By Dave DeFusco
For nearly three decades, Terrie Ludwig has built a career around a simple but powerful idea: meet people where they are, and help them do what matters most. As the academic fieldwork coordinator for the Katz School鈥檚 Occupational Therapy Doctorate, she has carried that philosophy into classrooms, clinics and, now, into a place where few would have expected to find occupational therapy at all: summer camp.
It started with a conversation. Ludwig, a pediatric occupational therapist by training, had long partnered with students completing fieldwork at a local JCC. Over time, she began hearing a recurring concern from staff and families. Children with disabilities were returning to school after summer break having lost skills鈥攕truggling with regulation, participation and independence after months without consistent services. For Ludwig, the gap was impossible to ignore.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a combination of all my loves,鈥 she said. 鈥淲orking with children, mentoring students and finding a way to meet a real need.鈥
From that moment, an idea took shape: what if occupational therapy didn鈥檛 stop when school ended? What if it could be woven into the fabric of camp itself鈥攊nto games, friendships, routines and moments of joy?
What began as a partnership has since grown into a thriving Level II fieldwork placement, where doctoral students step into a nontraditional setting and discover just how expansive their profession can be. Under Ludwig鈥檚 leadership, occupational therapy services were introduced into the camp for the first time, reframing what support could look like in a recreational environment.
The transition wasn鈥檛 seamless. One of the earliest challenges, said Ludwig, was helping camp staff understand the students鈥 role.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e not aides,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not there to fill gaps. They鈥檙e there as occupational therapy professionals.鈥
Over the past seven years, Ludwig has worked to build that understanding by developing trainings, clarifying expectations and ensuring that students and staff recognize the clinical value of what鈥檚 being offered. The result is a model where occupational therapy is not an add-on, but an integrated, respected presence.
In this setting, therapy doesn鈥檛 happen at a desk. It unfolds on playgrounds, in art rooms and during group activities, and it transitions between them. The goals are the same鈥攕upporting participation, engagement and independence鈥攂ut the approach is fundamentally different.
鈥淐amp is supposed to be fun,鈥 said Ludwig, 鈥渟o the challenge becomes: how do you make interventions meaningful within that context?鈥
For students, that challenge becomes a turning point. Used to one-on-one clinical sessions, they must now think on their feet鈥攍eading groups, collaborating with peers and adapting activities in real time. They learn to observe not just one child, but many at once. They build time management skills while balancing evaluations, documentation and intervention planning. And perhaps most important, they begin to trust themselves.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 hover over them 24/7,鈥 said Ludwig. 鈥淚 guide them. Because of that, their independence and confidence really soar.鈥
That growth is something students feel deeply. OT student Dina Shapiro described the experience as energizing and transformative: 鈥淭he camp experience really opened my eyes that OT can be used in any setting, even ones that are not traditional OT settings,鈥 she said. 鈥淥ne of the main skills that I developed during my time at the camp was adapting activities to meet each child鈥檚 needs, which is essential for client-centered care.鈥
By the end of the experience, even the most hesitant students leave transformed. They鈥檙e more assured in their clinical reasoning, more comfortable in leadership roles and more adaptable in unfamiliar environments.
That transformation is no accident. It reflects Ludwig鈥檚 deeply personal approach to mentorship, shaped by her own unconventional path. Before becoming an occupational therapist, she was a teacher, earning a degree in elementary education with a concentration in math. That foundation continues to influence how she works with students today.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want a whole army of mini-me鈥檚,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 want students to figure out what works for them.鈥
It鈥檚 a philosophy rooted in respect and flexibility鈥攐ne that encourages students to question, explore and develop their own professional identities. As Ludwig often tells them, there鈥檚 more than one way to approach a problem. What matters is being able to justify it, adapt it and make it meaningful.
That mindset extends beyond fieldwork and into the next stage of their training. Increasingly, students are carrying their camp experiences into their doctoral capstone projects, using what they鈥檝e observed as a springboard for innovation.
Some are studying sensory-based interventions like weighted and neoprene vests. Others are exploring the creation of sensory-friendly spaces. Still others, inspired by the emotional needs they witnessed, are investigating strategies to address anxiety, whether in children at camp or college students navigating academic stress. For Ludwig, watching those connections take shape is deeply rewarding.
鈥淵ou can see the moment it clicks,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檒l say, 鈥極h my God, we saw that at the camp.鈥 And now they鈥檙e diving deeper. It鈥檚 incredible.鈥
