Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Applying Occupation-Centered Coaching For Caregivers Of Children With Disabilities, Ali S. Gregory, Mary A. Smith Phd, Otr/L, Mary E. Godman Otd, Ms

Fall 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Statement of the problem: Caregivers of children with disabilities (CWD) experience stress, mental health conditions, sleep disruption, and fatigue leading to decreased occupational engagement and family community participation.

Purpose Statement: This project applied Occupation-Centered Coaching with a family-centered approach to promote caregiver empowerment, advocacy for mental health services, and family community participation.

Program Development Of Incorporating Mindfulness-Based Practices Within Pediatric Occupational Therapy, Sarah Cottone, Zeida Gutierrez, Katie O'Hara

Fall 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project will address the limited literature and provide treatment results on the effective use of mindfulness exercises in pediatric occupational therapy for improved self-regulation. Purpose: This program aims to educate the pediatric clinic on the benefits of mindfulness and to develop mindfulness-based exercises to implement within pediatric occupational therapy sessions for self-regulation treatments. The purpose of the mindfulness exercises was to show efficient, effective, and noninvasive approaches to regulate a child’s emotions and sensory system.

Advocating And Educating The Role Of Occupational Therapy For Adaptive Swim Lessons Among Children With Autism, Charlotte Leonard, Zeida Gutierrez, Jon Edenfield

Fall 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Drowning is the number one cause of death for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause of death for children ages 5-14 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022). Children with autism are 160x more likely to drown than their neurotypical peers (Autism Society of Florida, n.d.). Many parents and caregivers put protective layers in place such as locks, gates, and fencing. However, children with autism are known to wander from safe spaces. According to the Autism Society of Florida (n.d.) children with autism are naturally drawn to water due to its ability to ease sensory needs. Brenner …

Creciendo Y Floreciendo Dentro De Nuestro Ambiente: A Contextual Intervention With Latino Parents Who Have Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Jocelyn Urbina, Erik Pérez, Angela Labrie Blackwell

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2021), 1 in 44 children has been identified with autism-spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ASD experience challenges in participation that is characterized by difficulties in areas of social communication, social interaction, repetitive behavior, and a range of impairing sensory interests or aversions (Pasco, 2018). These challenges can limit their participation in occupations if not addressed within time as well as put stress on the child’s parents or caregivers. Parents who have children with ASD experience higher elevated levels of parental stress and psychological distress when compared to parents who have …

Analyzing Experiences With Context-Based Physical Activity Coaching (Cb-Pac) In Caregivers Of Children With Visual Impairments: A Pilot Study, Mary Godman, Angela Blackwell, Eric Hicks

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Caregivers have faced many barriers in providing equitable physical activity (PA) opportunities for their children with visual impairments (VI) (Armstrong et al., 2018; Columna et al., 2017; Sterbova & Kudlacek, 2014). This pilot study focused on two female caregivers of children with VI to understand their experiences and perceptions related to providing PA for their children along with a context-based coaching program to improve their child’s participation in PA. The study utilized a mixed methods design and concluded that support, motivation, strategies for participation, and equipment were important areas to address for caregivers to engage their children in PA.

The Effects Of Covid-19 On Cognition In The Pediatric Population, Mia Ramirez, Hope Mccarroll, Lisa Griggs-Stapleton

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Coronavirus disease or COVID-19, is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. COVID-19 can affect adults and children by causing long-term symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, anxiety, depression, long-term breathing problems, and even heart complications. Children represent about 19% of all reported COVID-19 cases since the pandemic first began. Children also can have trouble concentrating, which can impact their ability to attend school and do their daily activities that require concentration, such as dressing, showering, and social participation. Cognitive deficits due to COVID-19 can impact the pediatric population as they may have decreased occupational performance in desired occupations, such …

Program Development In Pediatric Prosthetic Training For Occupational Therapists, Paulina Alas, Monica Watford, Grace Evasco

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This project delves into the necessity for professional tools designed to assist occupational therapists (OTs) in readying themselves for the treatment of pediatric patients requiring upper limb prosthetics. The endeavor encompasses an examination of various diagnoses that warrant prosthetic intervention, an exploration of diverse prosthetic variants, and a comprehensive manual detailing pre-prosthetic and prosthetic functional training.

The Importance Of Occupational Therapy During The Transition From The Nicu To Home For Parents’ Confidence In Co-Occupations, Randa Sloan, Mary Jan Greer, Faith Saunders

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Parents often transition home from the NICU with decreased confidence in their abilities to care for their infant after having extensive specialized care (Craig et al., 2015). Boykova (2016) explained that parents experienced low self-confidence and fear of making mistakes in their infants’ care upon arriving home. The problem is the lack of support and education about resources for parents during the transition from the NICU to home. Parents lack knowledge about the vital role OT plays in improving confidence in co-occupations which will play a role in improved parental mental health. Furthermore, parents and caregivers lack knowledge on how …

Supporting Motor, Cognitive, And Psychosocial Functions For Children And Youth With Acquired Brain Injury: A Scoping Review, Quandra Shanks, Angela Labrie Blackwell

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Acquired brain injury (ABI) refers to an injury to the brain that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma (Brain Injury Association [BIA], 2023). ABI is an umbrella term for all brain injuries, typically classified as traumatic (e.g., sports injury, fall) or non-traumatic (e.g., stroke, infection) (Wales et al., 2021). It is considered one of the leading causes of death and disability for individuals of all ages (Riccardi & Lundine, 2022). The BIA (2023) reports that ages 0-4 and 15-19 are at greater risk for brain injury. The severity of ABI among pediatrics is more severe than …

Posture Care Management In School Based Settings For Children With Complex Physical Disabilities, Sabrina Rodriguez, Mary Jan Greer, Lee Ann Hoffman

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Posture care management (PCM) is an intervention that helps protect a person’s body through different positions within different contexts. PCM is not a singular direct intervention as each person is different and has different needs. This process is especially important for those who cannot reposition themselves such as children with complex physical disabilities. These children rely mainly for caregivers and school staff this process since home and school are the main places they spend the beginning years of their lives. Therefore, it is important to educate caregivers and school staff on the guidelines of proper PCM to promote health, well-being, …

An Occupational Therapy Approach To Play For Pediatric Cancer Patients, Michelle Erika Dytan, Karen Park

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Play as an occupation has been long identified as a primary aspect of a child’s life (Moore & Lynch, 2017). Play provides children with ways to explore the world while learning skills to improve critical thinking, creativity, and positive self-esteem, and simply to have fun (Guirguis, 2018; Yanof, 2019). Children with cancer face barriers that limit their ability to engage in play, with negative consequences to their social, cognitive, and emotional development (Nijhof et al., 2018). There is an evident gap in a lack of play opportunities in community-based settings, which may limit a child’s personal development, social skills, and …

Occupational Therapists’ Role In Educating Caregivers On Pediatric Sensory Interventions Guided By Neurodiversity Principles, Deanna Bourgeois

Student Capstone Papers

Background: Neurodivergent children often experience differences in sensory processing and self-regulation. Traditional sensory-based interventions are frequently used by occupational therapy practitioners (OTP) and caregivers to address dysregulation. However, sensory-based interventions, while often strengths-based, are not always neurodiversity-affirming.

Problem: There are minimal educational resources available to both OTP and caregivers that promote neurodiversity-affirming sensory interventions to support neurodivergent children.

Methods: The purpose of this project was to create self-paced educational modules to teach neurodiversity-affirming sensory interventions that promote children's self-regulation. To achieve this goal, the student investigator developed virtual educational modules and piloted them with OTP, occupational therapy …

Sleep Disturbances And Children: An Occupation-Based Program For Parents And Caregivers Of Children With Spastic Cerebral Palsy, Katelyn Godoy, Pamela Kasyan-Howe, Kristin Domville, Marcia Hamilton

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Parents of children with spastic cerebral palsy have barriers to improve their child's quality of life and well-being due to a lack of knowledge regarding the benefits of sleep and rest, as well as the potential causes of sleep disturbances and home-based solutions. The problem is that there is a lack of occupation-based programs for parents that address sleep regulation to improve sleep participation for children with spastic cerebral palsy, which results in difficulties with sleep initiation and maintenance of sleep (Hulst et al. 2020, Löwing et al., 2020, Petersen et al. 2020). The purpose of this program development type …