AOD Reports National Convention

Roxanne Young, AOD & Secretary

The best part of convention for me, was being able to network with my many friends and family that I’ve come to love, past volunteers who just come to convention for that reason, sometimes they don’t even come to participate in the education. They just want to see each other every year and spend some quality time. All are past volunteers who are DONE with volunteering and just want to enjoy time with colleagues from across the country.

AOD Experience

This year’s AOD was well planned and well orchestrated. I really enjoyed the small group discussion and the opportunity to share those ideas with the larger group by having us go up to the microphone to share what the group discussed. I believe that in doing that, it prepares us for greater interaction, the microphone experience is a stepping stone to serving in a larger way. For many who have been on the National BOD, I believe that the HOD, was a stepping stone, a building block for taking their place behind the microphone as a National BOD member. Those skills are developed over time, therefore, are a vital experience for those looking to move up that corporate ladder with amta.

AOD Results

This year’s Position Statement (PS) Proposal was on Entry-Level Education and Continuing Education proposals as it pertains to Online accessibility and accountability. There was a great deal of arguments for allowing online education in initial entry level education especially by those who were somewhat isolated from access to educational opportunities. The discussion did support more CEs post graduate once the therapist had its foundation education. However, it was found that the statement was too vague and the degrees of variance too wide to send it to the BOD at this time. Therefore, the PS this year, did not pass through the AOD and will not be forwarded to the National BOD at this time. It was determined that there were too many other factors involved at this time that needed to be defined prior to sending a Statement like this to the BOD.