Quick Reference Dictionary for Occupational Therapy

Karen Jacobs, EdD, OTR/L, CPE, FAOTA, is an occupational therapist and an ergonomist as well as a clinical professor of occupational therapy at Boston University, Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Boston, MA. She is a former president and vice president of the American Occupational Therapy Association, an author of texts on work practice, the founding editor of the interdisciplinary and international journal, WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation (IOS Press, The Netherlands), and is widely published. She is internationally recognized as an expert in ergonomics and health care marketing and has presented numerous workshops, keynote addresses, and training programs on these subjects.

Professor Jacobs, who lives in Andover, MA, is married to Matthew Gold and is the mother of three children—Laela, Joshua, and Ariel. She balances work with occupations such as kayaking, gardening, travel, photography, and cross-country skiing.

Laela Jacobs OTR/L, is currently practicing as a Rehab Manager at a sub-acute facility in Wrentham, MA. She received her degree in occupational therapy from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, FL.

Laela, her husband Craig Simon, and their two dogs live in North Attleboro, MA. Her interests include theater, travel, gardening, and most importantly spending time with her family.a