Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Lack Of Medicaid Funding For Occupational Therapy Serving The Autism Spectrum Disorder Population Ages 0-5 Years, Nadia Yala

Honors Theses

The prevalence of autism in the United States is currently 1 in 68 children (Autism Alliance of Michigan, 2014). This is considered an epidemic. There are a variety of treatments available in the state of Michigan for children with autism, such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, and applied behavior analysis (ABA). Effective April 1^st, 2013, Michigan increased their funding cap for ABA therapy for treating children with autism. However, there is a lack of knowledge within the community and amongst professionals in regards to the critical treatment occupational therapy practitioners provide and as a result, there …

Sailing As A Therapy Modality For Occupational Therapy; Requirements Prior To Participation, Carrie Bell

Honors Theses

Many outdoor activities are currently being utilized by recreational therapists to aid in the development of play and leisure skills, education, social skills training, and even therapeutic community. The process of using these outdoor activities can aid clients in emotional, physical, cognitive and social functions. Although these types of activities have been primarily utilized in recreational therapy intervention sessions, these activities carry the potential to also fit within the domain of occupational therapy. In order to engage in the recreational activity of sailing, persons must have specific cognitive, physical, emotional and social abilities. The purpose of this study is to …

Use Of Mobility Devices In Developing Countries; A Comparative Literature Review Introducing The Contextual Factors Surrounding Accessibility And Use Of Mobility Devices In Ghana, Bangladesh, And Guatemala., Bethany Shadel

Honors Theses

Disability in the developing world encompasses 10% of the global population and much of that population requires the use of a mobility device in order to engage in meaningful occupation. The use and accessibility of mobility devices is shaped by the significance of the barriers surrounding mobility. This research looks comparatively at the factors affecting accessibility and the use of mobility devices in three developing countries; Ghana, Bangladesh, and Guatemala. Trends within literature revealed that economic, environmental, and cultural barriers all had an impact on accessibility. Overall, this study determines that accessibility solutions are not possible without removing barriers to …

Sensor Technology For Supporting Independence Among Cognitively Impaired Elders, Kelsey Wright

Honors Theses

Dementia is the most expensive disease in the United States and its prevalence is rapidly increasing as the older adult population grows. The number of older adults diagnosed with dementia living alone is also rising, which brings about numerous safety risks. Due to the declining cognitive skills and behavior changes seen with dementia, it is important find approaches for monitoring their safety. This literature review discusses commercially available monitoring systems and empirical studies using sensor technology with older adults. It also describes a current pilot study that is exploring the use of sensor technology in the homes of cognitively impaired …

An Examination Of The Mental Health Services Provided To Students At Western Michigan University, Melissa Rex

Honors Theses

Introduction: All college students will experience stress related to academic demands, changing social situations and new environments. For some students, these multiple stressors can create overwhelming challenges. Students who are not able to receive needed support may be unable to successfully navigate the world of higher education, and are at higher risk of developing mental illness. The purpose of this study is to assess mental health services available at Western Michigan University (WMU) in comparison to other similar size universities within the state.

Method: The information used in this study was collected via several methods. Information was gathered from …

Meeting The Needs Of Students With Traumatic Brain Lnjury, Heather K. Koole

Dissertations

School reintegration following pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) presents a number of challenges. This dissertation comprises three studies exploring common themes of best practice, training, and supporting success for students with TBI in school settings.

Study 1 reports the results of a survey of 70 speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who responded to questions about their use of clinical activities that described more or less contextualized services. Current literature supports contextualized service delivery as best practice. Findings indicated that 98% of participants reported using at least one contextualized practice. Higher use of contextualized practices was associated with working in schools (compared to …

Sculpting The Illness Experience, Molly Bathje

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Otto Kamensek provided the cover art for the Fall 2014 issue of the Open Journal of Occupational Therapy. “Glimmer of Hope” is part of Otto’s collection “Shard’s, Bone Deep,” which includes hand-built ceramic sculptures that portray his experiences with a lifelong chronic illness. Engaging in ceramic sculpture helps him process the experiences associated with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and provides a means to support others experiencing chronic illness.

The Significance Of Somatosensory Stimulation To The Hand: Implications For Occupational Therapy Practice, Guy L. Mccormack

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The hands contain numerous nerve endings that are intimately connected to the brain. Mounting evidence supports the concept that willful manipulation of objects contributes to expansion or reorganization of the somatosensory cortex and can produce therapeutic outcomes. In the past decade, research has demonstrated that cortical plasticity can continue throughout adulthood. Brain plasticity is a core principle that demonstrates the ability of the central nervous system to respond to stimuli and modify its structural organization and function as an adaptive response. Occupation-based interventions, which engage the use of the hands, are conceived in this article as a “mindbody” experience because …

The Role Of Reusable Learning Objects In Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Education, Bryan M. Gee, Jane Strickland, Lisa Salazar

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Out of early research, Cisco Systems (1999) have built an impressive foundation that advocates for reusable learning objects (RLOs). As the need for online methods for delivering both formal and informal educational content has increased, the prospect of greater influence through carefully constructed RLOs has grown. RLOs are any digital resource that can be used and reused to enhance online learning. RLOs typically are small, discrete, self-contained digital objects that may be sequenced, combined, and used within a variety of instructional activities. RLOs have been implemented in nursing, pharmacy, and physician assistant programs. However, there is a lack of literature …

Relationships Among Occupation/Activity Patterns, Health And Stress Perceptions, And Life Orientation In Well Adults, Barbara Prudhomme White, Amy Ma, Deborah Whitney

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: This study examined the relationships among activity choices, perceived health, stress, and life orientation (optimism-pessimism) in a general population of 675 healthy adults ranging in age from 18-91 years. The objective was to examine assumptions that occupational scientists and practitioners hold regarding the relationships among health factors and engagement in activities/occupations.

Method: The study used four self-report measures, including a customized activity card sort that asked participants about both healthy and unhealthy activity patterns. Responses were then compared with the participants’ perceptions of overall health, stress levels, and degrees of optimism and pessimism (life orientation).

Results: Major findings confirmed …

“Putting The Occupation Back In Occupational Therapy:” A Survey Of Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ Use Of Gardening As An Intervention, Amy Wagenfeld, Ben Atchison

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background. This study examines how and why occupational therapy practitioners across practice areas use gardening as an intervention. Respondents’ interpretation of the best and least desirable aspects of their facility’s garden and whether they contributed to its design was also examined.

Method. A description and link to a 15-question online survey about gardening as an occupational therapy intervention was emailed to Western Michigan University Occupational Therapy alumni and posted on four OT Connections groups and the AOTA LinkedIn site.

Results. Gardening as an occupational therapy intervention is meaningful and purposeful (93.66%, n = 56), motivating (80%, n = 48), fun …

Home-Based Constraint Induced Movement Therapy Poststroke, Stephen Isbel, Christine Chapparo, David Mcconnell, Judy Ranka

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: This study examined the efficacy of a home-based Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CI Therapy) protocol with eight poststroke survivors.

Method: Eight ABA, single case experiments were conducted in the homes of poststroke survivors. The intervention comprised restraint of the intact upper limb in a mitt for 21 days combined with a home-based and self-directed daily activity regime. Motor changes were measured using The Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) and the Motor Activity Log (MAL).

Results: Grouped results showed statistically and clinically significant differences on the WMFT (WMFT [timed items]): Mean 7.28 seconds, SEM 1.41, 95% CI 4.40 – 10.18, …

“I Think Relax, Relax And It Flows A Lot Easier”: Exploring Client-Generated Relax Strategies, Dianne Cirone, Sara E. Mcewen

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background. Some adult stroke survivors participating in Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) treatment programs self-generated relax strategies that have not been explored in previous CO-OP publications. The objective of this study was to describe the process by which adults with stroke used relax strategies and to explore the outcomes associated with their use.

Methods. Secondary analysis of transcripts of intervention sessions from five participants was conducted.

Results. All five participants applied relax strategies after initially observing a breakdown in performance that was attributed to increased fatigue or tension. The relax strategies used by the participants during their occupations …

Introducing Breakouts, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

A Mosaic Of Creativity In Occupational Therapy, Molly Bathje

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Martha Branson-Banks, OT, provided the cover art for the summer 2014 issue of the Open Journal of Occupational Therapy. The piece is titled “Garden with thanks to Klimt” and is one of several mosaic art pieces in her collection of works. She created the piece with art glass and resin on an abandoned door. Her use of a repurposed door represents her belief in the capacity for transformation and beauty within each individual she has treated and taught throughout her career. Martha’s work as an occupational therapist, educator, and artist reminds us of the foundational beliefs of the occupational …

Impact Of International Collaborative Project On Cultural Competence Among Occupational Therapy Students, Divya Sood, Danila Cepa, Sebestina Anita Dsouza, Shovan Saha, Ruby Aikat, Alicia Tuuk

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy (OT) educators recognize a need to ensure that OT students are culturally competent. The researchers developed the International Collaborative Project on Cultural Competence (ICPCC) to help students understand the impact of cultural context on client care. Entry-level MOT students from a university in the US (N = 18) collaborated with BOT students (N = 4) and advanced MOT students (N = 9) from two universities in India using an online course management system WebCT. The study explored the impact of the ICPCC on OT students’ cultural competence and discusses students’ perceptions of culture on the OT process. The …

The Relationship Between Admission Criteria And Fieldwork Performance In A Masters-Level Ot Program: Implications For Admissions, Molly Bathje, Rebecca Ozelie, Elisabeth Deavila

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy (OT) graduate programs strive to produce an effective OT workforce with competent and engaged OT practitioners. Admission into OT graduate programs is an increasingly competitive process, with most programs having more applicants than spaces available. Programs need to select applicants that will be the most successful in meeting graduation requirements, including both academic and clinical components. This pilot study was designed to examine the relationship between admission criteria and fieldwork (FW) performance. The study utilized a retrospective analysis with a convenience sample of 108 students with complete data from a private university in the Midwest. Independent variables of …

Developing Bilateral And Spatial Concepts In Primary School-Aged Children: An Empirical Evaluation Of The Anker Bilateral Spatial System, Janet E. Richmond, Myra Taylor, Sarah Evans

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Visual-spatial and visual-motor perceptual difficulties contribute to school-aged learning problems. Hence, a need exists to address children’s visual-spatial and visual-motor perceptual difficulties as early as possible in the child’s school career. Thus, this study reports on the evaluation of the Anker Bilateral Spatial System’s (ABSS) effectiveness in remediating primary school children’s perceptual difficulties.

Method: Thirty-one children (17 boys and 14 girls) aged 6 to 12 years who had been identified by their classroom teacher as having observable visual-spatial and visual-motor perceptual difficulties participated in a 10-week pre/posttest intervention study. The study’s pre/posttest assessments included the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor …

The Impact Of Fear Of Falling On Functional Independence Among Older Adults Receiving Home Health Services, Katherine A. Lawson, Eugenia Catalina Gonzalez

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Falls are the fifth leading cause of death for adults aged 65 years and older. Several intrinsic and extrinsic fall risk factors have been identified, butthere is less understanding of the impact of a fear of falling on falls. Seventy percent of recent fallers and 40% percent of non-fallers report a fear of falling. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between a fear of falling and a history of falls, as well as the impact on the functional independence of community-dwelling older adults receiving home health services.

Methods: The participants completed the …

Occupational Therapy After Myocardial Or Cerebrovascular Infarction: Which Factors Influence Referrals?, Julia Drosselmeyer, Achim Jockwig, Karel Kostev, Christina Heilmaier

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Cardiovascular diseases remain the number one cause of death worldwide, and many survivors suffer lasting disabilities. Occupational therapy can help such patients regain as much function as possible. However, little is known about the factors influencing referrals to occupational therapy after stroke or myocardial infarction (MI).

Method: Data from the IMS Disease Analyzer^® database were observed for a three-year period. The study population included 7,440 patients who were examined by a cardiologist due to stroke or MI. In addition to baseline characteristics, the presence of certain cardiovascular risk factors or comorbidities was recorded. Cox regression analyses were performed …

Influence Of Home Environment On Participation In Home Activities Of Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Divya Sood, Patti Lavesser, Caren Schranz

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: This study explored the key physical and social factors within the home environment that influence the participation of children with an ASD in home activities.

Method: Step 1 used a correlational research design to identify relationships between the home environment and participation patterns of children with ASD. Twenty-two children, ages 3 to 6 years, with a diagnosis of ASD participated. Data were collected using the Preschool Activity Card Sort (PACS), Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory (HOME), Parenting Stress Index (PSI), Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and Hollingshead Four Factor Index of Social Status (ISS). In Step 2, …

Questions About Race As A Research Variable, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

“Additional Analysis Of Previously Collected Data: Food Choices In Children With Autism”, Kristin Crinion

Honors Theses

The objective of this study was to look at children with autism and their food choices based on previously collected data. The previously collected data includes a caregiver survey to determine food acceptance level (e.g. severe, moderate, typical), and a caregiver reported food inventory. The caregiver reported food inventory was used to see what specific foods children with autism are eating and in what food categories (e.g. dairy, fruits, vegetables, protein, and carbohydrate). Per previously literature, it is researched that children with ASD tend to have more food selectivity than typically developing children (Suarez, Nelson, & Curtis, 2012). There is …

Technology-Supported Art As A "Way To Participation", Molly Bathje

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Brianna Vitale provided the painting featured on the cover of the Spring 2014 issue of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy. Brianna completed the painting, titled “Flamingo,” using a mouth joystick (joust) to draw the image on her computer and an assistive device to translate her computer artwork into the watercolor painting. At 12 years old, Brianna has been living for the past 9 years with tetraplegia, the result of a spinal cord injury (SCI). Through technology and with the support of family, friends, and health care professionals, Brianna energetically engages in a variety of creative, social, and philanthropic activities.

Student Advocacy And Research Regarding Employability With Women In An Addiction Recovery Center, Christine Privott

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This article presents a course project that allowed senior undergraduate occupational science students the opportunity to experience advocacy and leadership roles as they prepared to transition to entry-level occupational therapy programs. The students coordinated an on-site employment fair for women residents of one Alcoholics Anonymous-based substance abuse recovery center in Kentucky. This ultimately led to a preliminary qualitative program evaluation study of the participants’ perceptions of employability after participating in the fair. Following a semi-structured interview protocol, nine participants were interviewed by student investigators immediately following the fair. The resulting data were compared within and across transcripts, and coded for …

Establishing Normative Values For The Barnett Balance Assessment Tool: A Preliminary Study, Monica L. Cercone, Katherine M. Grulke-Kidd, Alora S. Haskin, Kyle M. Medearis, Clarissa J. Wegner, Ellen Herlache-Pretzer

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The purpose of this study was to establish normative data for the Barnett Balance Assessment (BBA) for individuals ages 18-70+ years. The BBA is a newly developed assessment tool that may address limitations present in other assessments currently used to detect balance deficits. The BBA was administered to 141 participants who had no history of medical issues that could impact balance. A review of the normative data collected indicated little variation in total assessment scores in the age categories of 18-29, 30-39, and 40-49, due to the presence of a ceiling effect. Variations existed in scores among participants in the …

Visual-Motor Skills Performance On The Beery-Vmi: A Study Of Canadian Kindergarten Children, Melissa Coallier, Natasha Rouleau, Florence Bara, Marie-France Morin

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The Beery VMI is one of the standardized assessment tools most widely used by occupational therapists to assess visual-motor integration. Currently, no specific norms exist for Canadian children. This study was developed to assess whether kindergarten children in Canada compared similarly to the norms established in the U.S. sample of the Beery VMI in order to validate its use with Canadian children. Possible gender differences were also examined. The Beery VMI was administered to 151 kindergarten children, aged 5 to 6 years, at the end of the school year. The data collection took place in seven schools, where the participants …

Promoting Client Goal Ownership In A Clinical Setting, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Effective goal setting involves collaboration between the client and therapist and is an important component of occupational therapy practice. However, encouraging involvement and collaboration does not necessarily guarantee that client goals are incorporated into the treatment plan. The purpose of this innovative treatment program was to determine if providing a client with a venue for goal identification, documentation, and maintenance might impact participation and satisfaction in a day rehabilitation setting. Responses to a study satisfaction survey (Ss) were taken at baseline and immediately postintervention from the experimental (N = 11) and control (N = 10) groups and attendance rates were …

Effects Of Cognitive Status On Life Participation Of Cancer Survivors, Mary F. Baxter, Theresa Smith, Jennifer Wahowski

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The purposes of this study were to identify the cognitive status of cancer survivors, determine the effect of cognitive status on function and participation in daily activities, and explore how cancer survivors perceive changes in their cognition. The study used a quantitative nonexperimental cross-sectional design. The participants included 35 cancer survivors from two different sites. Instruments included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Reintegration to Normal Index-Postal Version (RNLI-P) in the measurement of cognitive impairment and functional performance respectively. Data were also collected with a supplemental questionnaire to explore participants’ perspectives on their cognitive difficulties and current function. The …

Technological Guidelines: The Relationship Between Our Expanding Knowledge And Our Philosophical Assumptions, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.