Speakers Bureau Spotlight: Meet Liz Abadiotakis, OTD, OTR/L

Liz Abadiotakis, OTD, OTR/L, is a Doctor of Occupational Therapy specializing in pediatrics. Dr. Liz has over 18 years of experience creating and presenting custom content for diverse audiences, including healthcare professionals, parent associations, and business administrators. Her background in occupational therapy, coupled with her data-driven thinking and passion for action offers a strong base from which to target the goals of any organization.

We asked Dr. Liz a couple of questions about her experience in occupational therapy and work in pediatrics.

How did you get into your field?

I first learned about occupational therapy from my mother. I had an interest in pediatric medicine. I was a camp counselor and a babysitter. She knew that what I enjoyed was creating playful activities and felt that becoming a therapist would allow for those interactions. My mother was a teacher and I was able to visit with the occupational therapist at her school. I learned that play and learning were the occupations of children. I was able to observe the therapist strengthening student skills, accommodating school tasks and modifying the school environment to increase the students’ independence. The ability to make positive changes in the lives of children through play, creativity and innovation matched my strengths. Occupational therapy became my passion. I have been able to learn about the value of meaningful daily occupation not only from my education but also from endless interactions with clients.

Tell us a little bit about theparentingannex.com.  

ParentingAnnex.com connects parents to pediatric professionals through quick tip videos. This website presents organized quick tip videos related to daily tasks and routines like sleeping and eating. There are also videos on development, parenting and staying organized. It is free for parents and professionals. ParentingAnnex.com was created to assist parents in finding quality, organized parenting information online. It is easy to explore on your mobile phone or computer. Listen or watch while you work, make dinner, travel home or wait at your kiddos’ activities. Come connect at ParentingAnnex.com!!

Why do you think the world needs it?

My doctoral research as well as my journey as a parent and clinician has demonstrated the gap services as ordinary people transition into parenthood. Parents often gain parenting information from friends and family but when given the opportunity to hear information from professionals they prefer this option. The problem is that the Internet is vast and parents’ time is limited. ParentingAnnex.com has done the filtering and organizing for parents. We understand that better parenting equals healthier children.