Digital Commons Network^™

Integrative Sensory Room For General Education And Special Education 3rd-5th, Julia Henderson

Capstone Projects

Everyone has a unique sensory system that continues to change and adapt throughout their lifespan. In an 8-hour school day, children take in so much information with very little consideration of how their sensory systems may be reacting in response to varying environments and social situations. The gap within the school system remains to be seen as a lack of understanding of sensory systems and how they affect children’s learning capabilities. The objective throughout my capstone experience was to support Greyhound Intermediate School by creating a sensory room for both special education and general education students. This was done by …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Transition Programs For High School Students With Disabilities, Kara Hutchison

Capstone Projects

Students with disabilities frequently experience a gap in services as they grow older and after exiting the public education system. During school, students have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) to support their education, but once they graduate, the services they were receiving expire. Occupational therapy is under- utilized in transition planning for students after graduating high school and entering adulthood. The purpose of this DCE was program development and advocacy with the Project SEARCH transition program while exploring the role of occupational therapy has in transition planning for high school students with disabilities. The goal of this project was to improve …

The Integration Of Occupational Therapy In Transition Programs To Improve Outcomes For Students, Morgan Jagiela

Capstone Projects

Numerous studies exist depicting the benefit and efficacy of an occupational therapy (OT) presence within post-secondary transition programs. Both transition programs and occupational therapists aim to help students with disabilities improve independent living skills, vocational skills, and social/communication skills, so they may live functional adult lives with as few supports as possible. Despite this success and the overlap in scope, OT is rarely found in transition programs. The purpose of this doctoral capstone experience (DCE) was to develop a program that would implement occupational therapy into the Empower U transition program. Through the creation and completion of objectives, success and …

Friends At Work: Creating A Peer-To-Peer Program For Individuals With Disabilities In The Workplace, Claire Johnson

Capstone Projects

Students with disabilities face social isolation, loneliness, mental health conditions, and unemployment rates at a disproportionately high rate compared to their typically developing peers (Choiseul-Praslin et al., 2019). Peer support programs and transition to work organizations have the ability to combat these factors. The following Doctoral Capstone Experience depicts the development and implementation of a peer-to-peer program within a transition to work program to increase social participation amongst transitional students with disabilities. The program was implemented at Project SEARCH at Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital. Additionally, this project attempts to quantitatively qualify the effectiveness of the Project SEARCH program in …

Occupational Therapy Health & Wellness Promotion For Adults Living With Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities, Sydni Rodriguez

Capstone Projects

Based on educational principles and program development, this occupational therapy doctoral capstone experience (DCE) was centered on addressing the health and wellness needs of adults living with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) at Self-Help Alternative Living Opportunities Michigan (SHALOM), a Christian non-profit organization. Research has shown that adults living with I/DD have an increased chance of having health complications related to health disparities when compared to the general population of adults. Occupational therapists have a profound role in health and wellness as it relates to access and engagement in daily occupations. This DCE was accomplished through development of a recurrent monthly walking …

Grant Funding For Non-Profit Organizations And Community Focused Entrepreneurship, Tyler Turnquist

Capstone Projects

The primary objective of this Capstone project was centered around developing grant writing skills and the ways it aids both nonprofits and small businesses to promote increased opportunities within the community. One facet of this project focused on researching and writing grants for the nonprofit, Renew Mobility to increase their operation budget, as well as creating a central database of their funding sources. This database fills the need for better organization of deadlines, interactions, and documents that can reduce the number of missed grant opportunities and increase overall funding. The second objective of this capstone was writing a grant for, …

Occupational Therapy's Role In Post-Secondary Transition Programing For Young Adults With Disabilities, Mallory Rubley

Capstone Projects

Post-secondary transition programs for young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) are designed to support young adults with IDD in areas of independent living, academics, relationships, financial management, health and safety, and employment. All of which are within the scope of occupational therapy (OT). Within the limited post-secondary transition programs that exist for these young adults, OT is rarely included as a provided service, creating an unintentional disadvantage to the students and clients. The purpose of this Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) was program development and advocacy for the role of occupational therapy within Ready for Life (RFL), a post-secondary …

Implementation Of A Life Skills Program With Houseless Youth, Stephanie Velasco

Capstone Projects

The goal of my capstone project was to use occupational therapy knowledge and processes to integrate life skills training into a pre-existing program of services at a not-for-profit organization that helps youth overcome being houseless on Oahu, Hawaii. Occupational therapy as a profession helps individuals to engage in everyday meaningful activities as independently as possible. The scope of occupational therapy includes education and practice of life skills. Life skills are practical abilities and behaviors that allow individuals to effectively meet the demands and challenges of everyday life. Examples of these are knowledge of food and nutrition, meal preparation, home cleanliness …

Recollection-Based Occupational Therapy: An Activities Program For Catholic Dominican Sisters With Dementia, Alyssa J. Visockis

Capstone Projects

Recollection-based occupational therapy is a nonpharmacological approach to dementia, involving five categories of activities: horticultural, physical, art, musical, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). The purpose of this approach is to incorporate memories of a person’s childhood, adulthood, and older adulthood before dementia in activities. Furthermore, the Grand Rapids Catholic Dominican sisters at Aquinata Hall needed a method to gather psychosocial history on their residents as well as new activity programming on the dementia- care unit that had meaningful purpose. Therefore, during this capstone experience, a psychosocial history assessment was created and conducted with the sisters. Using the results …

Support Group Development And Implementation For Parents With Disabilities, Jessica Zydorczyk

Capstone Projects

The focus of this capstone project was to develop a peer-to-peer support group open to any parent or caregiver with a disability navigating the challenges of pregnancy and parenthood. Occupational therapy can have a large impact on the population of individuals parenting with a disability with increased awareness and understanding of their needs. Friendship, community, resource access, and awareness were all needs addressed with the development of the parent support group. The objectives set to be achieved during the 14-week experience included conducting extensive research on the disabled parenting experiences of day-to-day life, developing of handouts and resource collection on …

Implementation Of A Bilingual Feeding Program For Hispanic Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sarah Aguilar

Capstone Projects

Feeding is an important occupation that contributes to a child’s physical, emotional, and social development and is also influenced by cultural and environmental factors, (Korth & Maune, 2020). In individuals with developmental delays, specifically autism spectrum disorder (ASD), feeding difficulties have been reported in as many as 75% of children (Nygren et al., 2021). These difficulties often result in increased feelings of anxiety experienced by the child and caregiver. Limited information exists on the impact of these on minority populations, such as Spanish speaking families that face many challenges when accessing healthcare services like language and cultural barriers. Similarly, group …

Expanding Menstrual Health And Hygiene Management At Western Michigan University, Kaitlyn R. Brady

Capstone Projects

Menstrual health and hygiene are vital yet often overlooked components of women’s well-being with implications for academic success, physical health, and social equity. This capstone project, conducted with Western Michigan University’s Broncos. Period program, aimed to address the critical issue of period poverty and inadequate menstrual hygiene management on campus. Through comprehensive needs assessments, key gaps and opportunities were identified. Objectives were created based on results from the needs assessments and implemented to secure grant funding for menstrual products, establish formal partnerships, and develop educational materials. As a result of the objectives, the project secured funding to restock partner locations, …

Implementing The Positive Approach To Care® Methods As An Effective Training Curriculum For Staff At An Adult Day Center, Delaney Acri

Capstone Projects

Dementia, a neurodegenerative disorder affecting multiple brain regions, significantly disrupts daily life (Feurich, 2023). Occupational therapists, guided by the Occupational Therapy and Performance Framework (OTPF-4), address cognitive and functional challenges in individuals with dementia (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2020). Therapists employ compensatory strategies to enhance quality of life of people with dementia, as well as their family caregivers. Adult day centers serve as valuable resources for family caregivers, offering respite care during working hours. Despite regulations in most states, Michigan lacks specific dementia training laws in some healthcare settings (Burke & Orlowski, 2015). As a result, many facilities that serve …

The Effects Of Customized Art-Based Interventions On The Quality Of Life Of Older Adults With Early-Stage Dementia, Kalei Hubert-Mclennan

Capstone Projects

Occupational therapy (OT) was founded during the Arts and Crafts and Moral Treatment Movement to assist veterans in acclimating to their communities after discharge. While arts and crafts were initially a large part of OT, after the paradigm shift to the medical model in the 1960s, art was replaced by technology and removed from the OT curriculum and ACOTE standards. As OT continued to grow as a profession, art shifted from being part of the psychodynamic approach to being utilized to gather information and foster relationships. While art is an activity that can span across ages, there is a lack …

A Descriptive Study: Capability For Change In Older Adult Falls Prevention Using An Intelligent And Intuitive Online Learning Platform At A Medical Care Facility, Emily N. Makowski

Capstone Projects

Older adult falls are among the most common, fatal, and costly incidents in the United States, yet they are preventable. The literature related to falls prevention education for the older adult population is vast, but evidence of effective falls prevention educational tools for indirect and direct care providers is scant. Occupational therapists collaborate with several disciplines every day and it is important for the team to work together to prevent adverse events. There is limited evidence of training delivered to an interdisciplinary team via an intelligent and intuitive online behavior change learning platform. This paper captures the impact of the …

Incorporation Of Animal Assisted Therapy Into Occupational Therapy Interventions For Pediatric Clients In An Outpatient Setting, Jamie Markus

Capstone Projects

Animal assisted therapy (AAT) is an emerging field that can be used to compliment traditional occupational therapy (OT). This project particularly focused on pediatric clients receiving services in an outpatient clinic. Animal assisted occupational therapy (AAOT) can be used to improve physical, social, and emotional health through the incorporation of a certified therapy dog. OT clients actively participate in a unique and individualized intervention with the therapy dog that is designed to meet their specific goals. The purpose of this project was to further develop the Therapy Dog Clinic at Unified Clinics and to expand services to community-based organizations including …

Connections Over Compliance: A Toolkit To Create A Pathway To Success For Teachers, Paraprofessionals, And Students, Mary Kate Nelson

Capstone Projects

This Doctoral Capstone Experience focuses on the development of a comprehensive toolkit tailored specifically for early childhood professionals, including teachers and paraprofessionals. The aim of this toolkit is to provide effective support to students facing various challenges both within and beyond the classroom environment. It encompasses a diverse range of meticulously curated resources and educational materials with occupational therapy principles in mind designed to address critical areas of concern. This toolkit explores sensory processing disorders and equips early childhood professionals with essential knowledge and strategies to support their students. By facilitating ways to create a sensory-friendly environment and supporting the …

Therapeutic Recreation And Adaptive Ice Skating For Individuals With Disabilities, Anna Tamburrino

Capstone Projects

This 14-week doctoral capstone experience (DCE) was completed at Warren Special Recreation Association (WSRA) and Rising Stars Adaptive Skating program, with the focus of program development, education, and leadership. The primary goal of this capstone was to develop an adaptive ice-skating program at WSRA in collaboration with the Rising Stars Adaptive skating program. Further objectives during the capstone experience included the development and provision of training resources for both sites related to the skating program, as well as supplemental trainings for WSRA specific programs. I provided education and training resources to staff and volunteers to promote the distinct value of …

Impact Of Trauma On Development: Creating Training Materials For Effective Trauma Evaluations, Jessica M. Englerth

Capstone Projects

This 14-week capstone project had an education focus under ACOTE standards. This project was completed at Western Michigan University’s Resiliency Center which is part of the Unified Clinics. The focus of this capstone project was to educate new and current staff and students on the administration of trauma evaluations in pediatric and adolescent populations as well as the impact of trauma on development. The purpose of this project was to develop training materials detailing how to administer different assessments that may be used in a trauma assessment including the PDMS-3, the Occupational Regulation Questionnaire, the QNST-3, the BAYLEY-III, the Sensory …

Cityscapes And Classrooms, Sheridan Britney

Capstone Projects

This analysis explores the complex interplay between Detroit’s infrastructure development, the city’s education system, and their correlation with the historical phenomena of urban sprawl. The city of Detroit has witnessed significant demographic shifts over the decades, driven by factors such as racial tension, socioeconomic disparities, and changing urban landscapes.

The expansion and evolution of Detroit’s roadways has been central to this transformation, which have shaped both physical and social aspects of the city. This study delves into how these transportation networks have contributed to, and in some cases exacerbated, disparities in educational opportunities, access, and quality within the city. It …

Enhancing Pre-Vocational Programs For High School Students With Disabilities: The Impact Of Occupational Therapy And Support Staff Education, Maria Calzada

Capstone Projects

Pre-vocational programs in high school serve as a crucial platform for supporting students in the transition from education to the workplace. These programs provide classroom instruction, hands-on training, and practical experiences to maximize students’ vocational skills post-high school. Pre-vocational programs provide a crucial platform for the development of IADL skills, task analysis, and the promotion of occupational engagement among diverse populations. The purpose of this DCE was program development within the pre-vocational program and provide additional education for the support staff at the high school setting. The goal was to improve vocational skills, including problem solving, self-advocacy, sequencing, and sustained …

Integrating Sport’S Vision Training Into Vision Therapy: The Role Of Occupational Therapy, Emily M. Beaird

Capstone Projects

Sports vision training (SVT) is a specialized area of vision therapy focused on enhancing an athlete's visual skills for peak athletic performance. Vision training is vital for athletes because “athletic performance can be one of the most rigorous activities for the visual system” (Khanal, 2015) and is responsible for upward of 80% of the sensory input received during an athletic performance. However, it is often overlooked in traditional training regimens. Focusing on advanced clinical practice and program development, an unmet need for SVT at Origami Rehabilitation was achieved. The main goal was to create an SVT program that catered to …

Evaluating Sensory Processing And Functional Outcomes Of Children Participating In A Therapeutic Horseback Riding Read And Ride Program: A Single-Subject Research Study, Samantha Dunleavy-Shotsberger

Capstone Projects

Therapeutic horseback riding (TR) can be beneficial to various populations, such as individuals with disabilities, trauma, behavioral problems, anxiety, developmental delay, depression, and learning challenges. However, individuals come with a variety of complex needs and diagnoses, therefore more research is needed to determine how TR impacts the individual. Specifically, there is a lack of understanding of how the individual’s behavior, learning, and sensory processing is affected by TR intervention. Therefore, this study examined the effects of TR on childhood sensory processing and at-risk academic occupational performance in reading as it relates to behavior and attention. A single subject ABA design …

Promoting And Sustaining An Adaptive Sports Program On A College Campus Through Outreach And Resource Developmen, Morgan E. Otero

Capstone Projects

Participation in physical activity is essential for an individual’s health and well-being. However, persons with disabilities have limited access to physical activity due to personal, environmental, institutional, and/or social barriers. This limited access increases a disabled individual’s likelihood of developing secondary health conditions, decreased mental health outcomes, and feelings of social isolation. To combat this, it is important that these individuals have equitable access to and knowledge of adaptive physical activity opportunities such as adaptive sport, recreation, and fitness. To address this need, this capstone project focused on promoting and sustaining an existing adaptive sports and recreation program through the …

Pediatric Developmental Milestones And Surveillance; Understanding Pediatrician, Ot, Slp, Bcba, And Respective Pre-Professionals’ Current Knowledge, Roles, And Confidence, Gabrielle A. Jones

Capstone Projects

Limited literature exists on developmental surveillance, particularly occupational therapist’s role, and clinicians’ current knowledge and understanding of the CDC milestones. A pilot study was conducted to better understand the current knowledge, role, and confidence of primary care pediatricians, Speech and Language Pathologists, Board Certified Behavior Analysts, Occupational Therapists and respective pre-professionals regarding utilization of updated CDC developmental milestones and developmental surveillance. My objectives involved gaining knowledge and collaborating to create, administer, collect data, and analyze data using an anonymous survey. This also included collaborating to create, edit, and submit an HSIRB application. Results of this study provide supporting evidence that …

Wild Wheels: Meaningful Art Program Designed For Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Alexis Bailey-Lauchie

Capstone Projects

The Wild Wheels program was designed to offer adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) an opportunity to engage in meaningful and purposeful art-based activities. The aim supports the distinctive value of occupational therapy (OT) defined as enhancing the health and quality of life (QOL) of individuals by promoting participation and engagement in meaningful daily activities. Typically, for individuals with IDD options for meaningful engagement are limited due to various physical/mental limitations and increased need for assistance. The Center for Disability Services (CDS) at Western Michigan University (WMU) introduced the Wild Wheels program to enable participants to create unique artwork …

Combating Social Isolation Among Older Adults Through Intergenerational Relationships With Children; Facilitating Meaningful Connection During Intergenerational Interactions By Improving Sensory Environment And Increasing Engagement During Group Activities, Lillian John

Capstone Projects

The following capstone project focused on the enhancement of meaningful engagement among all participants of an intergenerational care center. The interventions implemented within the intergenerational program were put in place to facilitate communication, improve behavioral regulation, modify sensory environment, create the just right challenge for group activities, and increase independence to promote meaningful engagement and social connection. The implementation of the interventions was completed through on-site education to the employees, the creation of various educational binders to support the participants individually, and adjustments to the environment and group activities. This capstones projects’ primary goal was to improve the efficacy of …

Development Of Carf Accreditation Requirements For A Vocational Rehabilitation Program For Individuals Independently Living With Post-Traumatic Brain Injury, Samantha Kowalczyk

Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was to assist a vocational rehabilitation program at Community Connections in Sterling Heights, Michigan with developing requirements for CARF Accreditation for individuals independently living with post-traumatic brain injury. This work program site is unique in the fact it is primarily run by Occupational Therapists and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants. Achieving CARF Accreditation, which stands for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, demonstrates that standards are being met and provides greater satisfaction and the possibility for reimbursement and funding for a program. The overall aim was to assist in the development of the primary materials …

Designed Memories: How Can The Built Environment Affect Memories, Jared Schneider

Capstone Projects

Memories have served as a fundamental conduit for transmitting history across generations, whether shared around a dining room table or by the flickering flames of a campfire. These memories serve as our bridge to the past, offering invaluable lessons from prior experiences. The process through which information is transformed into lasting memories is known as encoding.

Encoding, in essence, relies on our sensory faculties, encompassing taste, smell, touch, vision, and hearing. These senses enable us to capture and preserve information within the intricate framework of our brains. An exploration of the individual strengths and weaknesses inherent in each sensory modality …

Current To Best Practice: An Approach To Establishing A Clearinghouse, Alycia Sterenberg Mahon

Dissertations

Clearinghouses provide a central location for evaluating and synthesizing studies to inform practice and policy. Many stakeholders rely on these clearinghouses to make evidence-based decisions for practice and research. This investigation aims to develop and evaluate a sequence of methods that fields/disciplines can use to establish a clearinghouse. Specifically, this research provides a roadmap to form a clearinghouse for music therapy (MT) intervention-based research. This work consists of three individual research studies. Each study addresses a component of how the field of MT, through a clearinghouse, can provide a solution for disseminating evidence-based practices. Study 1 provides a framework to …