human-centered design, she has worked with government agencies and nonprofits to develop more inclusive products and services. Nicole holds degrees from Brown University, the Kellogg School of Management, and the McCormick School of Engineering, and is the inventor on five adaptive apparel patents. Since starting Springrose, she has collaborated with occupational and physical therapists, partnered with other adaptive equipment companies, participated in the Remarkable accelerator for disability tech, and been a guest lecturer at multiple occupational therapy programs. Her work has been recognized with honors including the 2022 Kellogg Social Entrepreneur of the Year and the Chicago Innovation Up-and-Comer Award.
Educational Level:
Introductory
Evidence Based Rationale
This professional development activity, How Adaptive Clothing Can Differentiate Your OT Services, is supported by evidence showing that clothing features and garment design can directly influence dressing performance, participation, and perceived dignity. In an occupational therapy study using a repeated measures design, parent or child selected sensory garments were associated with meaningful improvements in participation outcomes (e.g., COPM and GAS), supporting the clinical relevance of garment-based modifications when matched to individual needs and tolerance.
Additional research focused on clothing designed for older adults highlights that comfort, safety, ease of use, and usability features are key factors influencing whether individuals will adopt and consistently use assistive clothing. Qualitative work specific to adaptive clothing for arthritis further supports that adapted fasteners and design changes can reduce dressing difficulty and support independent dressing and confidence, reinforcing the occupational therapy skill of selecting and educating on clothing solutions as part of ADL intervention. Together, these sources provide an evidence informed foundation for teaching occupational therapy practitioners how to evaluate adaptive clothing features, align recommendations to client goals and contexts, and incorporate this category into services across home based, virtual, community, and private practice settings.
Reference Citations
with hierarchy level of evidence
Reference 1 (Level III)
Lawson, L. M., Foster, L., Hamner, K., & Wright, L. (2022). Exploring effects of sensory garments on participation of children on the autism spectrum: A pretest-posttest repeated measure design. Occupational Therapy International, 2022, 3540271. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3540271 PMC+1
Reference 2 (Level IV)
Chung, J., et al. (2024). Design guidelines for movement-assistive clothing based on a comprehensive understanding of older adults’ needs and preferences. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10954188/ PMC
Reference 3 (Level V)
Singh, S. (2019). A study on adaptive clothing for females with arthritis. International Journal of Advanced Scientific Research and Management, 4(4), 93–97. https://ijasrm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/IJASRM_V4S2_1222_93_97.pdf IJASRM
Disclosures:
Dr. Brandy Archie is the founder of OT Connected by AskSAMIE, which develops educational content and professional resources for occupational therapy practitioners. She may participate in this activity as a presenter, moderator, or interviewer. Guest experts may also have professional, financial, or business interests related to their area of expertise; however, no purchase of any product or service, besides the purchase of this course, is required to participate in this educational activity, besides a subscription to OT Connected.
