Candace Chatman OTD, OTR/L (she/her/hers)
Academic Fieldwork Coordinator (Pediatrics) and Assistant Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy
CHP 133
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Dr. Candace Chatman is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for Pediatrics. Her dedication to improving the lives of families and children with disabilities began with a Master’s in Teaching Special Education from Loyola Marymount University. She enjoyed working as a secondary special education teacher and coordinator in Highland Park and Watts for eight years. Dr. Chatman received her Master’s of Science degree in occupational therapy from California State Dominguez Hills in 2016. For four years she worked as a pediatric occupational therapist at Pediatric Therapy Network, which allowed her to practice in school-based, early intervention, clinic, and social skills settings. Dr. Chatman received her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy degree from USC in 2020, where she completed her research residency with Dr. Stefanie Bodison in the SensoryLab, with an emphasis on measuring the impact of group-based early intervention programming on sensory integration processing of children ages 18 months to 3 years old. She also participated on the pedagogy track as a teaching assistant to Dr. Amber Bennett and Dr. Camille Dieterle.
As an Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, Dr. Chatman works with the Fieldwork team on site development, mentoring students, and collaborating with clinicians to develop fieldwork opportunities within the entire scope of occupational therapy. She is also Co-Chair of the Student Leadership Committee for the Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC).
Education
Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
2020 | University of Southern California
Master’s of Science (MS)
in Occupational Therapy
2016 | California State University Dominguez Hills
Master’s of Teaching (MAT)
in Special Education
2006 | Loyola Marymount University
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
in English Literature
2003 | Seattle University
Selected Publications
Ausderau, K. K., & Chatman, C. (2023). Evaluating playfulness in children. In E. A. Pyatak & E. S. Lee (Eds.), 50 studies every occupational therapist should know (pp. 235-240). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780197630402.003.0034 Show abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Test of Playfulness (ToP) with children with physical disabilities and no known cognitive limitations, compare their scores with those of able-bodied peers, and examine patterns of difference in test items. Data from all of the children in the normative data set meeting inclusion criteria (n = 25) were paired with those from able-bodied children matched on gender and age. Data were gathered during two 15-minute videotaped free-play sessions. Rasch analysis revealed 100% rater reliability, and 88% of the children with physical disabilities conformed to playfulness patterns represented in the normative data. Mean ToP scores did not differ between groups. Based on the study results, the ToP is a highly reliable assessment for children with physical disabilities. However, person-response validity did not achieve 95%. Further investigation is needed to determine ToP validity for children with physical disabilities and environmental influences on playfulness.
Keywords. physical disability, play, assessment, Rasch analysis, reliability, validity, occupational therapy