Karen L. Harpster, PhD, OTR/L

As an occupational therapist (OT), I specialize in evaluating and treating children with neurodevelopmental disorders, especially infants and children with cerebral palsy (CP) and cerebral visual impairment. I am a CP mentor for our occupational therapy clinicians and a team member of our multidisciplinary Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) clinic. I am trained in a variety of assessments used for early detection of cerebral palsy, such as the General Movements Assessment (GMA) and the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE), as well as upper extremity evaluations, including the Hand Assessment for Infants (HAI), Mini-Assisting Hand Assessment (Mini-AHA) and Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA). I implement evidence-based treatment approaches for children with CP, such as constraint-induced movement therapy, bimanual therapy, task-specific training, and environmental and activity adaptations to enhance functional vision during daily activities for children with CVI.

I became interested in working with children with developmental disabilities early in my career before becoming an OT. I observed many children who worked with occupational therapists. It was fascinating to see how the children progressed toward their goals, such as play, social skills and feeding.

I am also a clinical researcher. My research focuses on early detection and interventions for infants and children with cerebral visual impairment and cerebral palsy. Implementing interventions early, while the brain is rapidly developing and changing, leads to the best outcomes. I have studied several evidence-based interventions for these populations.

I collaborate with clinicians and researchers at Cincinnati Children's in the Divisions of Neonatology, Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, to name a few. Additionally, I am a lead investigator on several multi-site projects, both nationally and internationally. As a researcher, I strongly believe that collaborating with other scientists leads to the best outcomes for the children we serve. We are stronger together. I am honored to have been awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from The Ohio State University (2018).

I am a faculty member for the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disability (LEND) Program and have a faculty appointment with the University of Cincinnati. I enjoy mentoring trainees and students in the research process to share my passion for research with the next generation.