Anna Wallisch, PhD, OTR/L

Professional Background

Dr. Anna Wallisch, PhD, OTR/L is an occupational therapist and Assistant Professor in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Sciences in the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Wallisch earned her PhD in Therapeutic Science and her clinical degree in occupational therapy at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Kansas' Juniper Gardens Children's Project.

• BS, Occupational Studies, University of Kansas
• MOT, Occupational Therapy, University of Kansas Medical Center
• PhD, Therapeutic Science, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Autism, Juniper Gardens Children's Project, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS

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Research

Overview

Dr. Wallisch's research is driven by her clinical experiences as an occupational therapist and answering the concerns of families. Her research focuses on: 1) examining mechanisms underlying challenging eating behaviors in young children with autism to develop future interventions, 2) utilizing technology for advancements in intervention delivery and contextually relevant measurement, and 3) the early identification of children with neurodevelopmental conditions.

• Parent-implemented treatment for repetitive behaviors in children with ASD: Using a novel telehealth approach to increase service access, National Institutes of Health
• High impact models of early intervention support: Accelerating child outcomes and systems recovery, Institute of Education Sciences

• Wallisch, Anna, Little, Lauren., M., Dean, Evan, Dunn, Winnie. 2018. Executive Function Measures for Children: A Scoping Review of Ecological Validity. OTJR: Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 38 (1), 6-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/1539449217727118
• Little, L., M, Pope, E, Wallisch, A, Dunn, W. 2018. Occupation-Based Coaching by Means of Telehealth for Families of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.. The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 72 (2), 7202205020p1-7202205020p7
• Thompson, Kelsey, Wallisch, Anna, Nowell, Sallie, Meredith, Jessica, Boyd, Brian. 2023. Short report: The role of oral hypersensitivity in feeding behaviors of young autistic children. Autism, 27 (4), 1157-1162. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613221135091
• Wallisch, A, Behrens, S, Salley, B, Jamison, R, Boyd, B. 2021. Brief Report: Predicting Sex Differences and Diagnosis from Early Parent Concerns.. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 51 (11), 4160-4165
• Bakula, D., M, Wallisch, A, Slosky, L, Dean, K, Davis, A, Edwards, S. 2023. Prevalence of Parent Mental Health Problems in an Interdisciplinary Feeding Clinic: Short Communication.. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition
• Killian, H., J, Bakula, D., M, Wallisch, A, Swinburn Romine, R, Fleming, K, Edwards, S., T, Bruce, A., S, Chang, C., N, Mousa, H, Davis, A., M. 2023. Pediatric Tube Weaning: A Meta-Analysis of Factors Contributing to Success.. Journal of clinical psychology in medical settings, 30 (4), 753-769
• Wallisch, A, Boyd, B., A, Hall, J., P, Kurth, N., K, Streed, Jr, C., G, Mulcahy, A, McMaughan, D., J, Batza, K. 2023. Health Care Disparities Among Autistic LGBTQ+ People.. Autism in adulthood : challenges and management, 5 (2), 165-174
• Boyd, Brian., A, Stahmer, Aubyn., C, Odom, Samuel., L, Wallisch, Anna, Matheis, Maya. 2022. It’s time to close the research to practice gap in autism: The need for implementation science. Autism, 26 (3), 569-574. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211064422