Colleen Cameron Whiting
Assistant Professor
JWU Faculty Since 2024
Colleen Cameron Whiting, OTD, OTR/L has worked as an occupational therapist for over twenty-five years. Her expertise lies in holistically supporting children, particularly those with sensory integration and processing challenges, autism, and who have experienced trauma, using theoretically based, evidence-informed interventions, and advanced professional reasoning.
Throughout Whiting's career in early intervention, mental health, schools, private practice, and academia, she has modeled the importance of being a lifelong learner and innovating new ideas through her scholarship and service. She has published several peer-reviewed journal articles and chapters on trauma, public health, sensory processing, social-emotional development, and interprofessional practice as well as a multiple baseline single-subject research study. Whiting has also presented internationally in professional development trainings for practitioners, parents, and educators. Before joining JWU, Whiting taught courses in occupational therapy doctorate programs at several universities.
Education
- PP-OTD, Occupational Therapy, Boston University
- M.S., Occupational Therapy, Boston University
- B.A., Psychology, Boston College
Teaching Interests
Research, Pediatrics, Development, Mental Health
Scholarly Interests
Whiting's research interests include further exploring the prevalence of sensory integration and processing challenges impacting occupational engagement in the school setting, the implementation of a multi-tiered system of supports in the schools to support students' sensory integration and processing as well as their social-emotional learning, the use of a trauma-informed approach in clinical and higher education settings, and the development and use of manualized Ayres Sensory Integration adapted for the school setting along with study of its efficacy.
Courses
- OTD7130: Occupational Therapy Assessment and Theory Across the Lifespan
- OTD8220: Research II
- OTD8320: Research III
- OTD8240: Occupational Therapy Practice I Lab
- OTD9910: Doctoral Capstone Project
Extra Curricular Roles
Co-Government Relations Representative for MAOT
Editorial Review Board Member for The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy
Member of AOTA School Mental Health Community of Practice
Member of AOTA COP Childhood Trauma
Professional Affiliations
American Occupational Therapy Association         
Massachusetts Association of Occupational Therapy
Publications
- Whiting, C. C., Allen, R., & Ochsenbein, M. (in press). Social-Emotional Learning. In O’Brien, J. C. & Kuhaneck, H. (Eds.) Case-Smith’s Occupational Therapy for Children and Adolescents. Mosby.
- Whiting, C. C. (in press). Trauma. In Wagenfeld, A. (Ed.) Foundations of Pediatric Practice for the Occupational Therapy Assistant. SLACK.
- Stephenson, P., & Whiting, C. C. (in press). Autism. In Wagenfeld, A. (Ed.) Foundations of Pediatric Practice for the Occupational Therapy Assistant. SLACK.
- Allen, R., & Whiting, C. C. (2021). Lessons From COVID-19 for the educational context: A case study. In Lynch, A., Tekell, L., & Ashcraft, R. (Eds), Trauma, Occupation, and Participation (pp. 339-343). AOTA Press.
- Whiting, C.C. & Tekell, L. (2021). Trauma and occupational therapy's role in schools and education. In Lynch, A., Tekell, L., & Ashcraft, R. (Eds), Trauma, Occupation, and Participation (pp. 317-337). AOTA Press.
Honors And Awards
- AOTA Service Commendation, 2020
- AOTA Service Commendation, 2021
- AOTA Service Commendation, 2022
- AOTA Service Commendation, 2023