Digital Commons Network^™

Interdisciplinary Collaboration Between Occupational Therapy And Dentistry For Autistic Patients And Sensory Processing Differences, Mallory Fox

Capstone Projects

Dental care is the most frequently cited unmet healthcare need for children with special needs (Cermak et al., 2015). Given the increased research linking oral health to overall health, it is important to ensure that dental care is accessible to all individuals. Oral hygiene and health management are both occupations included in the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (4th ed). Combined with the unique training of an occupational therapist in sensory processing and environmental adaptations, the profession of occupational therapy has an important role in addressing the availability of dental care for those with disabilities.

The aim of my doctoral capstone …

Outdoor Community Based Rehabilitation Program Development, Dylan Pritel

Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone paper is to promote Outdoor Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) as an adjunctive therapeutic approach to traditional treatment for rehabilitation professionals working in outpatient settings. The primary objective of this project was to create a comprehensive program proposal for an Outdoor CBR program for patients receiving outpatient services at Oroville Hospital. It included creating program activities, a patient referral process, identifying possible community partners, locating applicable grants, determining program staffing, as well as creating a workable budget, which included overall activity costs, staffing costs, equipment costs and reimbursement procedures. (See appendix A and B) The program …

Advocating For Occupational Therapy At The Systemic Level, Alyssa Schwartz

Capstone Projects

The future of occupational therapy, a commonly misunderstood and underutilized profession, is largely influenced by advocacy at the systemic level. The following capstone project was completed at the American Occupational Therapy Association with the federal advocacy department. The capstone site mentor, Abe Saffer, is a lobbyist who mainly works on workforce, mental health, and school-based occupational therapy issues. Throughout this project, the capstone student advocated for occupational therapy and those that occupational therapy serves through legislation, networking, and by facilitating the development of OTP advocates. Additionally, the student acquired skills to continue to advocate for herself, the clients she works …

Occupational Therapy In A Daytime Homeless Shelter Setting, Ruth Erin Garcia

Capstone Projects

Occupational therapy (OT) is an allied health profession that works with individuals on improving their engagement and performance in meaningful occupations. This doctoral capstone project (DCE) was completed at Ministry with Community (MwC), a daytime shelter and resource center. There is emerging but limited literature regarding the role of OT working within a homeless shelter setting. Additionally, individuals experiencing homelessness are at risk for occupational injustice, or restriction to engagement in meaningful life activities.

The primary goal of this DCE was to improve engagement in meaningful occupations. The focus was program development with a secondary focus on advocacy. The objectives …

Inclusive/Exclusive, Sophia Shettler

Capstone Projects

Throughout history, inclusivity and exclusivity were both common in all areas of society. Inclusive civilizations like Mesopotamia laid the groundwork for an inclusive society where women and men were nearly equal, getting to own land, file for divorce, and own their own businesses¹. However, the societies within Mesopotamia soon broke off into smaller communities¹, the previous equality dwindled as civilizations formed across the world. As time went on, inclusion was revived. In the United States specifically, slavery was abolished², women were granted the right to vote³, same-sex marriage was legalized4, and so …

Addressing Sensory Processing And Mental Health Needs In The Middle School Setting, Kate Bergsma

Capstone Projects

Rooted in policy and program development, this occupational therapy doctoral capstone experience focused on addressing sensory processing and mental health needs at Grand Rapids Christian Middle School (GRCMS). With a significant proportion of students suffering from sensory processing difficulties and mental health concerns, the field of occupational therapy is distinctly equipped to address both needs within the context of school (Nielsen at al., 2021, Mental health for adolescents, n.d.). Occupational therapy’s background and expert training in both sensory processing as well as mental health needs proved vital the completion of this capstone. An intensive literature review was conducted to guide …

Therapeutic Gardening For Older Adults At A Community-Based Day Center: A Doctoral Capstone Experience, Anna Serbantez

Capstone Projects

As we age, it is common for individuals to participate in less meaningful and purposeful occupations due to cognitive and physical declines. Research has shown that gardening is a popular leisure activity that offers many therapeutic benefits. This capstone project involved creating an evidence-based therapeutic gardening program for older adults at Care Resources. This community-based day center offers many activities and opportunities for participants to get involved with; however, after completing a needs assessment, it was clear that participants could benefit from more hands on and productive activities that help encourage regular attendance to the day center. The objectives of …

Occupational Therapy's Role In Serving Individuals With Social, Emotional, And Cognitive Deficits At Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center, Molly Ireland

Capstone Projects

This capstone aimed to gain experience and knowledge in developing evidence-based materials that positively affect the programming at the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center. Within occupational therapy (OT), Equine-Based Therapy (EBT) has demonstrated positive outcomes for improving participation in meaningful occupations. However, based on a needs assessment with the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center, a demonstrated increased need for outreach and enhanced mental health programming for trauma-related populations was evident. Therefore, the objectives to meet their needs were to develop a sustainable evidenced-based program utilizing EBT for individuals with trauma and provide input for their evaluation process and therapeutic riding classes within …

Occupational Therapy's Role In Increasing Client Engagement In Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programming With A Community-Based Interdisciplinary Team, Jennifer Tornga

Capstone Projects

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) remains a prevalent problem in the United States despite consistent efforts by National, State, and local entities to improve access to treatment services. Even though attendance of treatment services is understood to be important for progress towards recovery goal attainment for those with SUD, limited study has been done to understand how SUD itself negatively impacts a person’s ability to engage in treatment meaningfully and consistently. This project was designed to explore and understand barriers to attendance of and engagement in SUD treatment stemming from executive functioning deficits commonly connected to SUD. An Occupation-based approach was …

Exploring The Use Of Cultural Values In The Evaluation Of Programs With Native American Tribes, Karen Lynn Alexander

Dissertations

This dissertation is a qualitative study that explores the importance of including cultural values in evaluation and whether this would lead to an increase in utilization of evaluation results. It was first wondered whether Native American values are included when evaluations are completed for Indigenous Tribes. A review of evaluations revealed that evaluations in the published literature are including general Native American values, although a document review alone was found to be insufficient as a method to capture the nuances related to value expression. It is suggested that more research is needed in the area of metaevaluation to include culturally …

A Critical Analysis Of Discrepancies In Behavioral Health Program Ratings By Evidence-Based Practice Registers For Behavioral Health, Miranda Jade Lee-Easton

Dissertations

Decision makers in the behavioral health disciplines are under increasing pressure to identify and implement evidence-based practices (EBPs). These decision makers often do not have the time or expertise to assess primary studies of program efficacy or effectiveness. They could benefit from tools to assist them in identifying and implementing EBPs. One tool is an evidence-based practice register (EBPR). Prior studies have documented that when multiple EBPRs rate a given program, they may come to seemingly conflicting program ratings. The prior research concerning the reason for these conflicts is sparse. The purpose of the present study is to understand how …

Teaching And Assessing Cornhole As A Leisure Activity For Young Adults With Developmental Disabilities, Katarina Rotta

Dissertations

Leisure has long been identified as a crucial component of a healthy lifestyle. One population that displays extremely low levels of leisure activity is people with developmental disabilities, which is concerning because previous research has identified a positive correlation between leisure activity and quality of life among such individuals. The purpose of the present project was to teach and assess cornhole as a leisure activity for seven young adults with developmental disabilities. Study 1 assessed points scored with four versions of cornhole and preference for those versions. Study 2 evaluated a procedure intended to teach participants to keep score. A …

Anti-Woman Invective On The Early Modern Stage: Abuse, Degradation, And Resistance, Savannah Xaver

Dissertations

On the early modern stage, gendered epithets like “strumpet,” “mermaid,” “minx,” “hobby horse,” “courtesan,” “drab,” and “whore” are not just markers of misogyny. Instead, these insults harm the male user as well as their female target. My cross-playwright and cross-genre connections show the complex, wide use and impact of anti-woman terms. A wide-ranging study of the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries reveals that gendered insults signify masculine mental decline in tragedies as well as comedies and tragicomedies. In tragedy, the increasingly violent language of male slur users – like, for example, the frustrated Othello, who declares, of his wife, …

Interventions To Improve Teacher Self-Efficacy Beliefs About Writing And Writing Instruction: Lessons Learned And Areas For Exploration, Jadelyn Abbott, Tracey Hodges, Sherry Dismuke, Katherine Landau Wright, Claire Schweiker

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

The present study explores the findings of a systematic literature review of research about teachers’ self-efficacy for writing and writing instruction to demystify what is known and what remains unknown. We analyzed the pool of research on self-efficacy for writing and writing instruction from January 1992 to August 2020. Our final inclusion of articles resulted in 22 articles that examine teacher self-efficacy for writing and writing instruction while meeting our standards of examining changes in self-efficacy. We examined how shifts in self-efficacy are measured, specific interventions that increase teachers’ self-efficacy for writing and writing instruction as well as interventions that …

Creating Communities Of Practice Focused On Writing Instruction, Katie Schrodt, Brandi Nunnery, Brian Kissel, Melissa Knapp

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

This article will share the literacy coaches' experiences of engaging in a literacy community of practice (Lave and Wenger, 1991). It will share the writing cohort process, topics discussed, books read, professional developments enacted, and materials generated during their time of study. The writing cohort enacted meaning and identity to the community to create learning and growth. Effective communities of practice promote innovation, spread knowledge, develop social capital, and facilitate existing knowledge (Lave and Wenger, 1991). These communities learn and grow through requesting information, problem solving, and reusing available assets. After a thorough description of the writing community and its …

“I Think Writing Is…” A Multi-State Study Of Teacher Candidates’ Changing Beliefs About Writing, Jenn Raskauskas, Sonia M. Kline, Amanda Wall, Grace Y. Kang, Chinwe H. Ikpeze, Joy Myers, Roya Q. Scales, Linda D. Smetana, Kelly Tracy

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

While writing scholarship framed by sociocultural theory illuminates the complexity of writing, writing in schools is frequently presented in simplistic ways. For this to change, teacher educators must support future teachers to develop complex understandings of writing. The purpose of this multi-state study was to investigate teacher candidates’ changing beliefs about writing and to consider the implications for teacher preparation. Data sources were written responses from 113 teacher candidates to questions about good writing and the purposes of writing that were collected at the beginning and end of semester-long literacy courses in six institutions across the United States. The responses …

Partnering Pre-Service Teachers With First-Grade Writers: An Exploration Of Giving Effective Feedback, Kelly N. Tracy, Lydia J. Foust

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Feedback is a critical component of teaching and learning (Black & William, 1998; Hattie, 2009). Thus, it is essential for pre-service teachers to have a clear understanding of how to give effective feedback, including on student writing. This article describes a collaborative partnership project between a first-grade teacher and a teacher educator focused on giving students feedback on their writing. Using the online tool Flipgrid, the project brought together 15 first graders and 27 pre-service teachers enrolled in a writing methods course in an effort to offer on-going feedback to the first graders as they were in the process of …

Our Voices: Getting To Know Autism, Katherine Rasberry

Honors Theses

This study was done in effort to understand the thoughts and feelings of autistic adults relative to life transitions and resources available. We surveyed key stakeholders; specifically autistic students, but also family/caregivers of adults. Six surveys were created, each based upon different themes: camouflaging, life transitions, managing mental health, overstimulation, social communication, and family and caregiver perceptions. Our surveys were marketed on Western Michigan University’s campus and through social media and are still ongoing. Trends in the data, however, suggest that overall autistics have concerns about how their disabilities impact life in or shortly after college. Many respondents expressed they …

Our Voices: Getting To Know Autism - Creating An Informative Website For Autistic College Students, Ashley Wagner

Honors Theses

This study was done in effort to understand the thoughts and feelings of autistic adults relative to life transitions and resources available. We surveyed key stakeholders; specifically autistic students, but also family/caregivers of adults. Six surveys were created, each based upon different themes: camouflaging, life transitions, managing mental health, overstimulation, social communication, and family and caregiver perceptions. Our surveys were marketed on Western Michigan University’s campus and through social media and are still ongoing. Trends in the data, however, suggest that overall autistics have concerns about how their disabilities impact life in or shortly after college. Many respondents expressed they …

Lou Rizzolo: Art Installations Of East Hall And The Sky, University Libraries

East Campus Oral Histories

WMU Professor Emeritus of Art Lou Rizzolo speaks with Cassie Kotrch via FaceTime about his time at WMU first as a student and then as a professor and artist. Lou discusses two writings he prepared. The first details his first day on East Campus and a seemingly impossible mission. The second details some of the major works of his time as a professor, especially one series of works around the study of the brain that was in the East Hall gym.

Marilyn Lapekas: All The Old Books Of Her Time At Western, University Libraries

East Campus Oral Histories

WMU Alum Marilyn Lapekas sits with Cassie Kotrch at Heritage Hall to go over the many textbooks and yearbooks she collected over her time at Western as well as the stories and memories she has of those two years and how they affected her life moving forward.

Cliff Pelloni: The King At Burger King, University Libraries

East Campus Oral Histories

WMU Alum Cliff Pelloni meets virtually via Google Meet with Cassie Kotrch to discuss his time on East Campus as a student at Western. He also describes the time he won Homecoming King.

April Nachtigal, Sledding And Views From Prospect Hill, University Libraries

East Campus Oral Histories

WMU alum April Nachtigal meets with Cassie Kotrch virtually to share some stories and memories from her time as a psych student on East Campus.

Renaissance Man Steve "Mongo" Kaniuga And The Architecture Of East Campus, University Libraries

East Campus Oral Histories

WMU Alum Steve "Mongo" Kaniuga shares memories and stories of his time as a student on East Campus over a phone call with Cassie Kotrch.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session January 26, 2023, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Acceptance of the Agenda
Approval of the Minutes (December 15, 2022 Meeting)
Remarks by the Chair
Remarks by the President
Updates by the Faculty Senate Vice President
Updates by the Western Student Association President
Updates by the Graduate Student Association President
WMU Athletics’ Pursuit of Comprehensive Excellence: The Strategic Plan for Athletics
Western Michigan University Employee Graduates
Public Comments Regarding Action Items

Action Items

• 2023 Western Michigan University Board of Trustee Officer Election
• Delegated Authority to Confer Degrees

Consent Items

• Curriculum Proposals
• Personnel Report

General Public Comments

Job Demands Of Occupational Therapy Clinical Placements: A Descriptive Study Using The Practicum Demands Measure©, Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia, Donna Barker, Jill Stier, Joyce Lo

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The purpose of this study was to group and analyze the Practicum Demands Measure^© (PDM) data collected over 2 academic years and create a general profile of demands across practicum settings. The data will be used to guide faculty in the most suitable placement of students requiring accommodations for a disability. The study used a secondary analysis design to analyze the 538 participant PDM data collected over the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 academic years. Most of the sampled students were in fieldwork Level I and worked in mental health settings. The students reported physical demands, such as lifting more …

Implementation Of A Human Trafficking Educational Module For College Students: Pre/Post Design, Kristen Hill, Patti T. Calk, Erin Bradley, Ross E. Hunt, Maria C. Lauer, Danielle R. Lee, Casi E. Martin, Christy M. Stillwell

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This research study aimed to implement an educational module and to determine the effectiveness of that module on increasing the awareness of human trafficking and risk factors for incoming freshman students at a medium-size, Southern university from September 2021 through November 2021. Two hundred students consented and participated in the study by completing the pretest and posttest to indicate their knowledge of human trafficking before and after being presented an online educational module. The pre and posttest included 10 questions with 24 possible responses. An average of 12.34 correct responses were provided on the pretest and 19.13 were correct responses …

A Narrative Review Of Student Evaluations Of Teaching In Decolonial Praxis: Implications For Occupational Therapy Higher Education, Fatima Hendricks, Michaele Singleton, Asia Clark, Marina Mishin, Marissa Epps

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Student evaluations of teaching (SETs) are the primary source for evaluating teaching effectiveness and are used for deciding tenure and promotion. However, as efforts to engage in a decolonial critique of higher education amplify, the use of SETs in teaching and learning requires scrutiny. A narrative review was used to address the research question of SET biases in decolonial praxis and what insights may be useful for OT decolonial praxis. We identify and describe two content areas: (a) SET biases and (b) recommendations for alternatives promoting OT decolonial praxis. A total of 92 articles were sourced from five databases. Of …

A Scoping Review Of Occupation-Based Interventions For Women With Breast Cancer, Whitney Lucas Molitor, Erika Clark, Brittney Moser

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Globally, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer. Women diagnosed with breast cancer often experience physical and psychosocial changes influencing occupational participation and quality of life. Limited evidence exists that reports outcomes of occupation-based occupational therapy interventions for women with breast cancer.

Method: In this scoping review, we map occupation-based occupational therapy interventions conducted by occupational therapy professionals for women undergoing rehabilitation for breast cancer. The Joanna Briggs Institute Guidelines provided a structure for the review.

Results: Six articles met the inclusion criteria. Interventions included health management, leisure, and social participation occupations.

Conclusion: Occupational …

Rest And Sleep Patterns And Activities Of Residents In Long-Term Care Facilities: A Descriptive Study, Pei-Fen Chang, Kai-Lai Tsai, Clarissa Richard, Harriett A. Davidson, Gayle Hersch

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background:To facilitate healthy occupational participation and highlight the significance of rest and sleep for older adults, this study aimed to provide a description of rest and sleep patterns and activities of residents in long-term care facilities (LTCFs).

Method: Secondary analysis of rest and sleep data collected from a funded R21 study was conducted. Twenty-nine residents were interviewed using the Yesterday Interview (YI) to describe their time and daily activities, including rest and sleep patterns and activities.

Results: Average time spent sleeping was 10.22 (±1.77) hr and resting was 4.77 (±3.3) hr. Data were also collected on …