Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Governor Gains: A Remote Program Connecting Home And School, Madison L. Michels

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

The purpose of this capstone project was to create and implement the Governor Gains remote home program aimed at increasing parent involvement in home-based activities to promote academic performance among children with disabilities. This capstone experience was completed within the Pierre, SD Public School System, specifically with elementary-aged students. An occupational therapy student worked with a faculty mentor (OTD), site mentor(OTR/L), and interprofessional team (physical therapists, speech therapists, psychologists, and general and special education teachers) to complete this project. The capstone project began with advanced clinical practice then transitioned into program development. Governor Gains provided a focus on fine motor …

Advanced Practice In Aquatic Therapy: Exploring Occupational Therapy In An Aquatic Environment, Brenna K. Barash

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Properties of water have been utilized as a therapeutic treatment method for the past 100 years (Becker, 2009). Aquatic-based occupational therapy services are used as an adjunct to traditional land-based occupational therapy intervention (Franken et al., 2013). The OTS developed a 14-week capstone project with assistance provided by faculty and site mentors. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop aquatic-based intervention skills and explore the use and benefits of aquatic-based occupational therapy in patient care. To facilitate appropriate outcomes, three learning objectives with numerous project deliverables were developed. In order to demonstrate competence and understanding of aquatic-based occupational …

Occupational Therapy Services For Sheltered Individuals Experiencing Homelessness, Ariana Oorlog

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

There is a need for interventions to help people experiencing homelessness learn home management, transportation, and health maintenance skills. The purpose of this capstone experience was to administer an occupational therapy program to support sheltered adults experiencing homelessness to improve their preparedness in obtaining and maintaining housing, community reintegration, and long-term success in life. I completed the capstone experience at Hope Street of Siouxland, a sober living home for adult males who are recovering from homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. I completed a Needs Assessment and developed the program based on the identified needs of Hope Street guests. The program …

Exploring Occupational Therapy With Athletes Using Principles Of Lifestyle Redesign® To Support Academic Success And Life Balance., Michaela M. Dendinger

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Occupational therapists have a range of skills that can benefit a variety of populations. Despite these skills, occupational therapy has limited exploration within the field of athletics. The capstone project gave insight to the services occupational therapy can provide to the student-athlete population. Through the lens of Lifestyle Redesign®, the Student-Athlete Wellness Program was created to support student-athlete academic success and life balance. Following a needs assessment an online program was developed. The program was provided to students and athletes a University in the Midwest U.S. The program attracted 21 student-athletes and five students. Limited participation in surveys provided difficulties …

Creating Inclusive Classroom Environments Through Education And Coaching, Leah Hagen

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

The aim of this capstone project was to educate teachers on inclusive practices and strategies to create an inclusive classroom environment for students with disabilities and at-risk needs. An educational workshop including eight hours of asynchronous pre-recorded modules and four one-hour synchronous sessions was created. The workshop covered the following topics: Introduction to inclusion, accommodations and modifications, assistive technology, supporting sensory needs, supporting physical needs, supporting academic and learning needs, supporting social, emotional, and behavioral needs, virtual inclusion, empowering students, and creating an inclusive classroom environment. Optional inclusive classroom coaching sessions were offered to promote implementation of inclusive practices and …

Caregiver Perceptions Of Environmental Modifications For Sensory Processing, Jaimie Lynn Smith

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

This capstone project explored in-depth clinical practice skills in sensory based therapy along with caregiver perceptions of sensory environmental modifications. In person and telehealth treatment sessions focused on the achievement of sensory based goals. A three-part continuing education course was also completed to expand knowledge and understanding of sensory environmental modifications and strategies that were family friendly. The main project was to gain an understanding of caregiver perceptions of sensory environmental modifications. This was accomplished through interviews with families that focused on sensory aspects of the environmental, completion of Participation and Sensory Environmental Questionnaire, and feel-good menus. After environmental recommendations …

Complex Conditions Of The Hand: A Resource For Rural Therapists, Jay D. Cooper

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

The purpose of this project was to address multiple disparities in the complex treatment of upper extremity conditions and injuries in the rural therapy setting with an accessible educational resource. These disparities include the lack of continuing education specifically targeted at the rural healthcare setting, the barriers to unique occupation-based treatment which occupational therapists are obligated to administer, and the need to provide information regarding hand therapy protocols to bridge the communication gap between hand specialists and rural therapists. The project was completed at the Monument Health Orthopedic and Specialty Hospital in Rapid City, SD, in an outpatient hand therapy …

Service-Learning And Case-Based Learning’S Impact On Student’S Clinical Reasoning : A Repeated Measures Design Study, Gordon B. Tsubira

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Clinical reasoning is crucial for the occupational therapy profession to thrive in an ever-changing healthcare environment but is seldom isolated for explicit instruction and outcome measurement in course curricula. A single-factor repeated measures design study was conducted to compare the impact of didactic case-based learning and experiential service-learning on the development of the clinical reasoning of students at a midwestern public university’s entry-level master of occupational therapy program. The participants were sixteen graduate occupational therapy students who had completed their foundation-level courses.

Participants explored modes of clinical reasoning in occupational therapy for eight weeks (the first half of the semester), …

Supporting Caregivers And Survivors Of Stroke In Their Journey Through Stroke Recovery Via Telehealth Services, Keri Kamphoff

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Supporting Caregivers and Survivors of Stroke in their Journey through Stroke Recovery via Telehealth Services

Background: Strokes are a prevalent condition around the world that cause chronic functional deficits. Survivors of stroke and their caregivers in the community report limited social participation, decreased involvement in favored occupations, worse health outcomes, and increased rates of anxiety and stress. Occupational therapists have the skills to provide education and support for this population through community programs using telehealth.

Methodology: This project was completed at the American Stroke Foundation (ASF), which was operating virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Webinars, caregiver support groups, daily …

The Benefits Of Utilizing A Sensory Room In A Pediatric Outpatient Setting, Mackenzie L. Wand

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

The purpose of this Capstone project was to develop a sensory room in an outpatient setting to support child-led sensory integration. The Capstone experience was completed at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, Minnesota in an outpatient setting. The project was geared towards working primarily with the pediatric population with a diagnosis of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The main learning objective was creating the sensory room which included creating a list of equipment for the room and setting up the room once the items were delivered. Another main learning objective was creating binders to provide …

Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Nicu And Post-Nicu Settings, Katlyn M. Schochenmaier

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

The purpose of this capstone experience was to gain advanced clinical experience and explore occupational therapy’s role in the NICU and post-NICU settings. Further focus of this capstone was on the feeding concerns and sensory development of infants following a NICU stay. This capstone project was completed at a Level IV NICU and an outpatient speech and occupational therapy clinic in a midwestern city. Theoretical models of Ayres’ Sensory Integration, Neonatal Integrative Developmental Care Model, and Biopsychosocial Model of Pediatric Feeding were used to develop and implement this capstone experience. A two-day continuing education course was completed prior to the …

Advocating For The Field Of Occupational Therapy In A Childcare Setting, Nicole K. Leinhart

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Significant physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development occurs during the first five years of life; many children spend time in the childcare setting during this crucial time of development. Appropriately meeting the needs of children is important for healthy growth and development throughout an individual’s life. Working in collaboration with the childcare staff, occupational therapists are beneficial when working with the pediatric population. With their extensive knowledge, expertise, and training in human development, as well as the physiological, psychological, social, and emotional needs of individuals throughout the lifespan, occupational therapists improve the children’s engagement and success within a childcare setting. …

Empowering Occupational Therapy Practitioners Through Virtual Education On Seating And Wheeled Mobility, Jane A. Loscheider

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Background and Purpose: Seating and wheeled mobility is a complex practice area with serious secondary complications if the client does not have an optimally configured seating and mobility device. Occupational therapists receive basic education on seating and wheeled mobility, but additional education is needed for best practice. The purpose of this project was to provide education for the occupational therapy practitioner and identify if a virtual seating and mobility course could improve their comfort level working with their clients who rely on a wheelchair for occupational engagement. Methods: A literature review and needs assessment submitted by 100 occupational therapy clinicians …

Virtual Reality And Its Impact As An Intervention On Meaningful Occupations For Individuals With Mental Health Diagnoses, Alison S. Benson

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

The purpose of this capstone project was to administer occupation-based and therapeutic interventions based on virtual reality and evaluate their impact on participation in meaningful occupations by individuals with mental health diagnoses. I completed this 14-week capstone experience at the Professional Rehabilitation Consultants, an outpatient occupational therapy mental health clinic in St. Paul, Minnesota. The interventions that I tested were administered using strategies from principles of the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) and the Recovery Model. I created intervention modules based on published instructions on the use of VR equipment and information gathered from research on the VR applications. I …

Supporting The Holistic Treatment Of Adults With Upper Extremity Injuries: Bridging The Gap Between The Clinic And Classroom, Stephanie W. Mcclung

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Research continues to support the need for holistic and occupation-based treatment of patients with upper extremity (UE) injuries, therefore, occupational therapy students (OTS) would benefit from continued education supporting holistic hand therapy. Thus, the purpose of this capstone experience was to offer a capstone student with an opportunity to provide holistic hand therapy, explore and address barriers to delivering holistic therapy services, and following reflection, use the knowledge and skills gained through this experience to create supplemental educational materials to further peer education in holistic hand therapy. While providing direct patient care, the capstone student developed a better understanding of …

Complementary And Integrative Approaches For Occupational Therapy Practitioners: An Educational Experience, Wanda Kay Lauer

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Background and purpose: The use of complementary health approaches and integrative health (CHAIH) practices are on the rise in the United States. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) supports their use as occupations, activities, or interventions to support occupations yet many occupational therapists do not feel comfortable discussing or implementing complementary approaches in their therapy practice. The purpose of this project was to develop a two-day continuing education course to provide occupational therapy practitioners with information to increase their competency and confidence in utilizing complementary and integrative approaches in practice.

Methods: A literature review was completed to determine if there …

Improving Quality Of Life Among Individuals With Neurocognitive Disorders Using Occupational Therapy And A Sensory Integration Approach, Makenzie K. Johnson

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Abstract

Currently, 50 million people worldwide are affected by major neurocognitive disorder (MND). Those with MND often exhibit behavioral and psychological symptoms that have a significant impact on occupational participation and overall quality of life. Symptoms are frequently treated with anti-psychotics; however, a need for a non-pharmacological approach to alleviate these symptoms is indicated through current research. This 14-week Capstone experience was completed in the memory care neighborhoods at Sunrise Retirement Community in Sioux City, Iowa. Throughout this experience, knowledge related to effective caregiving strategies and sensory based interventions was enhanced, education was provided to memory care staff and occupational …