Chau is a clinician, advocate, and designer.

Using a human-centered and strengths-based perspective, I promote inclusive and accessible design practices, collaborating with designers, educators, and clinicians.

Chau and students with disabilities completing fashion project at table.
 

Working with individuals across the lifespan, I support and advocate for participation in occupations (meaningful and necessary activities specific to a person, client, or community) that include self-care, leisure, academics, and vocational skills.

I utilize a human-centered, scientific, and strengths-based perspective to promote inclusive and accessible design practices. Through cross-collaboration with diverse practice areas, I create products and experiences that are inclusive of people with disabilities.

Creative,
Human-Centered Healthcare

Since receiving my Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, I have completed a decade of clinical practice. I support working with individuals across the lifespan, collaborating with my clients, families, and healthcare and educational teams to develop goals to promote participation and increased independence in daily activities and routines.

I adapt toys, tools, and equipment to help facilitate participation and independence in play for children with disabilities.

 

Accessible Education and Assistive Technology

I currently work with children and young adults with acquired brain injury and other brain-based diagnoses. I use assistive technology (including powered mobility, augmentative and alternative communication, and switch use) to support participation and independence in educational, play, and self-care activities.


School-Based Services

I previously worked in public, private, and charter schools, preschools, and special education schools in New York City. I helped students navigate their school environment and build the physical, cognitive, and psychological skills to support learning, creativity, and engagement in the classroom and beyond.


Supporting Older Adults

I worked with older adults in inpatient settings and promoted participation and independence in self-care and leisure activities through therapeutic exercise, functional and meaningful activities, and cognitive skill building.

Collaborations

 

Open Style Lab

 

My roles in OSL began as a fellow and developed into OT consulting and program development,

Collaborating with OSL in their work with NYU’s Initiative for Women with Disabilities, I assisted the OSL team, fellows, and clients (female adolescents with cerebral palsy) to design kits for personalized clothing adaptations.

Utilizing a transdisciplinary approach, I worked with fashion designers and engineers to create a garment for a woman with a spinal cord injury who uses a motorized wheelchair. The garment highlighted her desire to look elegant for special events, while also accounting for functional features related to her strengths, needs, personal preferences.

 

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

 

Working with Cooper Hewitt through OSL, I developed and led inclusive design workshops for children and adults, creating handbags with design features of the maker’s choice, teaching and implementing adaptive sewing techniques.

I developed a workshop for Cooper Hewitt’s Design Fest 2019, leading and assisting children and their families to modify and adapt simple garments.

Juniper Unlimited

 

Content creator for a lifestyle website supporting inclusive design, fashion, technology, and wellness. I developed a digital series to support DIY Assistive Technology, including adapting toys to use with assistive technologies.

Target

 

I collaborate with designers working with Target’s adaptive clothing lines, providing feedback on existing adaptive garments created for children and adolescents.

 

OSL X IKEA

 

DIY accessible wearables. Through a collaboration with Open Style Lab and IKEA, I worked with designers to hack existing IKEA products to make items more accessible for people with disabilities.

Publications

 

Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases

 

Reliability and Validity of the Wolfram Unified Rating Scale: The WURS

The WURS is a research tool developed at Washington University in St. Louis for use in longitudinal studies of symptom progression and future clinical trials measuring effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.

Primary authorship

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Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases

 

Phenotypic Characteristics of Early Wolfram Syndrome

Phenotypic data of young people diagnosed with Wolfram Syndrome were collected in preparation for clinical trials and longitudinal studies.

Authorship as member of Washington University in St Louis’ Wolfram Syndrome Study Group

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