Faculty & Staff

Ruth S. Farber
MSW, PhD, OTR/L

Ruth S. Farber, MSW, PhD, OTR/L received her BS in Occupational Therapy from Temple University and her MSW from University of Pennsylvania, specializing in family studies, with clinical training at Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic. Her PhD is in Counseling Psychology from Temple University and her doctoral dissertation was entitled. Career Orientation, Personality and Attitudinal Characteristics of Women in Three Family Life Cycle Groups. In the Occupational Therapy Program, Dr. Farber teaches courses regarding the psycho-social aspects of disabilities within an individual developmental and family systems perspective,  as well as teaching research and doing thesis advising. Her current research is examining the inner-relationship of parental and role participation, health, well-being and social support of mothers with multiple sclerosis (MS), and has had the support of the National MS Society in obtaining subjects.

For further information about this study, contact Ruth S. Farber at msmoms@temple.edu

Dr. Farber is on the Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities and has been studying access and barriers to participation in arts and cultural venues for people with disabilities. She has been appointed to the Editorial Review Board for the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (1999-2001) and re-appointed (2003-2005).

Recently, Dr. Farber was invited to be on the Steering Committee for Temple’s new Center for Women’s Health Research, Leadership, and Advocacy and was asked to spearhead the behavioral and social science initiative to bring researchers of women’s health together for collaboration. She was interviewed about her research on Mothers with MS by Medstar Television (a nationally syndicated medical news service) and this was televised on 5 stations nationally.

Research Grants

(2004)  Farber, R. S. Examination of Maternal Role Participation, Well-being, Social Support, and Health of Mothers with Disabilities or Chronic Illnesses, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Tobacco Settlement Formula Funds, $28,000

(2002)  Farber, R. S. & Koenig, K.P. Dean’s Incentive Fund. CAHP, Temple university: Fieldwork supervision project V: Examination of  Supervisory Reasoning.

Publications

Farber, R. S. & Koenig, K. P. (in press). Facilitating clinical reasoning in fieldwork: The relational context of the supervisor and student. In B. A. Schell & J.W. Schell (Eds) Clinical Reasoning in Occupational Therapy. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins: Baltimore, MD

DeRosier, R. & Farber, R. S. (2005). Speech Recognition Software as an Assistive Device: A Pilot Study of User’s Satisfaction and Psychosocial Impact .WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation (2) 125-134

Farber, R.S. (2004). Experience of Mothers with Disabilities: Learning from their Voice. In J. Olsen and S. Esdaile (Eds). Mothering occupations: Challenge, participation and agency. FA. Davis: Philadelphia.

Farber, R. S. (2000). Mothers with disabilities: In their own voice. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 54(3) 260-26 8.

Bash, D. & Farber, R. S. (1999) An examination of self-reported carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms in hand therapists; protective and corrective measures and job satisfaction. Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, Rehabilitation, 13, 75-82.

Farber, R. S. & Koenig, K.P. (1999). Examination of fieldwork educators' responses to challenging fieldwork situations. Innovations in Occupational Therapy Education. 85-104.

Burleigh, S. B., Farber, R.S. & Gillard, M. (1998). Community integration and life satisfaction after traumatic brain injury: Long-term findings. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. 52 (1) 45-52.

Presentations

Farber, R. S. (2006, June). The Mother’s Interpersonal Environment: The Relationship of Social Support, Role Participation and Maternal Role Satisfaction of Mothers with Multiple Sclerosis. Poster session presented at the 12th Annual North American Collaborating Center Conference on ICF.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Farber, R. S. (2006, April). Participation and Social Support of Mothers with Multiple Sclerosis: An Exploratory Study. Paper presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association, Charlotte, NC.

Farber, R. S. (2006, March). Well-being and role participation of mothers with multiple sclerosis. Poster session presentation at the Center for Women’s Health, Research, Leadership and Advocacy, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

Farber, R. S. & Reese, C. (2006, March) Perception of accessibility, participation & barriers to art & cultural events for people with disabilities: An exploratory study.  Poster session presented at The Inaugural Conference of the Arts and Quality of Life Research Center. Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

Farber, R. S. (2006, February). Pregnancy and parenting with MS: Answering questions of women with MS. National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Delaware Valley Chapter, Philadelphia, PA.

Farber, R. S. (2005, October). Exploring well-being, social support and participation of mothers with multiple sclerosis. Paper presented at the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association Conference, Valley Forge, PA.

Farber, R. S. (2005, March). Participation and social support of mothers with multiple sclerosis: An  exploratory study. Poster presentation at the Interdisciplinary Center of Excellence: Women’s Health Research and Leadership, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

DeRosier, R., Farber, R. S. & Perincheif, J. (2003). Speech recognition software as an assistive device: A study of users. satisfaction and psychosocial impact. Paper presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association, Washington, DC.

Hooper, B, Farber, R. S. & Schell, B.B. (2002, June). Emerging concepts in clinical reasoning: Implications for teaching and research. Paper presented at the World Federation of Occupational Therapy, Stockholm, Sweden.

Farber, R. S. (2002, May). Supervisory reasoning in fieldwork: Connection and implications for the development of clinical reasoning. Paper presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association, Miami , Florida.

Tanguay, H. & Farber, R. S., Lipsett, R. (2001, April). Coping and community integration of persons during and after rehabilitation. Presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association Conference and Exposition, Philadelphia, PA

Hanssens, T. & Farber, R. S. (2001, April). From the state hospital to the community: Personal accounts. Presented at the American Occupational Therapy Association Conference and Exposition, Philadelphia, PA.

Koenig, K. P., & Farber, R. S. (2000). Components of supervisory reasoning: Implications for fieldwork educators development. American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.