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A Working Taxonomy For Describing The Sensory Differences Of Autism, Jason L He, Zachary J Williams, Ashley Harris, Helen Powell, Roseann C. Schaaf, Teresa Tavassoli, Nicolaas A J Puts

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

Background: Individuals on the autism spectrum have been long described to process sensory information differently than neurotypical individuals. While much effort has been leveraged towards characterizing and investigating the neurobiology underlying the sensory differences of autism, there has been a notable lack of consistency in the terms being used to describe the nature of those differences.

Main body: We argue that inconsistent and interchangeable terminology-use when describing the sensory differences of autism has become problematic beyond mere pedantry and inconvenience. We begin by highlighting popular terms that are currently being used to describe the sensory differences of autism (e.g. "sensitivity", …

Nashville Dolphins Volunteer Training Development, Caitlin Barnickel

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed through a partnership with Nashville Dolphins. The Nashville Dolphins offer free swim lessons and swim team programs for children and adults with disabilities. They serve over 300 participants each season and the programs are entirely run by volunteers. The focus of this project was to identify current needs and develop more volunteer training resources. These resources incorporate; sensory processing strategies, behavior management techniques, visual schedule information, communication strategies, description of specific water properties, skill development tips, equipment recommendations, and general tips for teaching children with disabilities. Volunteers were provided with a resource guide and …

Building Resilience Through Pregnancy Utilizing Tools From Occupational Therapy And Yoga, Rachel Brown

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed through a partnership with Nurture Nashville, a local yoga and movement studio focused on promoting wellness and connection for pregnant and postpartum people throughout their journey in motherhood. The primary focus of this project was developing resources to promote resilience during the perinatal period by utilizing tools from both occupational therapy and yoga practice. Outcomes included the synthesis of research into a resilience toolkit, the creation and implementation of a 5-week yoga and sharing circle curriculum, and the re-establishment of a community-centered studio event titled “Meet the Doulas.”

The Impact Of Social Emotional Learning In Pre-Kindergarten Classrooms, Kendall C. Jackson

OTD Capstone Projects

The Impact of Social emotional learning supports in early childhood education. First Steps Inc. is both an outpatient clinic and childcare facility for children with and without special needs and medical conditions. This capstone project attempts to bridge the gap between the therapy team and education team by creating therapeutic supports to help implement and teach social emotional learning in the classroom.

Nashville Dolphins Program Development, Laura Graves

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed through a partnership with Nashville Dolphins. The Nashville Dolphins offer free swim lessons and swim team programs for children and adults with disabilities. The organization serves over 300 swimmers each season and the programs are entirely run by volunteers. The focus of this project was to develop programming resources to enhance the services offered by the Nashville Dolphins. Deliverables provided to the organization include an 8-week swim curriculum, color level guides, stroke checklists, and an equipment activity guide.

Spatial Characteristics Of Reactive Stepping Among People Living With Chronic Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury, Matthew G Heffernan, Jae Woung Lee, Katherine Chan, Janelle Unger, Susan Marzolini, Timothy N Welsh, Kei Masani, Kristin E Musselman

Physical Therapy Publications

Objective: Compare the spatial characteristics of reactive stepping between individuals with chronic motor incomplete spinal cord injuries (iSCI) and able-bodied (AB) individuals.

Design: Cross sectional.

Setting: Lyndhurst Centre.

Participants: Twelve individuals with iSCI (3 males, 53.6 ± 15.2 years old) and 11 age- and sex-matched AB individuals (3 males, 54.8 ± 14.0 years old).

Interventions: The Lean-and-Release test was used to elicit reactive stepping. A horizontal cable, attached at waist height, was released when 8-12% body weight was supported in a forward lean position. Participants underwent up to 10 Lean-and-Release trials in a session. Kinematic and …

Week 13: Promoting Occupational Balance During Trauma Healing Journey Post-Program Participation, Rachel Hicks

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed in a partnership with REBOOT Recovery, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting trauma healing through participation in faith-based, peer-led courses. The purpose of this project was to provide program participants with additional content to promote improved occupational performance as they continue into the next phase of the healing journey after completing the original 12-week courses. The project was given the title “Week 13” within the organization to illustrate its role in guiding members’ next steps in trauma healing. Content areas included rebuilding healthy routines, reclaiming restful sleep, conflict resolution in personal relationships, education on …

Nashville Dolphins Program Development, Laura Graves

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed through a partnership with Nashville Dolphins. The Nashville Dolphins offer free swim lessons and swim team programs for children and adults with disabilities. The organization serves over 300 swimmers each season and the programs are entirely run by volunteers. The focus of this project was to develop programming resources to enhance the services offered by the Nashville Dolphins. Deliverables provided to the organization include an 8-week swim curriculum, color level guides, stroke checklists, and an equipment activity guide.

Life Skills Guide For Supported Recovery For Individuals With Mental Health Conditions & Their Support Systems, Natalie Metzger

OTD Capstone Projects

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Davidson County provides educational courses, support groups, and advocacy for individuals with mental health conditions and their support systems. This semester long project included advocacy for occupational therapy’s role in the mental health community, involvement in legislative events, and creation of a comprehensive recovery life skills guide for individuals who have been discharged from psychiatric hospitals. Specifically, this guide assisted them in directed recovery within the home and increased their participation in foundational skills.

Program Development Through Therapeutic Camps, Bayleigh B. Powers

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed through partnership with Wonderlight Therapy, a mobile pediatric therapy clinic offering speech and occupational therapy in Nashville, TN. The focus of this project was to develop and expand sustainable & inclusive community programming to serve the greater Nashville area. Throughout this project, 9 new & inclusive community programs (camps) were created, planned, and some implemented to children Wonderlight serves. Additionally, the creation of a sponsorship/scholarship program was implemented, offering local businesses the chance to support inclusive camps in their community.

Using The Instrumented Sway System (Isway) To Identify And Compare Balance Domain Deficits In People With Multiple Sclerosis, Patrick G. Monaghan, Andrew S. Monaghan, Andrew Hooyman, Brett W. Fling, Jessie M. Huisinga, Daniel S. Peterson

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Objective
To develop a multiple sclerosis (MS)-specific model of balance and examine differences between (1) MS and neurotypical controls and (2) people with MS (PwMS) with (MS-F) and without a fall history (MS-NF).

Design and Setting
A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Gait and Balance Laboratory at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Balance was measured from the instrumented sway system (ISway) assessment.

Participants
In total, 118 people with relapsing-remitting MS (MS-F=39; MS-NF=79) and 46 age-matched neurotypical controls.

Intervention
Not applicable.

Outcome Measures
A total of 22 sway measures obtained from the ISway were entered into an exploratory factor …

Integrating Occupational Therapy In An Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Program (Ipse) At Auburn University - Eagles, Tori Jean

OTD Capstone Projects

This capstone project focuses on incorporating occupational therapy in an inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) program at Auburn University. The Education to Accomplish Growth in Life Experiences for Success (EAGLES) program is an IPSE program at Auburn University for young adults with intellectual disabilities. This capstone project identifies how an occupational therapist can assist with wellness, independent living, social skills, and emotional regulation skills in IPSE programs.

Enhancing Otd Clinical Studies Course Curriculum, Katherine J. Rauch

OTD Capstone Projects

This capstone project aimed to build upon the foundation of the Belmont School of Occupational Therapy clinical studies course curriculum. Project goals included conducting surveys of current students regarding their opinions of the courses for preparing fieldwork readiness skills, creating and piloting learning activities, and informing current faculty about best practices for teaching clinical reasoning skills. This project culminated with the production of an educational handout summarizing current literature regarding teaching professional reasoning skills, multiple learning activities implemented in lectures, and data synthesis of surveys conducted.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercises In Patients With Covid-19: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Abubeker Alebachew Seid, Ahmed Adem Mohammed, Aragaw Asfaw Hasen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Patients with COVID-19 will experience high levels of anxiety and depression and poor levels of sleep and quality of life (QoL) due to isolation treatment and uncertain outcomes. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) exercises show promising treatment effects on mental health and sleep problems and overall QoL in COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PMR exercises in patients with COVID-19.

METHODS: Both experimental and non-experimental studies related to PMR and COVID-19 were systematically searched in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, PEDro and HINARI databases for studies published from the occurrence of the pandemic to December …

Does Training With A Simulation Stethoscope Facilitate The Acquisition Of Cardiopulmonary Knowledge And Confidence In Doctor Of Physical Therapy Students, Archana Vatwani, Melissa Morris, Cheryl J. Hill, Alicia Fernandez-Fernandez

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not training with a computerized stethoscope could impact Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) student cardiopulmonary assessment knowledge and confidence. Methods: Eighty-seven (87) DPT students in years 2 (DPT2s, n=39) and 3 (DPT3s, n=48) participated after previously completing a cardiopulmonary course. All subjects took a baseline test and confidence survey for cardiopulmonary skills. Two weeks later, DPT2s attended a 1-hour lab session with simulation stethoscopes and did a post-test and survey. Test scores and confidence data were compared within DPT2s, and for DPT2s vs DPT3s. Results: After training, DPT2 …

Building A Brighter Future: Developing Function Out Of Dysfunction, Adrian Ewald

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed in partnership with REBOOT Recovery, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing trauma healing through faith-based, peer-led courses. The purpose of this project was to develop content to supplement the existing 12-week courses that emphasized participation in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and life roles. The project was titled “Week 13” within the organization, which consisted of content areas of emotional regulation, education on access to clinical care for mental health needs, financial management, social relationships, and decision-making skills. Content within these areas included reflective questions, calls-to-action, and fillable worksheet templates. Additional content was …

Center For Courageous Kids Volunteer Training Resources And “Through Our Eyes” Video, Megan M. Cusick

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone was completed through a partnership with the Center for Courageous Kids in Scottsville, KY. Center for Courageous Kids is a fully accessible medical camp that provides children with serious illnesses and medical complexities the opportunity to participate in camp. They run weekend family retreats during the spring and fall, and independent camps during the summer. The goals of this project were completed in two parts. Part 1: To create a video to play during family camp weekend retreats to reach potential campers for independent summer camp. The video portrays what summer camp is all about through the …

Perspectives Of Fieldwork Educators: The Relationship Between Emotional Competence And Occupational Therapy Level Ii Fieldwork Success, Kathleen Hughes-Butcher

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

Emotional competence encompasses multiple skills and attributes that are essential to success of occupational therapy level II fieldwork. Learning more about the relationship between emotional competence and level II fieldwork success holds implications for occupational therapy students, academic programs, fieldwork educators and recipients of occupational therapy services. The Emotional Competence Theory of Mikolajczak (2009) guided the conceptual foundation of this study. This qualitative study, using a phenomenological approach, explored the relationship between emotional competence and level II fieldwork success from the perspective of fieldwork educators. Purposeful sampling was utilized to recruit the three occupational therapists who serve as fieldwork educators …

Evaluation Of Concussion Assessment Tools For Collegiate Athletes, Jacqueline D. Villanueva Arevalo, Emily R. Brown

Student Scholar Showcase

BACKGROUND: Due to the increase in sports-related concussions in the United States, there is a rising concern about concussion assessments in collegiate athletes with regard to long term vestibular ocular motor dysfunction and post-concussion syndrome.

PURPOSE: Due to varying practices in concussion diagnosis, this systematic review analyzed three concussion diagnostic instruments, The King Devick, Screening Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT-5), and Vestibular Oculomotor Screening Tool (VOMS), to determine the most appropriate instrument(s) for reducing vestibular ocular-motor dysfunction and post-concussion symptoms in collegiate athletes.

METHODS: Nested Knowledge was used to identify articles from PubMed, Europe Pubmed Central, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases. Key search …

Developing Group Protocols In An Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting, Madison Quan

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed through a partnership with Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital (VSRH) in Nashville, TN. The focus of this project was the development and implementation of various protocols to be used in group therapy sessions in an inpatient rehabilitation setting. The project sought to provide guidelines for treating a variety of conditions in a group setting and promote individualized patient care. The process for project completion included a thorough review of current literature and available resources at VSRH to guide the creation of multiple evidence-based protocols. This process also included collaboration with the therapy staff to ensure …

The Impact Of Gamma Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (Tacs) On Cognitive And Memory Processes In Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment Or Alzheimer’S Disease: A Literature Review, N.R. Nissim, D.V.H. Pham, T. Poddar, E. Blutt, R.H. Hamilton

Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Papers

BACKGROUND: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)-a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that modulates cortical oscillations through entrainment-has been demonstrated to alter oscillatory activity and enhance cognition in healthy adults. TACS is being explored as a tool to improve cognition and memory in patient populations with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

OBJECTIVE: To review the growing body of literature and current findings obtained from the application of tACS in patients with MCI or AD, highlighting the effects of gamma tACS on brain function, memory, and cognition. Evidence on the use of brain stimulation in animal models of AD is …

Occupational Therapies Role In Inpatient Obstetrics, Emily Bryant-Wimp

OTD Capstone Projects

The purpose of this doctoral capstone was to create an occupational therapy maternal Health intervention guide. However, due to the novelty of this emerging practice area in OT, there is currently limited evidence about the needs of mothers and the interventions OTs might provide to meet their needs during the perinatal period. Therefore a research study was conducted to better understand the perceptions of birthing people with recent hosptial birth in Nashville, TN. Using the research data combined with the current literature, the IGNITE NICU course, practicing clinicians, and testimonials from birthing people an intervention resource for occupational therapists was …

Relationship Between Cognitive Performance, Physical Activity, And Socio-Demographic/Individual Characteristics Among Aging Americans, Imtiaz Masfique Dowllah, Juan Carlos Lopez-Alvarenga, Gladys Maestre, Ulku S. Karabulut, Michael Lehker, Murat Karabulut

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Physical activity (PA) has emerged as a promising approach to delay Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, but the optimal intensity of PA to improve cognitive health remains unknown.

Objective: To evaluate the association between duration and intensity of PA and cognitive domains (executive function, processing speed, and memory) in aging Americans.

Methods: Linear regressions in hierarchical blocks for variable adjustment and the size of effect (η2) were analyzed by using the data of 2,377 adults (age = 69.3±6.7 years) from the NHANES 2011–2014.

Results: Participants with 3–6 h/week of vigorous- and > 1 h/week of moderate-intensity PA scored significantly higher …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Addressing Sensory Needs And Fine Motor Development Through Teacher Training, Kennedy M. Morgan

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone was completed through a partnership with The Early Learning Center at Middle Tennessee Christian School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. MTCS provides a faith-based, college preparatory education for students in grades PK3 – 12. High academic standards, a Christian-centered environment, and opportunities for creative and social development help our students become well-rounded, self-disciplined, responsible individuals who make good life choices and contribute to the growth and development of their family, church, and community. One of the primary foci of this project was to create a handbook to introduce the topic of The Zones of Regulation. Another primary focus of …

The Effectiveness Of The Six Minute Walk Test For Tracking Progress In Patients With Post-Covid Condition: A Case Report, Jason Angellano, Alexander M. Ferreira, Colleen Mcgonagle, Yurong Ren, Michael Tran

Case Report Papers

Background and Purpose Post-COVID Condition (PCC) is defined as the presence of symptoms related to SARS-CoV-2 four weeks past the initial infection. The SARS-CoV-2 virus impacts many organs and body systems. The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a standardized measure of cardiovascular endurance commonly used in physical therapy practice. Use of the 6MWT has been studied in specific patient populations (e.g., geriatrics, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder). The purpose of this case report is to discuss the utility of the 6MWT as a measure of walking capacity in individuals with PCC.

Case Description The patient was a …

Modification Of The Comfortable Cafeteria Program To Foster The Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities, Abigail Barnette

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

The purpose of this capstone was to design and implement a modified lunch program that fits the distinct needs of students with low-incidence disabilities within Cleveland Metropolitan School District. The final product included modified lesson plans and materials that will guide future implementations.

How Programing And The Enviorment Impact Occupation Participation With Individuals Living On A Secured Unit, Courtney Gast

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

This Capstone was completed at Crestmont North in Lakewood. Modifications to the enviorment and activities program increased purpose and meaningful participation for older adult residents 55 years and older living within a secured unit. A written guide was developed for the activities staff with resources to enhance the care of older adults

Occupational Therapy For Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Clarice Aquila

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

This capstone was completed at Cleveland State University as a point of outreach to various organizations in Northeast Ohio to determine the gaps in services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Occupational therapy services within this population have been promoted to various organizations.

Sensory Map Of Local Zoo: A Capstone Project, Felicity Elsaesser

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

This capstone was conducted at the Cleveland Zoo in partnership with Cleveland State University. An accessible map was created to allow individuals with sensory sensitivities to enjoy this large, outdoor space. The final outcome was an increase in the accessibility and inclusivity at the zoo.

Assessment Tool For Pet Ownership In The Older Adult Population (Poat), Eva Petrik

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

Having a pet can be a meaningful occupation that promotes healthy aging. Many older adults may have difficulty taking care of pets. This capstone focused on the development of an assessment tool to evaluate the challenges of pet ownership for older adults and identify supports needed to maintain pet ownership.