Amelia Di Tommaso

Amelia Di Tommaso

Senior Lecturer

School of Allied Health Science and Practice

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Amelia is an occupational therapist and has been an educator and researcher in the area of occupation-centred practice, occupation-centred education, occupational therapy in emerging areas and theory to practice translation. As a researcher, she utilises co-design principles and coaching to ensure that contemporary theory and philosophy, namely occupation, is translated into occupational therapy practice. Amelia and her research collaborators are leaders in understanding the complexities of applying theory to practice and occupation-centred practice in modern workplaces, especially for new graduates. Amelia is an experienced qualitative researcher and has supervised Honours, Master and PhD students to completion.   

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2023 - ongoing Senior Lecturer University of Adelaide
    2016 - 2023 Lecturer Griffith University
    2013 - 2016 Teaching Fellow and PhD Candidate University of Canberra

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2022 Teaching Award Health Group Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (individual) Griffith University Australia -
    2022 Teaching Award Griffith Health Group Learning & Teaching Citation (individual) Griffith University Australia -
    2020 Fellowship Fellow, Higher Education Academy Higher Education Academy United Kingdom -
    2019 Research Award Occupational Therapy Australia Early Career Researcher Award Occupational Therapy Australia -

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2020 Higher Education Academy United Kingdom Fellow
    2018 Griffith University Australia Graduate Certificate of Higher Education
    2018 University of Canberra Australia Doctor of Philosophy
    Charles Sturt University Australia Bachelor of Health Science (Occupational Therapy) (Hons)

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2023 Phillips, K., Di Tommaso, A., Molineux, M., & Nicholson, E. (2023). Occupation-centred practice and supervision: Exploring senior occupational therapists' perspectives. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 70(5), 548-558.
    DOI
    2023 Seville, R., Hodson, T., & Di Tommaso, A. (2023). Environmental sustainability: An exploratory study of the perceived knowledge, attitudes, and skills of occupational therapists practicing in Australia. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 70(5), 535-547.
    DOI
    2023 Spalding, K., Gustafsson, L., & Di Tommaso, A. (2023). Evaluation of an inpatient occupation-based group program using a process evaluation framework. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 70(1), 32-42.
    DOI Scopus2 WoS1 Europe PMC1
    2023 Spalding, K., Di Tommaso, A., & Gustafsson, L. (2023). Uncovering the experiences of engaging in an inpatient occupation-based group program: The LifeSkills group. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 30(2), 251-260.
    DOI Scopus2 WoS2
    2023 Mc Kittrick, A., Gustafsson, L., Hodson, T., & Di Tommaso, A. (2023). Exploration of individuals perspectives of recovery following severe hand burn injuries. Burns, 49(2), 467-475.
    DOI Scopus6 WoS2 Europe PMC1
    2023 Hogan, C., Gustafsson, L., Di Tommaso, A., Hodson, T., Bissett, M., & Shirota, C. (2023). Establishing the normative and comparative needs of assistive technology provision in Queensland from the agency and funding scheme perspective. Brain Impairment, 24(2), 204-218.
    DOI Scopus2 WoS1
    2023 Mc Kittrick, A., Gustafsson, L., Hodson, T., & Di Tommaso, A. (2023). Clinical utility and validity testing of a co-designed outcome measure for hand burn injuries. Burns, 50(3), 666-673.
    DOI
    2022 Ford, E., Di Tommaso, A., Molineux, M., & Gustafsson, L. (2022). Identifying the characteristics of occupation-centred practice: A Delphi study. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 69(1), 25-37.
    DOI Scopus6 WoS3 Europe PMC1
    2022 Ford, E., Di Tommaso, A., Gustafsson, L., & Molineux, M. (2022). Describing the occupational nature of practice: A scoping review. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 29(5), 353-362.
    DOI Scopus5 WoS3
    2022 Spalding, K., Gustafsson, L., & Di Tommaso, A. (2022). Exploring Patient Outcomes after Participation in an Inpatient Occupation-Based Group: A Longitudinal Observational Cohort Study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(5), 7605205140.
    DOI Scopus2 Europe PMC1
    2022 Hoffmann, M., Gustafsson, L., & Di Tommaso, A. (2022). Exploring stroke survivors’ experiences and understandings of occupational therapy. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 29(2), 165-174.
    DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC1
    2022 Spalding, K., Gustafsson, L., & Di Tommaso, A. (2022). Occupation-based group programs in the inpatient hospital rehabilitation setting: a scoping review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 44(10), 2138-2148.
    DOI Scopus8 WoS5 Europe PMC1
    2021 Murray, A., Di Tommaso, A., Molineux, M., Young, A., & Power, P. (2021). Contemporary occupational therapy philosophy and practice in hospital settings. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 28(3), 213-224.
    DOI Scopus16 WoS16 Europe PMC1
    2021 Irvine-Brown, L., Ware, V. A., Malfitano, A. P. S., & Di Tommaso, A. (2021). Re-engaging in our role with communities: The coupling of occupational therapy and community development. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 68(4), 308-316.
    DOI Scopus6 WoS4
    2020 Pereira, R. B., Whiteford, G., Hyett, N., Weekes, G., Di Tommaso, A., & Naismith, J. (2020). Capabilities, Opportunities, Resources and Environments (CORE): Using the CORE approach for inclusive, occupation-centred practice. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 67(2), 162-171.
    DOI Scopus13 WoS9 Europe PMC1
    2020 Irvine-Brown, L., Di Tommaso, A., Malfitano, A. P. S., & Molineux, M. (2020). Experiences of occupational therapy education: Contexts, communities and social occupational therapy. Brazilian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 28(1), 330-342.
    DOI Scopus5 WoS4
    2019 Murray, A., Di Tommaso, A., Molineux, M., Young, A., & Power, P. (2019). Occupational therapists’ perceptions of service transformation towards contemporary philosophy and practice in an acute specialist paediatric hospital. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 82(12), 759-769.
    DOI Scopus2 WoS2
    2019 Di Tommaso, A., Wicks, A., Scarvell, J., & Isbel, S. (2019). Experiences of occupation-based practice: An Australian phenomenological study of recently graduated occupational therapists. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 82(7), 412-421.
    DOI Scopus17 WoS16
    2019 Di Tommaso, A., Wicks, A., Scarvell, J., & Isbel, S. (2019). Uncovering educator perspectives of occupation-centred education in Australia: A qualitative study. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 66(2), 174-182.
    DOI Scopus9 WoS7
    2018 Burley, S., Di Tommaso, A., Cox, R., & Molineux, M. (2018). An occupational perspective in hand therapy: A scoping review. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 81(6), 299-318.
    DOI Scopus15 WoS12
    2018 Burley, S., Cox, R., Di Tommaso, A., & Molineux, M. (2018). Primary Contact Occupational Therapy Hand Clinics: The pull of an occupational perspective. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 65(6), 533-543.
    DOI Scopus11 WoS9 Europe PMC3
    2016 Di Tommaso, A., Isbel, S., Scarvell, J., & Wicks, A. (2016). Occupational therapists' perceptions of occupation in practice: An exploratory study. Australian occupational therapy journal, 63(3), 206-213.
    DOI Scopus20 WoS18 Europe PMC5
    2015 Pereira, R. B., Wicks, A., & Di Tommaso, A. (2015). Solutions for strengthening the occupational therapy academic workforce. AUSTRALIAN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY JOURNAL, 62(1), 72.
    DOI WoS2 Europe PMC1
    2014 Di Tommaso, A., Wicks, A., & Isbel, S. (2014). Occupation-Focused practice. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 77(4), 188.
    DOI

  • Book Chapters
    Year Citation
    2020 Di Tommaso, A. (2020). Not everything is rosy and not everyone wants to fix their garden: An Australian example of integrating the dark side of occupation into curriculum for final year students. In Illuminating the Dark Side of Occupation: International Perspectives from Occupational Therapy and Occupational Science (pp. 163-172). Routledge.
    DOI

Judith Marsham Farrell Grant, Occupational Therapy Australia 

  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2022 - 2023 Member Occupational Therapy Australia's 30th National Conference and Exhibition Occupational Therapy Australia, Scientific Program Committee Australia
    2020 - 2021 Member Occupational Therapy Australia's 29th National Conference and Exhibition Occupational Therapy Australia, Scientific Program Committee Australia
  • Position: Senior Lecturer
  • Phone: 83132689
  • Email: amelia.ditommaso@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Engineering and Maths. Sciences, floor Fourth Floor
  • Room: 408C
  • Org Unit: Occupational Therapy
Connect With Me
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