Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Cooper Neurological Institute, Kayla Cupano

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

A Farewell To Ears: Hearing The Call And Answering, Ann Marie Brown

Student Journal of Occupational Therapy

A semi-humorous autobiographical account of one first-year MSOT student trying to do their part to support the local healthcare community and its clients during the time of COVID-19 and self-quarantine.

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Addressing Sexuality And Intimacy For Individuals With Progressive Neuromuscular Disorders, Lindsay N. Richards

Student Capstone Papers

Individuals with progressive neuromuscular disorders (PND); specifically, Parkinson’s disease (PD), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Huntington’s Disease (HD), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) often face physical, psychological, and social challenges related to sex and intimacy. Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners are experts in activity analysis and are equipped with unique knowledge of performance skills and client factors to address deficits in occupational performance.

Though there is literature presenting the effects of PND on sexual occupations, a gap exists as it relates to qualitative data from the perspective of the individual and their partners. A mixed-methods survey was conducted examining the lived experience of …

The Risk Factors And Preventive Measures Regarding Fall-Related Injuries At Home Among Older Adults: A Literature Review, Alexarae A. Deer, Carlyn Ellison, Linda R. Struckmeyer

Student Journal of Occupational Therapy

The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors, among older adults, that play a role in causing fall-related injuries in the home as well as to investigate the various preventive measures via a literature review. 14 articles were identified to have met the inclusion/exclusion criteria for this review. The results showed that there were potentially modifiable risk factors (for example, musculoskeletal factors like balance and gait impairment), several available preventive measures (for example, home modifications and medication review), and effective multifactorial programs in preventing falls among older adults. This study also sought to locate gaps in the …

Striving For Consistency Among Change And Uncertainty: A Year Of Interprofessional Student Hotspotting, Tracey Earland, Phd, Otr/L, Megan Hershman, Ms, Samantha Burke, Otd

Collaborative Healthcare: Interprofessional Practice, Education and Evaluation (JCIPE)

In Student Hotspotting, interprofessional teams provide hands-on, individualized interventions to patients with high healthcare utilization to address underlying social determinants of health (such as education, economic stability, or neighborhood safety), promote interprofessional collaboration, and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions for patients with complex health and social needs.

Meet An Ipe Student Champion From Thomas Jefferson University, Umara Iftikhar

Collaborative Healthcare: Interprofessional Practice, Education and Evaluation (JCIPE)

For the past year and a half, I have been a graduate assistant (GA) for JCIPE and have had the opportunity to work on various projects.

The Development Of A Multiple Errands Test For Pre/Post Concussive Testing On A College Campus: The University Multiple Errands Test - Lessons Learned, Regula H. Robnett, Kathleen Hahn, Tetee Roland

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

The Multiple Errands Test (MET) is an occupation-based assessment tool, used to determine if someone who has sustained an acquired brain injury can successfully complete everyday errands, such as purchasing items at a gift shop, mailing a letter, and determining what hours a store is open. The MET has been used successfully in a hospital setting. Due to the MET’s ecological validity, we sought to determine if an adapted MET (revised for a college campus setting) would be an appropriate alternative to the ImPACT, an often-required, on-line pre and post-concussion neuropsychological assessment for high school and college athletes. Students may …

Program Evaluation Exploring Effectiveness Of Experiential Learning Activities On Transition To Practice In An Occupational Therapy Educational Program, Kari M. Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods program evaluation sought to determine the current curriculum’s overall effectiveness in relation to student readiness for fieldwork. The use of teaching practices in this occupational therapy curriculum was evaluated to determine if they support a successful transition to professional practice. Qualitative data was collected through semistructured interviews to ascertain student satisfaction with the educational program, student readiness for fieldwork, and the student perception of the educational program’s mission. Semistructured interviews were also used to gain insight from fieldwork educators regarding student readiness for practice and the effect of the program mission on student performance. Quantitative data was …

Creating A New Normal Through Engagement In Meaningful Occupation, Jennifer K. Fortuna Phd, Otr/L

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Katie Edick, an occupational therapist and artist based in Portland, Michigan, provided the cover art for the Winter 2021 edition of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT). “Katie Bird” is a 4” x 6” watercolor painting. After receiving a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer (MBC), Katie set out to find a new purpose and leave a legacy. She made the decision to live with intention and choose life experiences that create joy. Through engagement in meaningful occupations, such as painting and patient advocacy, Katie is creating a new normal.

Bridging The Gap: Three Strategies To Optimize Professional Relationships With Generation Y And Z, Elizabeth D. Deiuliis, Emily Saylor

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Millennials (Generation Y) and the Generation Z population comprise the majority of occupational therapy student cohorts and new graduates entering the workforce. While fieldwork education has historically prepared students for generalist, entry-level practice, there is still a gap between what students versus employers feel are career-ready skills and qualities to be successful in the workforce. This manuscript presents evidenced-based strategies for educators, occupational therapists, and managers to enhance the preparation and professional development of occupational therapy students and new graduates. Use of coaching philosophies, emphasizing practice-ready skills, and a growth mindset are methods to target the strengths of Generations Y …

Perspectives On The Professional Communication Profile And Needs Of Emerging Occupational Therapists Of The Millennial Generation: A Comparison Study, Ryan E. Whitney, Margaret L. Morris, Jessica Harney

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Millennials, born between 1982­ and 2000, became the largest share of the American workforce in 2015. As of 2014, 23.9% of American occupational therapists were under the age of 30. Positive traits ascribed to millennials include: highly educated, ambitious, confident, and optimistic. However, indicators of challenges for managing millennials emerge from media and anecdotal evidence, including stereotypes of disloyalty, entitlement, dependency, and casualness. Relevant for supporting professional development is a call to understand and enhance professional communication.

Method: This study analyzed how emerging millennial occupational therapists self-describe their professional communication profile and needs, compared to the perspective …

Autoethnographies Of Reading As An Occupation, Catherine Candler, Randa Mikeska, Kendall Lacy, Nancy Elliott, Audrey Huddleston

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The conceptualization of reading as an occupation is an emerging area, and guides for occupational focus in reading intervention are incompletely formed. We explored our own experiences with reading and awareness of reading as a personal occupation for perspectives to inform our practice.

Methods: We used autoethnography to capture our five separate experiences. These experiences were analyzed collectively for themes using the lens of occupation as framed by the model of occupational adaptation.

Results: Across our experiences, occupational patterns, products, and meaning were identified. Themes in patterns of reading highlighted the challenges of the academic setting …

Social Participation In College Students With Chronic Pain, Karen Mccarthy, Megan Chamberlain, Megan Chinn, Jennifer Pineda, Camille Santiago, Jamie Spitzer, Patricia Tran

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: College students with invisible disabilities, including chronic pain, often experience difficulty engaging in social occupations, both on and off campus, because of stigma, misconceptions, or social exclusion. Previous research has examined the use of academic accommodations to address these concerns or focused on the physical barriers to participation, failing to address the psychosocial and holistic impact of pain. Chronic pain can affect a variety of occupations, including social participation, which is a significant occupation for college students. This research explores the lived experience of chronic pain for college students and the impact of pain on social participation from …

Home And Parent Training Strategies For Pediatric Feeding Disorders: The Caregivers’ Perspective, K. Megan Carpenter, Mindy Garfinkel

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Twenty to 45% of the general pediatric population experience feeding problems. When children with disabilities exhibit feeding problems, they are more likely to develop maladaptive mealtime behaviors that may lead to poor nutrition. Home training to help treat a child’s feeding delay or disorder is a vital component of feeding treatment and supports holistic, family-centered treatment models. It is important for occupational therapists working with this population to understand the impact of these behaviors on individual and family functioning.

Method: This quantitative study examined caregivers’ perspectives of the training families receive to support their child’s feeding delay …

Inter-Rater Reliability Of Goal Attainment Scaling With Children With Sensory Processing Disorder, Teresa A. May-Benson, Sarah A. Schoen, Alison Teasdale, Jane Koomar

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) is advocated as a meaningful outcome measure for parents and clinicians using an Ayres Sensory Integration^® Intervention (ASI) approach. Although used in several treatment effectiveness studies, reliability of therapist goal writing and scoring has not been established in this area.

Method: Ten occupational therapists and 40 parents of children receiving ASI participated across two clinical sites. The interview therapists and inter-rater therapists wrote GAS goals based on the same goal-setting interviews conducted with parents. Follow-up parent interviews were conducted post-ASI intervention, and the GAS goals were rated by both the interview therapists …

Weighted Blankets And Sleep Quality In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Single-Subject Design, Bryan M. Gee, Victoria Scharp, Amy Williams

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Purpose: The purpose of the single-subject study was to explore the possible relationship between weighted blanket applications and sleep quality in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and behavioral manifestations of sensory processing deficits.

Method: Two 4-year-old participants diagnosed with ASD who also experienced sleep disturbances took part in a single-subject design study. Objective sleep measures and caregiver surveys were tracked for a baseline period of 7 days followed by a 14-day weighted blanket intervention and a 7-day withdrawal phase.

Results: Caregiver reports and objective data were evaluated using visual analysis and the percentage of non-overlapping data …

Validation Of An Arabic Translation Of The Functioning Everyday With A Wheelchair Self-Report Tool: A Pilot Study, Hassan I. Sarsak

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The Functioning Everyday with a Wheelchair (FEW) tool is a self-report questionnaire developed to measure consumers’ perceptions of how the features of their wheeled mobility and seating device support their ability to carry out their daily functions and routines independently, safely, and efficiently.

Method: A committee of three bilingual qualified occupational therapists translated the English version into Arabic, which was verified by back translation. The final versions were administered with 26 bilingual English-Arabic speakers. The subjects were randomly assigned to answer either the English or Arabic version of the FEW questionnaire first, followed by answering the FEW …

Exploring Voice Hearers’ Occupational Experience Of Romantic And Sexual Relationships, Karen Mccarthy, Kristen Gottheil, Emilio Villavicencio, Huilim Jeong

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Limited research has been conducted that explores the occupational experience of hearing voices, including the impact it has on romantic and/or sexual relationships. This study aims to address this gap by capturing the experience of romantic and sexual relationships for those who hear voices.

Method: A phenomenological approach was used to gather data from a survey, electronic diaries, and interviews of three voice hearers who were interested or actively in a casual or serious relationship.

Results: All of the participants reported that the voices in some way impacted their past or current romantic and sexual relationships. …

A Cost-Effective Analysis Of 3d Printing Applications In Occupational Therapy Practice, Megan Hunzeker, Rebecca Ozelie

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Emerging research supports 3D printing can provide customizable, low-cost, and replicable items for application in occupational therapy, but more research is necessary to inform occupational therapists on why and how 3D printing would be applicable and feasible in practice.

Method: This study is a cost-effective analysis aimed to identify practical considerations of a selection of 3D printed items in comparison to commercially available items. Ten items of adaptive equipment were downloaded from open-sourced 3D printing design websites and printed. The estimated cost of material was calculated and each print time was recorded. Items with comparable design and …

Content Validity Of The Occupational Therapy Anticipatory Awareness Test: A Functional Cognitive Assessment For Adults With Neurological Conditions, Danielle J. Mahoney, Lenin Grajo, Glen Gillen

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The development of assessments that measure functional skills is a priority in the profession. Anticipatory awareness (i.e., the ability to anticipate the difficulties that might be experienced in daily life situations) is a critical skill in occupational performance. There is a lack of assessments measuring anticipatory awareness. The Occupational Therapy Anticipatory Awareness Test (OTAAT) is a performance-based assessment tool developed for individuals with neurological conditions. This study aimed to determine the tool’s content validity.

Methods: We recruited five experts to review whether the test items are essential for assessment and calculated the Content Validity Ratio (CVR). Open-ended …