Education Commons^™

Health Promotion And Wellness Strategies And Self-Regulation Interventions For Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Graduates Preparing For The Nbcot Exam, Marcia Hamilton

Occupational Therapy Collection

New graduates of Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) Programs are challenged with the preparation and successful completion of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) examination. The threat of not passing this exam is intensified due to the cost of the exam and lack of provisional licensing. Anecdotal experience of faculty in an OTA Program supports concern for new graduates as they report feelings of distress and anxiety, as they enter the one- to two-month period prior to the exam. An occupational role shift must occur during this transitional period, as the new graduates …

What Influences School-Based Occupational Therapists’ Decision-Making? A Qualitative Study, Cynthia Helen Clough

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Occupational therapists in school-based practice make daily service delivery decisions about when, where, and how to provide interventions to children with disabilities. The services provided by these occupational therapists have the potential to support or limit a child’s access to general education curriculum and environments which, in turn, impacts vocational, financial, social, and community life outcomes. Service delivery decisions about pulling children out of classrooms, pushing services into classrooms, and / or providing consultation are made based on the ways therapists define and differentiate their role from that of other school personnel, how they interpret Individual Education Plans for …

An Exploratory Study On The Teaching Of Evidence-Based Decision Making, Erica Baarends, Marcel Van Der Klink, Aliki Thomas

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: There is no clear guideline on how to teach students evidence-based decision making (EBDM), so this study aimed to assess the impact of an educational intervention on students’ EBDM skills.

Methods: This was an explorative mixed-method study of 12 undergraduate occupational therapy students and their teacher. The teaching was aimed at increasing self-efficacy and cognitive skills in EBDM. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather the students’ perceived learning benefits. Before and after the intervention, a self-efficacy questionnaire, a critical thinking test, and scored generic cognitive skills in an argument were used as measures of learning achievements. Content …

Employing Service Learning To Promote Student Self-Efficacy In Occupational Therapy Education, Erin E. Schwier

Student Dissertations

A study was conducted to evaluate student participation in a community-based service learning experience offered in the Masters of Occupational Therapy (OT) Program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) to identify how students’ perceptions of their self-efficacy change after they participate in a service-learning experience. A mixed methods case study approach was used to evaluate student’s perceptions of self efficacy and identify characteristics of the service learning experience that contribute to improved perceived self-efficacy. A paired samples t test was conducted to compare student confidence levels before and after participation in the service learning project. The …

Exploring The Activity Of Daily Living Of Sexual Activity: A Survey In Occupational Therapy Education, Helene L. Lohman, Alexandra Kobrin, Wen-Pin Chang

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This study aimed to query occupational therapy educators in professional programs in the United States about the amount of time spent addressing sexual activity and the type and depth of education related to sexual activity. The study aims to inform educators about how sexual activity is taught. A cross-sectional survey research design was used with both closed- and open-ended questions. A total of 51 educators participated. An average of 3.5 hr was spent teaching sexual activity. Many of the participants were comfortable teaching sexual activity. However, some reported that sexual activity was often an overlooked topic in occupational therapy curriculum …

The Reciprocal Relationship Between Art And Occupational Therapy Practice, Jennifer Fortuna

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Susan Burwash, Ph.D., OTR/L, an occupational therapy professor and artist based in Washington State, provided the cover art for the Winter 2017 issue of the Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT). The featured piece contains Professor Burwash’s signature fauxpals, lampwork glass beads made from molten glass and pure silver foil. Art creates balance between traditional medicine and personal medicine, those meaningful activities that give life purpose. Professor Burwash’s personal medicine is making beautiful things that can be given away.

Role Emerging Placements In Undergraduate Occupational Therapy Training: A Case Study, Martin Fitzgerald, Abigail Kate Smith, Nazman Rehman, Michelle Taylor

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Role-emerging placements in occupational therapy training are contributing to professional and workforce development because of their strong occupational focus and placement of students in emerging practice. This manuscript explores how one role-emerging placement challenged and developed student theoretical and clinical skills, presented new ways of working at the recipient site, and enhanced service delivery. Methods: The background to role-emerging placements in occupational therapy is explored through the use of a case study which reflects on and analyses how the assessment and treatment of occupation enhanced service delivery at a local, non-traditional site. Eight students in England developed and …

Combining Online Education With International Service Learning To Increase Cultural Competence, Elaine Keane, Ingrid Provident

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

PURPOSE: Although international service learning has the capacity to promote a variety of important professional behaviors, merely visiting another country does not automatically result in these benefits. METHODS: This article describes an evidenced-based course which used pre-trip preparation in combination with a nine day service learning trip to Ecuador to develop cultural competence among 6 occupational and 6 physical therapy students. Pre-trip preparation included online and in-person components to increase self-awareness, awareness of other cultures, knowledge about Ecuadorian culture and skill-building. On-site activities included exploration of the physical and social context in addition to providing occupational and physical therapy treatment …

The Effectiveness Of Occupational Therapist Guided Remediation Through Handwriting Home Programs, Cindy W. Poole

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

There is extensive research on the evolution of handwriting instruction, programs, the neuromotor components, the complexity of performance, and the long term effects of both adequate and inferior performance to occupational performance. The research supports occupational therapy intervention as effective for remediation of poor handwriting. With occupational therapy services limited to only those who receive special education services in schools, supplemental handwriting instruction and remediation responsibilities fall to the teachers and parents. This also creates a large unserved segment of children who struggle under traditional instructional approaches. Parents and teachers have instructional support needs related to current evidence based practice …

The Effectiveness Of Occupational Therapist Guided Remediation Through Handwriting Home Programs, Cindy W. Poole Mrs.

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Objective: The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of an occupational therapist guided, parent-taught home handwriting instruction program for alphabet letter mastery and as a potential school system service delivery model.

Methods: Sixteen teacher referred students participated in this two-group pre-test posttest design using the Test of Handwriting Skills-R and parent survey data to determine summer remediation program effectiveness.

Results: Parent survey support correlated to statistically significant intervention group THS-R mean change standard scores in alphabet letter formation from pre-test (M = 89.57, SD = 12.12) to posttest (M =101.4, SD = 10.39), t …

Social Participation In Schools: Developing The Role Of Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Kelly L. Leigers

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

The aim of this dissertation is to build the repertoire of occupational therapy practitioners so that they are better prepared in the provision of services addressing social participation of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Students with disabilities in general education classrooms tend to have greater difficulty establishing and maintaining friendships (Wight & Chapparo, 2008), have fewer reciprocated friendships (Kemp & Carter, 2002), and lower stability in relationships than peers without disabilities. Furthermore, studies indicate that students with disabilities are less social accepted (Ekornas, Heimann, Tjus, Heyerdahl, & Lundervold, 2011) and are more isolated (Nadeau & Tessier, 2006). …