Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Understanding Ayres' Sensory Integration, Susanne Smith Roley, Zoe Mailloux, Heather Miller-Kuhaneck, Tara J. Glennon

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants rely on knowledge and skills to guide their intervention planning as they help clients who are experiencing difficulties with engaging in occupation. Sensory integration theory, with its rich history grounded in the science of human growth and development, offers occupational therapy practitioners specific intervention strategies to remediate the underlying sensory issues that affect functional performance.

This article articulates the core principles of sensory integration as originally developed by Dr. A. Jean Ayres, explains the rationale for developing a trademark specifically linked to these core principles, and identifies the impact that this trademark can have …

An Exploratory Survey Of Occupational Therapists' Role In Hippotherapy, Cristina Cerquozzi, Ericka Cerquozzi, Amy Darragh, Heather Miller-Kuhaneck

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

The term hippotherapy is derived from the Greek word for horse, or hippos. The American Hippotherapy Association (2007) defines hippotherapy as an occupational, physical, or speech therapy intervention strategy, using the movements of a horse, used as part of an intervention program to facilitate functional gain. In hippotherapy, therapists use the movements of the horse as a vehicle for improving clients' functional limitations. Hippotherapy is an intervention method mentioned in the occupational therapy literature more than 20 years ago (Engel, 1984) that has received minimal research attention within our field. Little is known about the role of occupational therapists in …

Concept Mapping 101, Heather Miller-Kuhaneck, Joanne M. Bortone, Lenore Frost

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Concept maps are visual depictions of information, generally in diagram form, that are used to enhance and document learning (Novak, 1990; Whiteley, 2005). As a learning tool, concept maps have been used for many years in the fields of education and nursing (Novak, 1990; Schuster, 2002). The methods and uses of concept mapping have evolved in the areas of academic education, clinical education, and research since the 1970s (All & Havens, 1997; Novak, 1990; Schuster, 2002; Whiteley, 2005). This article discusses the use of concept mapping in occupational therapy education.

Competencies And Physical Agent Modalities: An Investigation Of Clinical And Ethical Implications, Casey A. Lambert

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Occupational therapy has evolved from its early inception in diversional therapy to incorporate technologically advanced modalities into the professional domain. Over the last thirty years the profession has increasingly incorporated physical agent modalities (PAMs) into the treatment process. Throughout this process there has been both opposition and support for the inclusion of PAMs in occupational therapy. There are concerns from both sides regarding the proper training of therapists in the use of PAMs, how competency should be assessed, who is responsible for ensuring competency, and the ethical concerns with the use of these modalities.

This phenomenological study analyzed six therapists’ …