Professor Veronica Llerena joined DePaul University in January 2023. Veronica has 20 years of experience as a pediatric occupational therapist, primarily in Early Intervention with families of children ages 0-3, and has extensive experience with diverse families in under-represented areas of Chicago. Prior to working in pediatrics, Veronica worked with adults in community-based settings, helping to establish the OT program at Alexian Brother's Bonaventure House. In addition to her clinical practice, Veronica has 20 years of experience as an adjunct clinical instructor with the Occupational Therapy graduate program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). She is currently working toward her OTD at UIC with an expected completion date of March 2023.
Veronica's clinical and scholarship interests include advancing family engagement and family centered care in Early Intervention, facilitating child and caregiver self-efficacy around the transition to preschool, and supporting families of children newly diagnosed with disabilities. Veronica is also committed to advancing education and mentorship for OT students interested in working with families. This includes helping students understand issues of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in Early Intervention and learn to approach families with cultural humility. Veronica's OTD project is guide for clinical mentors supporting Entry Level OTD Capstone students learning about Early Intervention practice. Veronica herself continues to mentor new therapists and students at the Child and Family Development Center in Chicago.
In addition to her work as an occupational therapist, Veronica most appreciates spending time with family and friends. She loves travel, game nights with her kids, reading, and happy surprises.
Education:
- MS, Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago (2000)
- BA, Anthropology/English, Northwestern University (1993)
- OTD, University of Illinois at Chicago (expected completion date: February 2023)
Licenses and Certifications
- Illinois Occupational Therapist Licensure
- NBCOT Credentials
- Illinois Early Intervention Specialist, Evaluation/Assessment
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations
- Brennan, S., Llerena, M.V., Popova, E. (2022) Short Course (Virtual). Empowering Whole Family Participation in Wellness Routines in Early Intervention. Illinois Occupational Therapy Association Conference
- Burks, K.A., Popova, E., Llerena, M. V. (2022) Poster. Trauma informed Approaches to Promoting Family Resilience in Early Intervention. World Federation of Occupational Therapy Conference.
- Llerena, M.V. (2022) Workshop (virtual). Interdisciplinary Topics in Early Intervention: Enhancing child motivation and parent self-efficacy through use of the Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire (PVQ). Illinois Early Intervention Training Program
- Llerena, M.V. (2022) Workshop (virtual). Interdisciplinary Topics in Early Intervention: Engaging the "hard to engage" families. Illinois Early Intervention Training Program.
- Burks, K.A., Popova, E., Llerena, M. V. (2021) Short Course (virtual). Trauma informed approaches to Promoting Family Resilience in Early Intervention. Illinois Occupational Therapy Association Conference
- Llerena, M.V & Popova, E. (2019) Short course. Say It Like You Mean It: Promoting the Scope of Occupational Therapy in Early Intervention. Illinois Occupational Therapy Association conference, Chicago, IL
Publications
- De las Heras, C.G., Llerena, M.V., Kielhofner, G. (2019). The Remotivation Process: Progressive intervention for people who experience severe volitional challenges. The Model of Human Occupation Clearinghouse, University of Illinois at Chicago.
- Stoffel, A. & Llerena, M. V. (2015). Royce: developmental delay/early intervention. In S. M. Cahill & P. Bowyer. Cases in pediatric occupational therapy: assessment and intervention (pp. 25-30). Thorofare, NJ: SLACK Incorporated.
- De las Heras, C.G., Llerena, M.V., Kielhofner, G. (2003). The Remotivation Process: A manual for strategic interventions in volition. The Model of Human Occupation Clearinghouse, University of Illinois at Chicago.
- Braveman, B., Kielhofner, G., Belanger, R., de las Heras, C. G., Llerena, M. V. (2002). Program development. A Model of Human Occupation: Theory and application (3rd Ed.). Baltimore: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, pp. 491 – 519.