Remembering Janet Wright

Janet EPhoto of Janet Wright. Wright, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA, was an Occupational Therapist who, throughout her accomplished career, demonstrated compassion and commitment to helping children with Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and other disabilities. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy from Boston University and later earned her Master's degree from the University of New Hampshire. Throughout her career working for her own private practice, Kidzplay, she was deeply involved in state and national occupational therapy associations including the American Occupational Therapy Association. She was the Vice President of the New Hampshire Occupational Therapy Association, was named an AOTA Fellow, and was recognized Occupational Therapy Practitioner of the Year in 2003.

Janet had a history of helping OT students get involved in her practice and loved mentoring them. Part of her legacy is the Janet Wright Memorial Scholarship Fund, which aims to help new and student Occupational Therapists access education and gain new skills.
 

Donate to the Janet Wright Memorial Fund

Quotation mark graphicWe first met Janet when she invited us during out Ateachabout RV tour to teach our Sensory Tool Kit workshop for her Kidzplay clinic staff and parents in New Hampshire. It was love and play "at first sight." Janet was always on our list of friends with whom my husband Rick and I looked forward to spending a lot of time with during the conferences. We would take long early morning walks, holding each other knowing we worked hard at doing our best to be the best we could for the kids, families, and profession.

Last year, the AOTA 2017 conference was the first without Janet. My co-authors and I dedicated our SPM-2 workshop to Janet. When I found myself crying, friends and colleagues shared their love for Janet with me. I know Janet would have been happy to know we were holding her in our hearts there.

- Diana A. Henry, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA