Kari Couch Tanta

Kari Couch Tanta, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA is a clinician, administrator, researcher, and educator with over 30 years of experience focused on pediatrics, play, population health, and mentorship. She is currently Director of the Neurodevelopmental Center at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and Health Network Manager and Manager of Occupational Therapy and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Washington. She obtained her BS in Occupational Therapy, MS in Occupational Therapy, and PhD in Special Education and Rehabilitation Medicine from the University of Washington. 

Dr. Tanta has conducted and published studies related to children with special needs and the uses of play in occupational therapy. In addition to her research publications, Dr. Tanta has offered research-related presentations at local, national and international levels, and has authored several book chapters. She was made a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association in 2006, and was awarded the AOTF Leadership Commendation Award in 2014. She also was selected to participate in the AOTA executive training middle managers program in 2017. She is a long-time editorial review board member of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, the Early Intervention Editor for the Journal of Occupational Therapy in Schools and Early Intervention, and Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics. She also is past President of the Early Childhood Development Association of Washington (ECDAW) and volunteers extensively in the community.

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