Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Intercultural Partnering For The Benefit Of South Africa Township High School Students, Janis Davis, Emily Ann Dodge, Martha Welderufael

Occupational Therapy | Faculty Scholarship

An intercultural partnership was formed to meet South African township high schools' need to provide career education and identify barriers and hope in relation to career choice. The objective of this study was to collect data on the students' perceptions of career choice, barriers prohibiting students from engaging in a career of choice and their general hopefulness. A non‐experimental, descriptive study was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis strategies was used. A significant difference was found based on gender in relation to having career options and with regard to how knowledge about careers is gained. …

Effects Of Sertraline Treatment For Young Children With Fxs, Laura Greiss Hess, Peter Mundy, Randi Hagerman

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Phenotypic manifestations for young children with fragile X syndrome (FXS) include: anxiety, sensory processing challenges, global language and communication deficits and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Many of these symptoms can be treated with medications, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However to date a clinical trial has not been conducted for children under five years old.

This study investigated the following question: Are there group differences on developmental outcome measures for those children treated with sertraline compared to placebo?

Family Meanings, Contexts And Hopes Within A Clinical Trial, Laura Greis Hess, Cynthia Carter Ching, Randi Hagerman

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

These qualitative analyses are a component of the clinical trial: “Effects of Sertraline Treatment for Young Children with FXS: Examination of Developmental Outcomes and Family Contexts.”

We argue that inclusion of a sociocultural perspective within the context of a clinical trial affords consideration of:

• A dynamic view of development – simultaneous consideration of biological and sociocultural factors (Vygotsky, 1978).
• Application of a bioecological framework and consideration of ever changing nested settings and contexts over time (Bronfenbrenner, 2005)

Developing A Data Compilation For The Marin Autism Collaborative, Sarah Jane Dequis Calub, Nicole Marie Hofeditz, Caitlin Danae Mcintyre

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

There is a documented need for better services for those with autism spectrum disorders. Various barriers, such as availability and accessibility of services and financial barriers, prevent those who need services from obtaining them. According to the literature, using data, particularly population level data, leads to improved services. Understanding the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of services helps healthcare providers identify areas for improvement and/or capitalize on past successful methods. The purpose of this project was to provide a data compilation containing autism statistics including but not limited to prevalence, trend data, service use, and needs for the Marin Autism Collaborative (MAC). …

Employment Exchange Opportunities For Teens And Adults With Autism, Rafael Garcia, Kisa Nicole Geiger, Alex Robert Shragg

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this project was to create a resource guide which includes information about the steps an individual with autism (AS) or Asperger syndrome (ASD) must take with the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) to gain vocational support services within Marin County. The resource guide also includes information about the variety of services available to support individuals with autism and Asperger syndrome, both from the DOR and from private agencies. The effectiveness of the resource guide is of significance as there are many young adults with autism or AS in Marin County who are transitioning from school to employment. Additionally, …

Factors That Influence Career Choice In South African Township High School Students, Emily Ann Dodge, Martha Welderufael

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Background:The legacy of apartheid is apparent in the lack of educational resources for Black South African high school students and the occupational deprivation they experience.

Objectives of Study: To collect data on students’ perceptions of career choice in township high schools, barriers prohibiting students from engaging in a career of choice, students’ learning and listening strategies and their general hopefulness.

Methods:Non-experimental, descriptive study using both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis strategies.

Findings:A significant difference was found based on gender in relation to having career options and with regard to how knowledge about careers is gained. …

The Preschool Kitchen Task Assessment (Pkta): A Pilot Study Exploring Executive Functioning In Children Ages 3 To 6 Years, Annette M. Yuson, Mallory Hope Engelhardt, Fanny Canlas Dizon

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Background and purpose. The Preschool Kitchen Task Assessment (PKTA) is a newly developed assessment tool based on the principles of the Kitchen Task Assessment (KTA) and may be a valuable tool for assessing executive function (EF). There is a lack of age-appropriate assessments for EF in occupational therapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of the PKTA as a new assessment and determine if it is a valid measure of EF in preschool children.

Subjects. The total sample consisted of 11 willing preschool-aged children and their parents, with a female to male ratio of 8:3 and …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Contrast Baths To Cryotherapy In Patients With A Wrist Fracture, Elizabeth Ashley Brown, Brittany Nicole Phipps

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Cryotherapy and contrast baths are common modalities used to treat edema. Despite the fact that many hand therapists report using contrast baths with their patients, there is still little evidence on the effectiveness of them. A Randomized Controlled Trial-Repeated Measures Design was employed to compare the effectiveness of contrast baths to cryotherapy. Participants were recruited after a period of post-fracture immobilization. Blind assessors attained measurements in range of motion, pain, and edema in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th weeks. Participants were randomly assigned to either use cryotherapy or contrast baths at home during the 4-week study period. The participants in …

The Impact Of Fibromyalgia And Sensory Processing On Participation Of Daily Activities, Florina Mendoza-Battle, Regina Okun, Ashlee Sand

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a pain disorder that involves a variety of symptoms including painful joints, fatigue, muscle stiffness, and sleep disturbances. Cognitive symptoms are also a hallmark of FM, which result in difficulties with thought articulation, concentration, and mental fatigue. There is a gap in research substantiating increased levels of sensory defensiveness symptoms in individuals with FM and the effects in daily life. Currently, only one research study has provided evidence of increased sensory sensitivity across multiple modalities in individuals with FM. The purpose of this research was to determine whether women with FM had increased levels of sensory defensiveness …

Developing A Website Of Occupation-Based Resources For Healthy Aging At Dominican University Of California, David Aizpuru, Kevin Urquhart Brown, Beverly Posqdas Deguzman, Cournety Brooke Mcintosh

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this project was to create a website to promote healthy aging at Dominican University of California. The website contains relevant information to promote healthy aging and publicizes Dominican University of California’s activities and programs centered around healthy aging. The design of this thesis is a virtual context project that focuses on occupation based resources for healthy aging and highlights the role of occupational therapy in health aging. The healthy aging website is currently located on the homepage of the Occupational Therapy Department of Dominican University of California website. The need for a Dominican University of California healthy …

Fall Risk Evaluation Tool For Acquired Brain Injury: A Validation Of A Multifactorial Assessment: A Pilot Study, Tanya Elesia Orgill, Amanda Marie Woods, Josue Julian Zamora

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Objective: The purpose of this study examined the reliability and validity of FRET to predict falls in community-dwelling individuals with acquired brain injuries (ABI).

Method: The target population was English speaking, community-dwelling individuals 18 years or older who have sustained an ABI. Individuals were excluded if they had neurodegenerative diseases, used a wheelchair for more than 25% of the day, or were classified as globally confused. Global confusion was assessed using the first three-questions on the Saint Louis University Mental Examination (SLUMS). A total of 12 participants were recruited for the study, two were excluded and there was one attrition. …

The Effectiveness Of Peer Mentoring In Helping First Year Students Develop Occupational Adaptation Skills, Lashelle Rena Rullan, Jovita Vasquez, Julia Wong

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of peer mentoring in helping first year, first-generation college students at Dominican University of California (DUC) adapt to university life and navigate the occupational challenges experienced during the first year of college.

Method. Sixty-seven students voluntarily completed an online survey, First Year College Experience (FYCE) Survey: Adaptation to University Life. Quantitative research determined the influence of peer mentoring on the students’ adaptation and occupational performance in their transition to college. Effectiveness was determined by: 1) sense of belonging, 2) developed academic and social skills, 3) adaptive responses and strategies used, and 4) overall satisfaction with …

A Qualitative Study Of The Experiences Of First-Generation Peer Mentors, Cindelle Leyson, Jessica Suzanne Taylor, Tiffany Torres

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

While there are numerous studies reporting on the benefits that mentees receive from peer mentoring, there is limited research on the benefits to mentors, particularly first-generation students (FGS). The purpose of this study was to examine the experience of mentoring from the FGS mentors’ point of view. In this qualitative, exploratory design, four FGS mentors were interviewed about their experiences with a peer-mentoring program at their university. The participants believed they developed skills in the areas of time management, communication, and setting boundaries. The participants learned about themselves and gained an understanding of how the skills they developed while mentoring …

An Inventory Of Evidence-Based Health And Wellness Assessments For Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Elliott David Brent, Matthew Jordan Carlson

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

It is estimated that by 2020 older adults will makeup one fifth of California's population. Many of these older adults are living in the community and are maintaining their independence. In order to help the older adults to maintain their independence, occupational therapists are turning to the newly emerged wellness promotion model to guide their practice. The wellness promotion model is a holistic model that addresses six domains of wellness (intellectual, spiritual, physical, social, emotional, and vocational). One of the concerns in using this model to guide the emerging practice area in occupational therapy is that there is little information …

Skill Generalization Following Computer-Based Cognitive Retraining Among Individuals With Acquired Brain Injury, Jonathan William Alonso, Nisha E. Chadha, Jennifer Elizabeth Pulido

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) often experience cognitive deficits. This creates many challenges in learning or relearning skills and generalizing skills among different contexts and task demands. Computer-Based Cognitive Retraining (CBCR) is a common intervention utilized by occupational therapists to help remediate cognitive deficits in individuals with ABI. Although research has shown that CBCR programs are effective at improving cognitive domains, there is limited evidence to support generalization of these skills to functional daily living tasks. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to assess the occurrence of generalizing gained skills in overall cognition, attention, and memory from …

Effect Of Therapeutic Listening® Quickshift On Bilateral Coordination In Healthy Adults, Madeleine Haas, Amy Marie Sequeira Boeschen

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The purpose of this research study was to examine the influence of Therapeutic Listening® Quickshift on the bilateral coordination of healthy adults with no history of developmental or motor delays. Additional studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of the Therapeutic Listening® modality using measurable outcomes are necessary as many therapists currently use this program, even though few studies prove its effectiveness. This study recruited 14 freshman and sophomore students aged 18-21 years. Seven participants received Therapeutic Listening® Quickshift intervention one time for 20 minutes and seven received no intervention, but instead listened to white noise for the same duration. The participants …

Understanding And Preventing Falls: Perspectives Of First Responders And Older Adults, Monica Fernandez, Anita Diep Hin, Chelsea C. Prado

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

OBJECTIVE. The objectives of this study were to identify characteristics of older adult fallers in a local community in Marin County, California, examine the perceptions of older adults who contacted a local fire district after a fall, examine the perceptions of first responders from a local fire district regarding falls and fall prevention, explore the degree of depression in older adult fallers, and identify strategies to prevent falls in older adults.

METHODS. This research study was an exploratory and retrospective descriptive study that utilized a mixed-method design. The researchers coded narratives from Patient Care Report (PCRs) provided by the fire …

Exploring The Utility Of The Children’S Kitchen Task Assessment For Use With Six-Year-Olds, Vanessa Mae Clemente Carzon, Charisa Justine Kelly, Alexandra Maria Rodriguez

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Objective The Children’s Kitchen Task Assessment (CKTA) is an ecologically valid assessment that was designed to assess executive functioning skills in children age 7-10. Currently there is a lack of ecologically valid assessments that test executive functioning in children under seven years of age. For this reason, this study explored the utility of the CKTA for use with six-year-olds.

Methods This study used an exploratory, qualitative, case study design to facilitate its implementation and used quantitative data to make qualitative inferences about the results. Children were given the CKTA and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV Digit Span), a …

The Development Of A Therapeutic Listening Instrument For Allied Health: A Pilot Study, Linda Diane Roybal, Suzanne Laura Schwind, Elizabeth Jeanne Szoboszlay, Brittnee Jane Witham

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Occupational therapy education programs need a method for capturing student success in learning the necessary skills of therapeutic listening prior to fieldwork. There are no formalized instruments to measure therapeutic listening knowledge and skills in occupational therapy curriculums. Listening measurement tools that currently exist have been primarily created for other professionals in the medical field. Developing a listening instrument that measures the basic knowledge and skills of students’ listening would benefit occupational therapy education programs by determining the need for additional listening training of its students. This thesis study describes a pilot study used to develop a therapeutic listening instrument. …

For Younger Patients With Stroke, Does Rehabilitation In The Home, Compared To Rehabilitation In The Day Clinic, Improve Early Level Of Activity Participation?, Elizabeth Ashley Brown, Alex Robert Shragg, Jovita Vasquez, Kitsum Li

Occupational Therapy | Critically Appraised Papers Series

The main purpose of this study was to determine if 3 weeks of rehabilitation in the home setting improves activity to a larger extent and facilitates rehabilitation in younger patients following a stroke compared to patients receiving intervention in an outpatient rehabilitation clinic. Cost effectiveness among these interventions was also described.

Critically Appraised Paper For "Does Cognitive Treatment For Illness Perceptions Increase Patient-Specific Physical Activity Levels Of Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain When Compared To No Intervention?", Jaclyn Fok, Shannon Landau, Liberty Bellah, Kitsum Li

Occupational Therapy | Critically Appraised Papers Series

1. To test the hypothesis that patient-relevant activity limitations can be reduced in patients with CLBP after receiving CTIP.
2. To determine which maladaptive illness perceptions are detected and impacted by the CTIP.

Utility Of An Occupational Therapy Driving Intervention For A Combat Veteran, Sherrilene Classen, Miriam Monahan, Maria Canonizado, Sandra Winter

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Many combat veterans are injured in motor vehicle crashes shortly after returning to civilian life, yet little evidence exists on effective driving interventions. In this single-subject design study, we compared clinical test results and driving errors in a returning combat veteran before and after an occupational therapy driving intervention. A certified driving rehabilitation specialist administered baseline clinical and simulated driving assessments; conducted three intervention sessions that discussed driving errors, retrained visual search skills, and invited commentary on driving; and administered a postintervention evaluation in conditions resembling those at baseline. Clinical test results were similar pre- and postintervention. Baseline versus postintervention …

Evidence-Based Review Of Interventions For Medically At-Risk Older Drivers, Sherilenne Classen, Miriam Monahan, Beth Auten, Abraham Yarney

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

OBJECTIVE. To conduct an evidence-based review of intervention studies of older drivers with medical conditions.

METHOD. We used the American Occupational Therapy Association’s classification criteria (Levels I–V, I 5 highest level of evidence) to identify driving interventions. We classified studies using letters to represent the strength of recommendations: A 5 strongly recommend the intervention; B 5 recommend intervention is provided routinely; C 5 weak evidence that the intervention can improve outcomes; D 5 recommend not to provide the intervention; I 5 insufficient evidence to recommend for or against the intervention.

RESULTS. For clients with stroke, we recommend a graded simulator …

Driving Errors In Parkinson’S Disease: Moving Closer To Predicting On-Road Outcomes, Sherrilene Classen, Babetter Brumback, Miriam Monahan, Irene I. Malaty, Ramon L. Rodriguez, Michael S. Okun, Nikolaus R. Mcfarland

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Age-related medical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) compromise driver fitness. Results from studies are unclear on the specific driving errors that underlie passing or failing an on-road assessment. In this study, we determined the between-group differences and quantified the on-road driving errors that predicted pass or fail on-road outcomes in 101 drivers with PD (mean age 5 69.38 ± 7.43) and 138 healthy control (HC) drivers (mean age 5 71.76 ± 5.08). Participants with PD had minor differences in demographics and driving habits and history but made more and different driving errors than HC participants. Drivers with PD failed …