Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Life After War: An Occupational Therapy Resource Guide For Returning Soldiers With Prosthetics, Monica Lemoine, Andrea Longtin

Occupational Therapy Capstones

There are a growing number of U.S. military soldiers medically discharged due to injuries sustained while on active duty. A number of these injuries result in limb amputation. The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop an evidence-based resource guide for a population of soldiers returning from war having an amputation and utilizing a prosthetic.

An extensive literature review was conducted in order to develop the occupational therapy role for this population. Three main areas of concern were identified: 1) a lack of information related to prosthetic use during instrumental activities of daily living, 2) limited information regarding reintegration …

The Use Of A Sensory Integration Program For Children With Behavioral And Attention Deficits, Janel Evanson, Brenna Pitsch

Occupational Therapy Capstones

One of the challenges facing occupational therapy practitioners today is incorporating treatment approaches into psychosocial and school environments that address the needs of children who have difficulties maintaining an optimal level of arousal, who have a decreased attention span, who are non-engaged and have maladaptive behaviors and impulsivity, and who may have anger management difficulties. These characteristics may coexist with the diagnosis of a sensory integrative dysfunction. As a result, the authors anticipate an increasing demand for the implementation of sensory integration programming in a psychosocial or school setting. An extensive literature review was completed to gain a full understanding …

An Occupational Therapy Parent Education Handbook: Parenting In The Nicu, Olivia Donald, Angie Laakso

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Parents often feel overwhelmed by their premature infant's fragile medical state and intimidated by the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) environment. The birth of a premature infant is a stressful event for parents because they are coping with their newborn facing life threatening immaturity and its possible consequences, such as handicap or even death. Due to the premature infant's fragile medical state parents often feel their infant does not belong to them but rather to the healthcare staff.

A parent's lack of involvement in their infant's care is a major source of stress, feelings of dis empowerment and a lack …

Early Childhood Fine Motor Assessment, Naomi Kapaun

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The development of hand function is ongoing from infancy through adulthood. Hand function is especially important in the early years as a child prepares for school. As with all skills, the level of hand function can range from "excellent" to "average" to "clumsy" or "immature." Stability, strength, and endurance are key components of adequate hand skill development. These components are often areas of weakness in today's society of technology and passive activities. Creating an assessment designed specifically for the identification of skill acquisition, as it pertains to hand function and fine motor development, in the early childhood years will assist …

Occupational Therapy Assistant Mental Health Case-Based Learning Activities, Cassie Hilts

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTA) need to be skilled in clinical reasoning and able to apply principles, theories and approaches to functional problems (Neistadt, 1998; Royeen,1995; VanLeit, Crowe and Waterman, 2001). Occupational therapy assistant educational standards require that students be able to apply models of occupational performance and theories of occupation (Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, 2008). Research has shown that learners actively engaged in the learning process have increased satisfaction with their education (Robinson, 1994) and perform better on exams (Lord, 1997; Wilden, Crowther, Gubanich and Cannon, 2002). Scaffa and Wooster (2004) found self directed learning can significantly facilitate …

Occupational Therapy: Meeting The Needs Of Individuals Diagnosed With Cancer, Kim Jones, Lonnie Music

Occupational Therapy Capstones

When an individual is diagnosed with cancer, he or she can experience their physical and emotional well-being threatened by fear, isolation, anxiety, depression, fatigue, disfigurement, and pain often resulting in a diminished quality of life (Rosenbaum, Gautier, Fobair, Neri, Festi, Hawn, et al. 2004). Dealing with cancer can result in the loss of independence in basic daily routines and occupations such as: dressing, cooking, taking care of the home, eating/feeding oneself, etc. While all of these challenges can diminish quality of life, they can also be minimized by ancillary intervention services such as occupational therapy (OT).

The problem is that …

Survey Of Parents Participating In An Infant Toddler Screening Program: Identification And Education Regarding Torticollis, Amanda Carlson

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Since 1992 there has been an increased number of children diagnosed with congenital muscular torticollis (CMT), which is a condition that affects the position and shape of the head. This study was designed to find out from parents involved in an infant toddler screening program about the information they have received regarding torticollis and if they feel it has been satisfactory.

Subjects: A survey of 150 parents with children who participated in an infant toddler screening program were initially included in a randomized sample for this study. Fifty-four surveys were returned to the researchers, of which 4 …

Comparison Of Pilates And Hydraulic Circuit Training In Women, Shauna Differding, Sandra Hoff, Sara Murray

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Introduction: Obesity continues to be a rising problem in the United States. Women typically are the majority of consumers in weight treatment programs. Due to conflicts with time and social roles, they struggle to remain committed to an exercise program. Most women enter into weight treatment programs not for health, but rather for appearance.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of cardiovascular function, flexibility, strength and circumferential measurements between mat Pilates and hydraulic circuit training over a six-week period. The benefits of these comparisons will help women find an effective and efficient fitness program. As …

Chart Review: Identification Of Torticollis And Plagiocephaly In An Infant Toddler Screening Program, Kari Ell, Cara Mobley

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

As the incidence of torticollis and plagiocephaly have increased since the initiation of the Back to Sleep campaign in 1992, greater awareness of diagnosis and prevention for these conditions is imperative. The purpose of this study was to complete a chart review which identified the bIrth history risk factors and diagnostic indicators for torticollis and plagiocephaly that were documented, the variations in identification and referrals by discipline of screener, and the incidence of torticollis and plagiocephaly in infants and toddlers receiving services through a rural screening program of a midwestern state. A retrospective chart review of 125 children (birth to …

The Effects Of Taping Versus Bracing On Postural Stability Of The Ankle, Rachel Johnston, Lindsey Kramer, Leah Nikle, Heather Stecher

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

External ankle supports, such as athletic tape and braces, used prophylactically and postinjury, have enabled athletes to participate, when their absence would have either limited participation or possibly allowed an injury. These supports offer an extrinsic mechanical source of support for the ankle. The ankle, however, is also dependent on the proprioception system, including visual input, to maintain balance through motor involvement of regional ankle musculature. It would appear that the addition of external support would enhance the overall integrity of the ankle; however, does that support exert an influence, positive or negative, on the proprioception system at the joint? …

Influence Of A Functional Knee Brace And Exercise On Lower Extremity Kinematics During Jogging, Brian M. Campbell, Daniel Cipriani, James A. Yaggie

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

ABSTRACT Context: Functional knee braces (FKB) are used prophylactically and in rehabilitation to aide in the functional stability of the knee joint. Objective: To determine if alterations in sagittal plane lower extremity kinematics remain evident throughout a one hour period in healthy individuals. Design: 2X5 repeated measures design. Setting: Biomechanics Laboratory. Subjects: Twenty subjects (14 male and 6 female, mean age 26.5±7 yrs; height 172.4±13 cm; weight 78.6±9 kg), separated into braced (B) and no brace (NB) groups. Intervention: A one-hour exercise program divided into three 20 minute increments. Main Outcome Measures: Synchronized three-dimensional …

State Agency Promising Practices: Employment First! Making Integrated Employment The Preferred Outcome In Tennessee, Jean Winsor, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

The Tennessee Division of Mental Retardation Services (DMRS) implemented the Employment First! initiative in 2002. The goal of Employment First was to make employment the first day service option for adults receiving supports funded by DMRS, Medicaid, or the state. Employment First set the standard that employment was the preferred service option for adults with mental retardation and developmental disabilities (MR/DD).

State Agency Promising Practice: Integrated Employment Outcomes Through Person-To-Person Technical Assistance: New Hampshire, Allison C. Hall, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

New Hampshire implemented an innovative technical assistance model that promoted organizational change to expand individual employment opportunities. This person-to-person change began at the micro level but “trickled up” through organizations across the state. In 2000, realizing that the state’s growth in integrated employment had stalled, the Bureau of Developmental Services invested aggressively in expanding its intervention strategy by recruiting a community provider to work directly through the bureau. The bureau hired John Vance-the director of ACCESS, a small individualized support organization in New Hampshire-half-time to provide individualized technical assistance to providers across the state. As part of the bureau, Vance …

Stress And Anxiety In Adhd: Links To Sensory Over-Responsivity, Stacey E. Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations

Sensory Modulation Dysfunction (SMD) is characterized by an inability to consistently and accurately grade responses to sensory information. SMD, and specifically sensory over-responsivity (SOR), has been correlated with stress and anxiety in some developmentally delayed populations and has been associated with structures and functions of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Recent attention has been given to HPA functioning in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with a majority of studies identifying blunted or diminished cortisol patterns. In contrast, elevated cortisol has been associated with anxiety and anxious behaviors in both animal and human studies. The purpose of this study …

Rehabilitation Considerations For The Geriatric Patient, Michael Shoemaker, J Bennett

Michael J Shoemaker, PT, DPT, PhD, GCS

No abstract provided.

Changes In Activity Level In Women Age 40 To 80 Years, Jennifer Nitz, Nancy Low Choy

Nancy Low Choy

Objectives
The purpose of this study was to report habitual physical activity levels in women and document the change in level of activity and factors affecting this change over a 5-year period.

Methods
A 5-year prospective cohort design was used. Women aged 40-80 years, living independently in the community, were recruited via the electoral role. The effects were investigated, first, of age, activity level, history of falls, number of co-morbidities and medications, body mass index and stability at baseline on change in activity level and, second, change in these demographics on activity level over the study period.

Results
Data from …

The Impact Of Exercise Rehabilitation And Physical Activity On The Management Of Parkinson's Disease, Andrew Johnson, Q. Almeida

Andrew M. Johnson

Although medication therapy is generally effective in the clinical management of Parkinson's disease (PD), additional improvement of some gross motor symptoms may be achieved through the use of nonpharmacological treatments, such as physical therapy and exercise rehabilitation. Despite the fact that PD is a neurological disorder, successful rehabilitation has been demonstrated with treatments that combine cognitive and physical approaches. While the exact mechanism through which these therapies obtain successful outcomes is still largely unknown, it is worthwhile to explore these adjunctive approaches to treating the motor output symptoms of PD.

Does Walking Improve Outcomes In Patients Undergoing Pulmonary Rehabilitation?, R Dasgupta, Michael Shoemaker, J Wilt, K Meriwether, A Shoemaker, T Summerfelt

Michael J Shoemaker, PT, DPT, PhD, GCS

No abstract provided.

Assistive Technology Applications, Laura Greiss Hess, Kerrie Lemons Chitwood

Laura Greiss Hess

Growing Up With Conventional Modalities Of Therapy (Ot, Speech And Special Education), Laura Greiss Hess, Kerrie Lemons Chitwood

Laura Greiss Hess

Interventions For Infants And Toddlers, Laura Greiss Hess, Kerrie Lemons Chitwood, Karen Riley

Laura Greiss Hess