Meet Dr. Costello
Dr. Paula Costello is an occupational therapy educator, scholar, and doctoral capstone leader with deep expertise in pediatric and school-based practice, assistive technology, doctoral capstone education, mentoring, and community-engaged scholarship. Before joining Quincy University, she served as Doctoral Capstone Coordinator at Rush University, where she coordinated capstone competency preparation, doctoral experiences, site and mentor communication, remediation, dissemination, and alignment with ACOTE requirements.
Dr. Costello’s scholarship spans doctoral capstone education, faculty mentorship, school-based occupational therapy, participation of children and youth, transition, assistive technology, and community partnerships. Her work includes peer-reviewed publications, book chapters in the Model of Human Occupation, national and international presentations, and extensive mentorship of student capstone and research projects.
Her clinical background includes nearly four decades of pediatric, school-based, early intervention, developmental disability, and educational practice. At Quincy, she brings this breadth into doctoral education by helping students design meaningful, feasible, and professionally relevant capstone projects while developing the skills needed to translate evidence into practice and community impact.
Areas of Expertise
• Doctoral capstone education, site development, and mentoring
• Pediatric and school-based occupational therapy
• Assistive technology and participation
• Transition services and early childhood practice
• Sensory integration and sensory processing
• Program development, quality improvement, and community partnerships
• Faculty mentorship and capstone curriculum development
Teaching & Mentorship
Dr. Costello has directed and taught doctoral capstone courses spanning program development, professional reasoning, capstone competencies, the doctoral experience, and scholarly dissemination. She has also taught or guest lectured in pediatric intervention, assistive technology, school practice assessment and intervention, and transition. Her mentorship portfolio includes numerous doctoral capstone projects conducted with community agencies, schools, health organizations, municipal government, disability organizations, and pediatric practice settings.
Clinical Background
Dr. Costello’s clinical career includes school-based occupational therapy across multiple districts, early intervention, pediatric inpatient care, NICU and NICU follow-up, developmental evaluation, adult developmental disability services, and consultation. Her advanced practice interests include autism, behavior, assistive technology, transition, sensory integration and processing, early childhood, integrated services, and staff development.
Scholarship & Professional Interests
• Doctoral capstone education and the Doctoral Capstone Coordinator role
• School participation and school-based occupational therapy practice
• Faculty and capstone mentor development
• Assistive technology and participation for children and youth
• Community and municipal partnerships
• Transition, employment, and participation for people with disabilities
Professional Leadership & Service
• Chair, AOTA New Doctoral Capstone Coordinator Mentor Program
• Outreach Coordinator, AOTA Academic Education Special Interest Section
• Former editor, AOTA Children & Youth Special Interest Section Quarterly Connections
• AOTA conference and specialty conference proposal reviewer
• Leadership in Capstone Innovations and Capstone Peer Mentoring groups
• Longstanding membership in AOTA, ILOTA, Society for the Study of Occupation, and WFOT
Education & Credentials
• Post-Professional OTD – Thomas Jefferson University
• MS, Occupational Therapy – University of Illinois Chicago
• BA, Occupational Therapy – College of St. Catherine (now St. Catherine University)
• NBCOT-certified Occupational Therapist [confirm public credential wording if desired]
• Illinois occupational therapy practice background
Why I Teach at Quincy
I am energized by helping students take an idea they care about and develop it into a doctoral capstone that can make a real difference for a person, organization, or community. QU’s hybrid model gives students access to faculty expertise from different regions while still creating the close mentoring relationships that doctoral education requires. I want students to leave the program knowing how to ask good questions, collaborate well, and turn evidence into meaningful action.