Erna Imperatore Blanche, MA, MOT

Erna Imperatore Blanche received her basic training in occupational therapy at the University of Chile (Santiago, Chile) and later earned her Masters in Special Education at Columbia University. She received a PhD in Occupational Science at USC. She is an expert in pediatric occupational therapy and interventions based on occupational science.

She has co-authored two books and one video series on pediatric practice: Combining Neurodevelopmental Treatment and Sensory Integration Principles; Understanding the Nature of Sensory Integration with Diverse Populations (book); and Observations Based on Sensory Integration (book). She has also published numerous articles in English and Spanish on the topics of play, wellness and other issues in clinical practice. Her articles have appeared in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Occupational Therapy International, Journal of Occupational Science, and Play and Culture Studies, among others, as well as in pediatric textbooks. Dr. Blanche has lectured internationally in more than 20 countries and maintains ties with Therapy West, Inc., a clinic seeing over 400 children per week that was co-founded by her, as well as with the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Chile, Santiago, Chile.

 

Dr. Blanche's research interests are in the areas of play, clinical evaluation of children with developmental disabilities including autism, and the relationship between sensory processing and lifestyle choices.