Acknowledgments

Taking on this edition as a solo effort has been an interesting challenge. I am so appreciative for the support of many friends and colleagues who have helped me through it. I am indebted to those who contributed to writing chapters—Jessica Bell, Marianne Beninato, Peter Cahn, Heather Fritz, Doug Gross, Cathy Lysack, and David Scalzitti. I am thankful to John Wong for many hours of invaluable guidance on statistics. I am also grateful to those who took the time to review sections of the book and provide valuable feedback—Marjorie Nicholas, Winnie Dunn, Lisa Connor and Saurabh Mehta among others. I also want to acknowledge the long-time support of colleagues at the MGH Institute of Health Professions, especially Alex Johnson, Mary Ellen Ferolito, Denis Stratford and the entire IT team, as well as the graduate assistants Jasmin Torres and Baothy Huynh, who will both be awesome Doctors of Occupational Therapy. I reserve a special note of deep appreciation for David Scalzitti who has reviewed every page of this book and who freely offered his advice along the way, in every instance providing important comments to make things more accurate, complete, and useful. Many of his “pearls” are included in the text. Additionally, I’d like to thank David for creating the online Test Bank questions and PowerPoint slides. Always a wonderful colleague, he has become a good friend.

The F. A. Davis team was remarkably patient with me over many years, providing incredible support. Special thanks to Jennifer Pine, Senior Sponsoring Editor, who held my hand and tolerated my missing every deadline. Megan Suermann, Content Project Manager, lived through every word, figure, and table, and all their changes. Thank you to everyone who helped with every aspect of the project—to Cassie Carey, Senior Production Editor at Graphic World Publishing Services; Kate Margeson, Illustration Coordinator; Nichole Liccio, Melissa Duffield, and especially to Margaret Biblis, Editor-in-Chief, who said “yes” so quickly.

I’d also like to acknowledge my dear friend and writing partner Mary Watkins, who retired several years ago and is happily ensconced in New Hampshire with her family. Our collaboration was a special part of our lives for more than 20 years, and I sorely missed her this time around.

Over the past 50 years of my professional life, of which 45 were spent in academia, I have had the good fortune to work with thousands of students, faculty colleagues, and teachers who have inspired and challenged me. Too numerous to mention by name, I thank them all for their friendship, mentorship, and dedication. I am also grateful to many people, some I know and many I have never met, from all over the world, who over the years have taken the time to stop me at conferences, or to call or send emails, telling me how much they appreciated the book— and pointing out the mistakes and where information needed updating. Those comments have been immensely rewarding and incredibly helpful. I hope these colleagues are pleased with the revisions they have inspired.

And of course, there is no way a project like this gets done without support and sacrifice from those closest to me. My parents, who were so proud of this work, have both passed away since the last edition was published, but they continue to inspire me every day. My husband Skip has given up so much of our together time, particularly once we were both supposed to be retired. He gave me the space and time I needed, and now I have a lot of dishes to wash to make up my share! My children, Devon and Jay and Lindsay and Dan, are always there to prop me up with love and understanding, and Lindsay was even able to help me through some of the more complex statistics—very cool. And finally, little Hazel, the ultimate joy that only a grandparent can understand. Her smile and hugs have lifted me up through many tough days. She confirms for me every day that the future is bright. What they say is so true—if I’d known grandchildren were so much fun, I would have had them first! With no pun intended, the next chapter awaits!