Our people

Professor Elspeth Froude

National Head of School
School of Allied Health

Areas of expertise: childhood disability, developmental coordination disorder, cognitive orientation to occupational performance (CO-OP)

Phone: 02 97392582

Email: Elspeth.froude@acu.edu.au

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6863-2317

Elspeth Froude is the Professor of Occupational Therapy and the National Head of the School of Allied Health responsible for the four disciplines represented in the school, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology. Elspeth is Professor of Occupational Therapy and was, until recently the Head of Discipline and National Course Coordinator for occupational therapy. Elspeth was responsible for establishing the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree on the North Sydney campus. Elspeth is also serving a second term as Academic elected member of Senate.

Professor Froude also serves the community outside the university.  Elspeth was the Chair of the Scientific Program Committee for the recent World Federation of Occupational Therapy Congress held in Paris (2022) and will continue in this role for the 2026 conference in Bangkok.  Elspeth is the past Vice President of ICAN, the International Cognitive Approaches Network and continues as a committee member on the Networking and Mentorship Committee. Elspeth is also a committee member of Developmental Coordination Disorder Australia.

Elspeth continues to educate clinicians and the public about Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance Approach (CO-OP), the recommended evidence-based intervention to achieve participation and engagement in daily life for children with developmental coordination disorder and other populations across the lifespan.

Elspeth’s research interests are in the area of working with children, cerebral palsy, autism, developmental coordination disorder and knowledge translation. Elspeth has also researched in the area of scholarship of learning and teaching in simulated learning.

Current PhD projects include:

• Feasibility of the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance Approach to improve occupational performance and participation for children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and coordination difficulties.
• Parent delivered CO-OP for children with Cerebral palsy in Ethiopia.
• An Investigation and Evaluation of an Adapted Bike Program for Children 4 to 18 Years with Disabilities.
• The feasibility of occupational therapy student-led groups for community-dwelling people with acquired brain injury.
• Ageing Autistically.

View academia profile

Select publications

• Thevarajah, A, Wallen, M, Imms, C, Lonsdale, C, Carey, J.J, Froude, E. Impact of adapted bicycle riding on outcomes for children and adolescents with disabilities: A systematic review. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2022; 00: 1- 13. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.15446
• Yule, E., Hughes, J., Froude, E., Jones, L & Logan, A. (2022) The impact of face-to-face mental health consumer-led teaching on occupational therapy student empathy levels: Two group comparison design. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. 10.1111/1440-1630.12833
• Flynn, N., Froude, E., Cooke, D & Kuys, K. (2022) Repetitions, duration and intensity of upper limb practice following the implementation of robot assisted therapy with sub-acute stroke survivors: an observational study, Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2020.1807621
• Harsanyi, M., Froude, E., Foley, K., Trollor, J., & Arnold, S. (2021) Employment Profiles of Autistic Adults in Australia. Autism Research. 14:10 2061-2077 doi.org/10.1002/aur.2588
• Deramore Denver, B., Froude, E., Rosenbaum, P., & Imms, C. (2021) Measure of Early Vision Use: development of a new assessment tool for children with cerebral palsy, Disability and Rehabilitation, DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2021.1890241
• Deramore Denver, B., Froude, E., Rosenbaum, P., & Imms, C. (2021) Measure of early vision use: initial validation with parents of children with cerebral palsy, Disability and Rehabilitation, DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2021.1890243
• Flynn, N., Froude, E., Cooke, D & Kuys, K. (2021) Repetitions, duration and intensity of upper limb practice following the implementation of robot assisted therapy with sub-acute stroke survivors: an observational study, Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2020.1807621
• Swanton, R, Gustafsson, L, Froude, E, Hodson, T, McInerney, M, Cahill, Lannin, N.A. (2020), Cognitive strategy training for adults with neurological conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis exploring effect on occupational performance. British Journal of Occupational Therapy doi.org/10.1177/0308022620933095
• Sterman, J.J., Naughton, G.A., Bundy, A.C., Froude, E., & Villeneuve, M.A (2020) Mothers supporting play as a choice for children with disabilities within a culturally and linguistically diverse community, Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 27:5, 373-384, DOI: 10.1080/11038128.2019.1684556
• Flynn, N., Kuys, S., Froude, E. and Cooke, D. (2019), Introducing robotic upper limb training into routine clinical practice for stroke survivors: Perceptions of occupational therapists and physiotherapists. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. doi:10.1111/1440-1630.12594
• Sterman, J.J., Naughton, G.A., Bundy, A.C., Froude, E., & Villeneuve, M.A. (2019) Planning for outdoor play: Government and family decision-making, Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 26:7, 484-495, DOI: 10.1080/11038128.2018.1447010
• Stacey, T.-L., Froude, E., Trollor, J., & Foley, K.-R. (2019). Leisure participation and satisfaction in autistic adults and neurotypical adults. Autism, 23(4), 993 1004. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361318791275
• Gospodarevskaya, E., Carter, R., Imms, C., Chu, E. M., Nicola?Richmond, K., Gribble, N., Froude, E., Guinea, S., Sheppard, L., Iezzi, A. and Chen, G. (2019), Economic evaluation of simulated and traditional clinical placements in occupational therapy education. Aust Occup Ther J, 66: 369-379. doi:10.1111/1440-1630.12563
• Vousden, B., Wilkes?Gillan, S., Cordier, R. and Froude, E. (2019), The play skills of children with high?functioning autism spectrum disorder in peer?to?peer interactions with their classmates: A multiple case study design. Aust Occup Ther J, 66: 183-192. doi:10.1111/1440-1630.12530
• Edwards, A., Froude, E., & Sharpe, G. (2019) Developing competent videofluoroscopic swallowing study analysts. Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery. DOI:10.1097/MOO.0000000000000449
• Jackman, M., Novak, I., Lannin, N., Froude, E., Miller, Laura., Galea, Claire. (2018). "Effectiveness of Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance over and above functional hand splints for children with cerebral palsy or brain injury: a randomized controlled trial." BMC Pediatrics 18(1): 248.
• Imms, C., Chu, E. M. Y., Guinea, S., Sheppard, L., Froude, E., Carter, R., . . . Symmons, M. (2017). Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of embedded simulation in occupational therapy clinical practice education: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials, 18(1), 345. doi: 10.1186/s13063-017-2087-0
• Denver, B. D., Adolfsson, M., Froude, E., Rosenbaum, P., & Imms, C. (2017). Methods for conceptualising &lsquovisual ability&rsquo as a measurable construct in children with cerebral palsy. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 17(1), 46.
• Sterman, J., Naughton, G., Froude, E., Villeneuve, M., Beetham, K., Wyver, S., & Bundy, A. (2016). Outdoor Play Decisions by Caregivers of Children with Disabilities: a Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 1-27.
• Imms, C., Froude, E., Adair, B., & Shields, N. (2016). A descriptive study of the participation of children and adolescents in activities outside school. BMC pediatrics, 16(1), 84.
• Jackman, M., Novak, I., Lannin, N., & Froude, E. (2016). Parents experience of undertaking an intensive cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance (CO-OP) group for children with cerebral palsy. Disability and rehabilitation, 1-7.
• Deramore Denver, B., Froude, E., Rosenbaum, P., Wilkes-Gillan, S. and Imms, C. (2016), Measurement of visual ability in children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.13139

Projects

• 2022 - current National Priorities and Industry Linkage Fund (NPILF) $758 000. An innovative interprofessional service and placement model partnership with CatholicCare Sydney
• 2021 - current Feasibility of Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance for children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
• 2021 - current Feasibility of Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance for children with Autism
• 2020 - current Adapted Bike Riding for children with physical disabilities
• 2015 - 2021 Development and initial validation of an assessment of visual ability for children with cerebral palsy.
• 2015 - $1.2 Million Health Department Victoria. A multicentre randomised controlled trial investigating embedded simulation in occupational therapy clinical practice education.
• 2012 - National Health and Medical Research Council Partnership Project: The best service at the best time: Improving the implementation of research for children. $865,853

Awards

• Vice Chancellor Award staff excellence award 2020. Spirit of Reconciliation Excellence - "Occupational Therapy Curriculum Team for its excellent work embedding First Peoples 'knowing, being, doing' within the occupational therapy curriculum, therefore progressing towards decolonising the curriculum for a better future".

Appointments and Affiliations

• Vice President ICAN (International Cognitive Approaches Network) Canada (Not for profit corporation) July 2021-July 2023
• 2022 and 2026 Chair of the WFOT Congress Scientific Program Committee
• Member of OTA limited
• Registered Occupational Therapist AHPRA
• Academic elected member of ACU Senate

Editorial roles

• Editor in Chief Australian Occupational Therapy Journal 2008-2015. Wiley Publications

International journal review panels

Editorial Board

• Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics 2018-current

Reviewer

• Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy 2022
• Disability and Rehabilitation 2021, 2022
• Child: Care, Health and Development 2021, 2022

Grant agency review panels

• External Grant Reviewer for the WFOT Thelma Cardwell Foundation Award for Research
• Member of research scholarship panels for ACU