Elizabeth Larson

Elizabeth Larson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Education. With over 30 years of clinical and research experience, her work focuses on understanding how caregiving for children with disabilities impacts family functioning and caregiver well-being. She employs mixed-methods approaches, including qualitative data from interviews and participant observation, alongside biomarkers and validated well-being measures, to explore family routines and temporal organization of daily activities.

Her research emphasizes the interplay between caregiving, occupational science, and health outcomes. Key topics include caregiver psychological well-being, culturally tailored wellness programs, and occupation-based interventions for families. She has presented widely at international conferences and co-developed the 5Minutes4Myself wellness program for caregivers of children with autism.

Larson’s academic contributions span textbooks, peer-reviewed articles, and keynote lectures. Recent work explores standing desk impacts on learning engagement, participatory action research with Latinx students, and fidelity evaluation of motivational interviewing-based coaching. Her lab’s interdisciplinary approach bridges clinical practice and family-centered care, aiming to enhance both child development and caregiver resilience.