Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Enhancing Leisure Participation In An Inpatient Mental Health Setting, Jawad Aqil, Susan Macdermott

Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium, Fall 2022

This capstone project, Enhancing Leisure Participation in an Inpatient Mental Health Setting, was completed by a Doctor of Occupational Therapy candidate at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Project objectives aimed to identify and address internal and external barriers related to leisure participation in inpatient mental health settings from an occupational therapy perspective. A literature review of leisure engagement demonstrates beneficial mental health outcomes in correlation with increased leisure engagement during inpatient mental health treatment. However, leisure is often an underutilized facet of mental health treatment. Additionally, individuals with mental health challenges present with individualistic barriers decreasing leisure …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Cleft Lip And Palate Treatment, Kelly Toy, Karen Park, Amanda Amaro

Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium, Fall 2022

Problem: This research study aims to understand the lived experience of cleft lip and palate (CLP) on mental health, social participation, and leisure to answer the research question: what is the occupational impact of CLP on mental health, social participation, and leisure activity?

Methods: A qualitative mixed methods research design —34 participants for the survey and 12 interviewees. The interviews were conducted through Zoom and lasted 1 hour. This study used thematic analysis to create themes.

Results: 85% of individuals with CLP experienced bullying, all individuals with CLP stated that their mental health was affected because of CLP, and 59% …

The Farriers’ Perspective Of Ergonomics, Hailey Harrington, Gwen Morris

Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium, Fall 2022

Farriers, or individuals who specialize in the shoeing of horses, navigate a variety of ergonomic challenges. Such challenges have the potential to severely impact their working ability and other major areas of their lives. Early research from Holler (1984) and King (2003) investigated farrier perceptions of hazardous job requirements and tool hazards in relations to strain on their bodies. Additional factors to consider include other external factors such as human and animal interactions, physiological, and psychological factors (Flunker et al., 2020; Gombeski et al., 2017).The purpose of this study is to learn about the ergonomic conditions of farriers and their …

Comprehensive Sleep Program For Active-Duty Special Operators In The Us Military, Hope Brew

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Adaptive Seating, Julie Jones, Mckayla Wallace, Marisa Given, Nisha Rustia, George Cardenas

Occupational Therapy Student Research

Children’s sensory needs are impacting their ability to attend to their speech language pathology treatment sessions in a meaningful and effective way. There is a gap in the education for SLPs on sensory integration which limits their ability to recognize the challenges and know how to support them in a productive way.

Jackery Power Station: Stockton Shelter For The Homeless, Angela Vides, Abigail Equinoa, Carolyn Ly, Estephanie Huerta

Occupational Therapy Student Research

The community group, San Joaquin County Mobile Clinic, aims to improve the health outcomes of vulnerable populations by providing low-cost preventative healthcare and treatment options. This includes wound care, vaccinations, and assistance with accessing medical appointments and health insurance. However, research has shown that those without housing do not have adequate access to stable power sources to charge mobile devices to aid healthcare needs and access resources. The Jackery Power Station, which falls under the category of consumer access, priorities, and benefits over the lifespan, will attempt to address this barrier.

An estimated 2,631 individuals in San Joaquin county are …

Kitchen Stories, Terral Christopher, Nazifa Fazil, Lauren Jew, Ken Zhu

Occupational Therapy Student Research

Individuals with ASD may experience difficulties with independent living skills, such as financial management, home management and meal preparation. An occupation such as cooking typically includes methods such as task-analysis, systemic prompting, cueing, modeling, visual support and feedback, which can be challenging for the ASD population.

Kitchen Stories is a video-based, cross-media cooking platform whose mission is to “to empower people to cook a fresh meal every day.” Although cooking is an essential part of everyday life, the creators of the platform understand that many people struggle with it for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless, they are confident that anyone …

Weighted Devices For Somatosensory Regulation, Bri Swain, Kaelyn Obryan, Lauren Magat, Nik Gargiulo, Hailey Houck

Occupational Therapy Student Research

Description: A weighted vest is a vest that typically has 10% of a person’s body weight evenly distributed around the vest (Olson et al., 2004). A weighted vest can provide sensory input that is believed to alleviate dysregulation, inattentiveness, and stereotypic behaviors (Carter et al., 2009).

Goal: Our community group is specifically targeting children with sensory processing impairments who are attending speech therapy sessions at the RiteCare clinic. Sensory behaviors exhibited by the clients are most commonly shown through dysregulation, outbursts, inattentiveness, and hyperactivity. The goal is to limit these maladaptive behaviors and increase attention span during intervention sessions. Weighted …

Beyond Verbal: A Low-Cost Communication Tool To Address Language Barriers In A Community-Based Setting, Nikki Atis, Raman Dhillon, Victoria Maichel, Gabe Soto, Brenda Vergara

Occupational Therapy Student Research

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) are tools, technologies, and approaches used to provide ways other than speech to aid communication-related challenges (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, n.d.). A communication board is a low-tech AAC tool seen in various formats such as printed on a poster board or digital applications on electronic devices. It consists of rows and columns of squares with simple pictures and minimally-worded labels in the preferred language.

App-Licable Techology, Wynter Hale, Cierilyn Legaspi, Juan Garcia, Alex Zamora

Occupational Therapy Student Research

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has seen an increase in prevalence in the United States presenting in 1 in 59 children. ASD presents with an array of symptoms that impact various aspects of life including but not limited to, social interaction, attention, and behavioral modulation (Voss et al., 2019). Meristem is a transitional program for individuals ages 18-28 that prepares young adults on the transition of adulthood while coping with the various symptoms of ASD. At our fieldwork site, our collective mission has been to focus on sensory and mood self-regulation to improve the individual's independence during situations. Technology can play …

Insight Timer, Jocelyn Ong Najera, Joshua Mark Dano, Staphany Jimenez, Arthur Lui, Nancy Smith

Occupational Therapy Student Research

Mission Statement: To provide cost-effective avenues for tangible stress reduction and relief for low-income communities such as Wellspring.

Overview: Insight Timer is a mobile application that offers guided meditation to calm the mind, reduce anxiety, manage stress, sleep deeply, and improve happiness. While also offering calm music, courses, live events, and workshops in various languages. (Insight Network, Inc., n.d.)

Problem Statement: Individuals who face poverty experience mental challenges due to stressors caused by poverty due to insecurity and uncertainty about food, housing, and income. Low-income communities tend to have limited resources, poor housing, experience high crime rates, violence rate, and …

Point Of View Video Modeling For Improved Self Care Among Asd Population, Liana Mae Atizado, Cassey Dela Pena, Anali Flores, Jeffrey Garcia, Timothy Zeng

Occupational Therapy Student Research

Meristem is a program designed for young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that emphasizes teaching the necessary skills for students to live life independently with confidence. Through structured and semi-structured interviews with staff members and students, a need that was identified within this organization is to have a thorough and consistent personal hygiene regimen for their students. While Meristem is currently implementing standard personal hygiene care in their curriculum, the variability of students understanding and implementing personal hygiene education has become an obstacle within this organization. To address this need for individuals with ASD, Video Modeling (VM) can offer …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Treating Developmental Trauma In Appalachia, Carrie A. Williams

Occupational Therapy Research Projects

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate and determine the knowledge and education of occupational therapy practitioners who evaluate and treat developmental trauma in Appalachia and adjacent counties by answering the following research questions. 1.) What is the level of education, years of experience, and what formal diagnosis practitioners received on referrals? 2.) Are practitioners satisfied with resources to treat trauma histories? Do they participate in self-learning activities, and what disciplines do practitioners find in their self-learning education? 3.) What theoretical frameworks and assessment tools do practitioners utilize to develop treatment plans? 4.) What are the barriers to treatment when children …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Adult Critical Care In Ohio, Taylor Stanford, Otr/L

Occupational Therapy Research Projects

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers and supports in the delivery of OT services, identify current OT-specific protocols, and explore opinions on critical care certification and OT-specific ICU best practice guidelines.

Methods: A non-experimental descriptive data collection study with the use of an online survey. The secure survey link was embedded via email and sent to 10,000 Ohio occupational therapy practitioners. Inclusion criteria were licensed therapists (OTR and COTA) with past or current experience in adult critical care. The primary researcher developed survey questions focused on practitioners’ perspectives and personal experiences with critical care …

Development Of Professional Behaviors In Occupational Therapy Students: Program Design, Addie Burnham

Occupational Therapy Research Projects

Abstract

Many factors are considered when relating student preparedness to successful clinical experiences. This literature sought to identify the gaps and understand the graduate student experience concerning professional behaviors. Specific behaviors were identified and guidelines established by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (American Council for Occupational Therapy Education, 2020) were used to create a program to address professional behaviors of communication and professionalism. The created program incorporated hands-on learning experiences versus high or low-fidelity simulations to teach professional behaviors and promote self-awareness of the student. The information gained through this research has added to the body of knowledge …

Occupational Therapy's Role In Transition Planning For Students With Learning Differences And The Significance Of The Kawa Model, Rita Marzeena, Jazminne Orozco-Arteaga, Holly Reed

Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium, Fall 2022

This capstone project seeks to define the role of occupational therapy in supporting a high school to college and career transition program by providing occupation-based interventions for the unique needs of students in the classroom. Using the KAWA Model, the students begin on a journey of self-discovery to identify the individual supports, strengths and barriers that help them to understand the factors that influence their life. In this process, the KAWA Model attempts to merge the holistic approach that is common in the western themes of occupational therapy with the expectations and trajectory that is common of a secondary student …

Healthcare Students’ Experiences And Perceptions Of Education During Covid-19: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Kelsi J. Cox, Chandler J. Johnson, Megan E. Murphy, Keanna M. Schulz, Maria A. Turk, Jessica M. Wisniewski

Graduate Occupational Therapy Research and Projects

No abstract provided.

Work Performance And Participation Of Individuals During The Covid- 19 Pandemic: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Mckenzie Bohlig, Maggie Buechler, Kinsale Morrow, Sydney Sirek, Susan Strawhacker, Alison Tokkesdal, Hannah Zuengler

Graduate Occupational Therapy Research and Projects

No abstract provided.

Perspectives And Experiences Of Practitioners And Other Health Professionals During Covid-19: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Leah Eggan, Marissa Gilbertson, Kendall Harvey, Tara Kluz, Katherine Lake, Josie Marben, Sophia Ross, Jenna Ruff, Hannah Scherle

Graduate Occupational Therapy Research and Projects

No abstract provided.

Professional Perspectives On Bilingualism In Persons With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study, Rosa N. Benavidez Saldivar, Jessica R. Stewart, Ruth Crutchfield, Roy K. Chen, Lily Puente

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The present study examined the perspectives of professionals regarding bilingualism and ASD. Methods: A total of 27 professionals participated in this study. Data was collected via an online survey. The survey was designed based on a literature review and consultation with a team of experts in the field of ASD. Information relating to demographic information, professional practice information, and perspectives of bilingualism and ASD was collected. Results: Professionals participating in the present study were most likely to agree with the statement, “A child with ASD from a bilingual household is able to understand both languages” and least likely to …