Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Past, Present, And Projected Occupational Impacts Of Adults Who Experienced Parentification In Childhood, Olivia Vanni, Jazminne Orozco-Arteaga

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Parentification is a functional and/or emotional role reversal where the child sacrifices their own needs for attention, comfort, and guidance in order to accommodate and care for the needs of a parent and/or sibling. OTs need an understanding of how to recognize and support the impact of parentification during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

Methods: Mixed methods were used to explore the experience of adults (18-65) that served as caregivers for their sibling(s), and/or their parent(s) during their childhood/adolescence. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through questionnaires (N=20) and interviews (n=6), allowing for a deeper understanding of the …

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 …

Educational Modules Promoting Neurodiversity-Affirming Sensory Interventions, Deanna Bourgeois, Mary Smith, Gina Benavente

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

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. Sensory-based interventions are strengths-based but not always neurodiversity-affirming. There are few educational resources available that promote neurodiversity-affirming sensory interventions.

The purpose of this project was to create self-paced educational modules to teach neurodiversity-affirming sensory interventions promoting children's self-regulation. The student investigator developed virtual educational modules and piloted them with OTP, occupational therapy students, and caregivers during the capstone experience. The participants engaged with the modules and also submitted responses to pre-and post-surveys. Based on …