Department of Occupational Therapy Education

Professional Background
With an education in occupational therapy and special education, Ellen Pope, clinical assistant professor, is focused on the development of family-based interventions for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Her clinical work is focused on infants who have been drug exposed in utero. Pope has been a member of the department faculty for 18 years, teaching about children and families. She also coordinated a 4-county infant toddler program in Northeast Kansas for 15 years.

In addition to her course responsibilities, Pope coordinates an interdisciplinary evidence-based practices project: the Direct the Family, Infant, Toddler (FIT) program. This is a project funded by Kansas Department of Health and Environment which provides training and technical assistance to all of the tiny-k infant toddler programs in the state of Kansas. Pope is currently developing online courses for early intervention providers with the help of Kansas Inservice Training Systems and the Beach Center at KU.

Pope is a fellow of the Kansas Health Foundation Class of 2003, and a member of the Kansas State Coordinating Council on Early Childhood Developmental Services. She also holds licensure as an occupational therapist in Kansas and New Mexico.

Educational Background
Pope earned a Bachelor of Science in occupational therapy and a Master of Science in special education - both from the University of Kansas.

Research Focus
Pope's research interests are centered on the application of interdisciplinary, evidence-based research to early intervention practices designed for infants and toddlers. Currently, her clinical work is with infants who were exposed to harmful drugs while in-utero.