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Enhancing Student Support In Higher Education: Occupation-Based Programming And The Vital Role Of Occupational Therapy, Emily M. Medcalf

Graduate Projects & Research

Introduction: With the higher education student populations facing greater prevalence of mental health conditions and greater presence of students with disabilities attending higher education, there is a greater demand than many higher education resources can meet. Therefore, there is a need to revise the current student support structure. This project advocated for the role of occupational therapy (OT) program development in higher education student disability services.

Purpose: The primary aim of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a virtual 4-week occupation-based pilot program. The initial pilot participants included students receiving accommodations from the Student Accessibility and Accommodations (SA&A) …

Effectiveness Of Virtual And Technology-Based Learning Among Health Professional Students During Covid-19: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Abigail Cheng, Melanie Dinca, Taylor Hoeft, Summer Jack, Iida Lehto, Jo Nguyen, Valerie Parker, Julie D. Bass

Graduate Occupational Therapy Research and Projects

No abstract provided.

Gaining Experience In Academic Setting Of Entry-Level Doctoral Program, Conner Hansen

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

Worked with faculty advisors to develop activities and assignments within the OTD 8271: Interventions 1: Psychosocial and Community course for students to guide their interactions with children volunteers from A Kid’s Place (AKP). The pre-existing relationship with AKP allowed for the incorporation of hands-on activities to increase the excellence of education, confidence in clinical skills, and quality of practitioners entering the field.

Impacting Students: Students With Disabilities Participating In A Theater Occupation-Based Program, Markii D. Landry

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Acting Creates Therapeutic Success (ACTS Jr.) is a program that uses theater and drama activities to address a variety of skills. Theater advantageously offers a variety of activities that suit the individual (costume and prop making, set design, screenplay writing, etc.), many that fall under the scope of occupational therapy, and is executed well as a form of group therapy given its innate camaraderie of actors and production members working together to form a final cohesive product (Phillips, 1996). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate how theater can be used as a meaningful activity for students with disabilities …

An Exploration Of Leadership Qualities Demonstrated During Level Ii Fieldwork, Amy Maurer, Summer Besteman, Jessica Mooney, Katelyn Campbell

Education

Background. Occupational therapy (OT) students are expected to demonstrate leadership qualities throughout their Level II Fieldwork experiences; however, it has been reported that students lack this quality. The purpose of this project was to identify the leadership characteristics that master’s-level OT students demonstrate and develop during their Level II Fieldwork experiences.

Method. This study utilized an online survey tool, Qualtrics, to understand the perceptions of Fieldwork Educators (FWEds) who have taken a Level II Fieldwork student within the past five years. A code-recode procedure was used to analyze open-ended questions. The frequency and mode of responses were used to report …

Program Evaluation Of The Impact Of Sensory Room Interventions On Student Readiness In Muskegon County, Emilie Brzak, Olivia Deweerd, Erica Roll

Pediatrics

Aim: This study is a program evaluation of four different sensory rooms in the schools within Muskegon County Northern Service Unit (NSU) to uncover the benefits of sensory interventions on students’ school readiness.

Methods: Grand Valley State University occupational therapy students analyzed data from the school occupational therapists to promote evidence based practice of this program.

Results: Within this program, sensory interventions increased students’ school readiness.

Conclusion: Outcomes indicate that the primary means of increasing students’ school readiness include transitioning to an active activity following sensory interventions and participating in multiple stations. Results are not generalizable to other programs.

Creating A Sensory Inclusive Classroom: A Guide For Teachers, Bobbie Bertsch, Kylie Browen

Occupational Therapy Capstones

A school classroom is the place where students are expected to complete the majority of their learning. Many classrooms have a large amount of distracting sensory stimuli such as bright lights, visual stimuli on the walls, noises from individuals within the room, and sensory rich learning experiences. The physical environment can affect children's learning and attention (Miller-Kuhaneck & Kelleher, 2015). Based on an in-depth literature review, it has been found that certain components of the classroom can be altered to create an environment more inclusive for all children, regardless of abilities. In light of the push to keep children in …

Implementing An Occupational Therapy Student-Run Clinic At The University Of North Dakota, Ryan Walter, Kennedy Bresnahan

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Introduction: The curriculum of the occupational therapy program at the University of North Dakota (UND) includes approximately 185 hours of level I fieldwork experience where students work to integrate and practice skills learned within the classroom in a clinical setting. Students report that these experiences are often observation-based. Additionally, academic fieldwork coordinators are having an increasingly difficult time finding placements to support the growing number of students nationwide. A contributing factor to placement shortages is the tradition of using the apprenticeship model of supervision, where one student is supervised by one fieldwork educator (FWE). In order to ensure a consistent …

A Group Protocol For Individuals With High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder: Transitioning Into College, Annika Eckholm, Karol Santistevan

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The numbers for young adults with a disability transitioning to college are increasing yearly (U.S. Department of Education, National Center of Education Statistics, 2016). Changes and transitioning to the college context is particularly challenging for individuals with high functioning autism (HFA) (Elias & White, 2017; Wehman et al., 2014). The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop a group protocol as a resource for young adult students with HFA to transition successfully in a college setting.

Methodology: A literature review was conducted on topics relating to individuals with HFA, success and barriers to college, effective interventions …

An Occupational Therapy Perspective Of A School-Based Suicide Prevention Program With A Peer-Mentorship Emphasis, Maddie Bjornstad, Karyssa Kimery

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in adolescents today (Pisani et al., 2012; Katz et al., 2013). Zalsman et al. (2016), reported the recognition of suicide prevention as a public health priority has helped to encourage research, detection, treatment, and management of individuals at risk for suicide, however the implementation of proven, evidence-based, and cost-effective strategies are the duty of public health policy makers and healthcare providers. Occupational therapists are trained to help individuals determine what occupations are meaningful and completed in order to feel a sense of self-efficacy, therefore occupational therapy can play a critical role …

The Effectiveness Of Occupational Therapy Interventions For Students With Mental Illness Transitioning To Higher Education: A Systematic Review, Brittany Davis, Leah Sherman

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Objective: To examine the available evidence for interventions within the scope of occupational therapy for students with mental illness during the transition process to postsecondary education. Method: This systematic review yielded seven articles including two systematic reviews, three one group pretest/posttest design, one naturalistic pre/posttest design, and one scoping review related to the transition process to post secondary education.

Results: Occupation-based interventions emphasized the occupation of education instead of focusing on co-occurring occupations a student may frequently participate in when enrolled in postsecondary education. Programs emphasized environmental approaches including using the students' past experiences, building self-advocacy skills, accessing supportive education …

Identified Stressors And Coping Mechanisms Of Occupational Therapy Students, Amy Fitzsimmons, Ashley Zimmer

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Introduction: The purpose of this research study was to gather data on stressors experienced by occupational therapy students during their program and how they cope with their identified stressors. The rationale for this study was the lack of and inconsistent research regarding occupational therapy students, how they experience perceived psychological stress during their program, and how they cope with their identified stressors.

Methodology: The researchers utilized a quantitative exploratory survey design to discover perceived psychological stress and coping methods in Master’s of Occupational Therapy (MOT) students. Prior to recruitment, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was received. Respondents were recruited through …

Postsecondary Transition Services For Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Occupational Therapy Approach, Luke Van Havermaet, Lynn Bielski

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Problem: Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder comprise a rapidly growing population with approximately 1168 children being diagnosed annually (CDC, 2016). Individuals with ASD often have difficulties with social interaction, sensory processing, emotional regulation and adapting to environmental changes (Rogers, 2010). Individuals who are diagnosed early in life are provided a wide variety of services to minimize these symptoms to maximize independence later in life, and in an academic setting. As individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder come to the end of their K-12 education journey, the transition planning completed throughout the student's final year of high school are not carried out …

The Experience Of Peer Mentors Within A Peer Mentor Postsecondary Transition Program, Carissa Birchem, Mikayla Greely, Suzanna Morrison

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Peer mentorship programs are one approach to assist students with disabilities to be more successful within a college community. One such program is the Student Organization for Accessibility and Resources (SOAR) which focuses on the occupations of education, social participation, and leisure activities in conjunction with assisting students in identifying available resources. However, there is limited understanding regarding these types of programs. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the student peer mentor’s overall experience, how the environment affected their experience, and the occupation of peer mentorship. Researchers utilized a phenomenological qualitative research method completing six …

The Experience Of Occupational Therapy Practitioners And Students With Disabilities: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study, Samantha Guenther, Anna Huss

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose

This mixed-methods pilot study was conducted to provide insight into the experiences of occupational therapy practitioners and students with disabilities. The focus of this study was to analyze the effect of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) on access to reasonable accommodations. The researchers predicted that, although occupational therapy is a profession focused on advocacy for people with disabilities, reasonable accommodations are applied inconsistently for practitioners with disabilities within the OT field.

Methodology

A Qualtrics survey was sent out to occupational therapists with disabilities in order to collect demographic data and select participants for …

A Resource Manual To College And University Academic Return For Young Adults With A Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Rachel Gromek, Emily Hermanson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: Reportedly, in the United States 75% of traumatic brain injuries that occur each year are referred to as mild (Centers for Disease Control Prevention, 2010). Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of disability each year with the highest prevalence being between ages 15-24 years (Willmott, Ponsford, Downing, & Carty, 2014). The greatest deficits experienced by college or university students with a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) are cognitive, psychosocial, and physical (Kennedy, Krause, & O’Brien, 2014; Marschark, Richtsmeier, Richardson, Crovitz, & Henry, 2000). The purpose of this project was to address the limited resources available to individuals with …

Student Organization For Accessibility And Resources (Soar) Program: A Policies And Procedures Manual, Molly Hofmeister, Kelsey Schiller

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Students with disabilities who attend college face many challenges with little support; and therefore are at a higher risk of preemptively dropping out of college (Mamiseishvili & Koch, 2011). Some of these challenges and barriers include but are not limited to roles and responsibilities of support staff and a greater demand for students’ self-reliance (Garrison-Wade, 2012). The Student Organization for Accessibility and Resources (SOAR) Program is a current peer mentorship program missioned to provide guidance and mentorship for college students with disabilities as they negotiate the complexities of transitioning and attending college (Morrison, personal communication, September 13, 2016). Peer mentorship …

Studying With Successful Sensory Environments: A Pilot Study, Katrina Kotta

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background/Purpose: Higher education institutions are facing pressure by state and federal authorities to retain and efficiently graduate students. The University of North Dakota (UND) has responded by implementing initiatives in light of declining retention rates within recent years. University of North Dakota’s approach focused on best teaching practices and classroom learning approaches versus individualized student programs for academic success. Studying With Successful Sensory Environments (SWSSE) is an individualized approach created within occupational therapy, which focuses on effective management of the environment through knowledge of sensory processing patterns to enhance focus and productivity in higher education. The purpose of this study …

A School-Based Reintegration Program For Children With Limb Loss: The Role Of Occupational Therapy, Allison Sussman, Samantha Hoy

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to assist in treatment planning for school-based occupational therapists providing services to children who have suffered a traumatic limb loss. The goal of this scholarly project was to promote successful reintegration into the school setting as children with traumatic limb loss have been found to encounter difficulties returning to full participation in valued occupations including being a student and a friend (Michelsen, Van Wijk, & Ketelaar, 2010). There has been limited research conducted focusing on the role of occupational therapists when working with children in the school setting who have experienced traumatic …

Motivating The Unmotivated Child: Using Psychosocial Intervention Methods In The School, Kristi Fickes, Kelsey Hoffmann

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Problem: School-based occupational therapists have reported barriers to working with children with psychosocial needs including a limited knowledge of psychosocial methods (Barnes, Beck, Vogel, Grice, & Murphy, 2003; Case-Smith & Archer, 2008). These issues prevent children with motivational and behavioral issues from receiving the best care possible and, in some cases, from receiving therapy at all.

Methods: An extensive literature review was conducted to understand current utilization of psychosocial strategies in school-based occupational therapy practice, barriers therapists experience in applying these strategies, and effective psychosocial strategies for children with motivational issues. Findings of the literature suggested that continuing education was …

Occupational Therapy: Creating A Way To Determine College Students' Assistive Technology Needs, Jeremiah Otteson, Stephanie Suedel, Kjersten Swanson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

No abstract provided.