Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Children Impacted By Deployment: An Occupational Therapist's View, Lisa Mitteness, Angela Thielen

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The number of children impacted by deployment is a growing area of concern for healthcare providers. This scholarly project explored the impact of deployment on families and children during the phases of deployment. An extensive review of literature revealed a lack of practice-related information for occupational therapists working with children impacted by deployment.

The project is an educational workshop addressing the affects of deployment on children and practice guidelines for occupational therapists. The occupational therapy model for practice utilized is the Person-Environment-Occupational Model; the family centered approach supports application of the model. The workshop topics include: (a) impacts of deployment, …

On The Go: Sensory Kit Manuals For Families Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sarah Dahlhauser, Holly Frolek

Occupational Therapy Capstones

In the past 10 years the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has increased to 1 in every 150 children (Case-Smith & Arbesman, 2008). According to Greenspan and Wieder (1997), 95% of these children diagnosed with ASD experience sensory modulation problems. Having a child with ASD can have a significant impact on family dynamics during the first years post-diagnosis. The findings of a qualitative study by Werner Degrace (2004) suggest that family life revolves around the preoccupation with the child’s behaviors. The findings further indicate that social and leisure involvement are sacrificed to manage the child’s behaviors at the cost …

Evidence-Based Intervention For Sleep Disturbance In Healthy Elderly Individuals, Sarah Gregory, Heather Hoffman

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Elderly individuals have a predisposition to experiencing sleep disorder, yet many remain untreated. Consequences of untreated sleep disturbance may result in decreased cognitive functioning, lowered perceived quality of life, and loss of independence. A literature review describes the definition of sleep, consequences of sleep disorder, sleep disturbance in the elderly population, intervention efficacy, principles of gerogogy, and the role of occupational therapy in sleep intervention.

The scholarly project presents a manual designed for use with well-elderly populations and intended to be guided and/or distributed by occupational therapists. The manual is entitled “Take Control of Your Sleep: An Occupational Therapy Manual …

Life Skills: An After School Program For Children With Down Syndrome, Allison Hendrickson, Kayla Korynta

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Parents of a child born with Down syndrome often have concerns about their child’s education, ability to live independently outside of the home, gain employment and have a means to support themselves, and their participation in social events within the community. Concerns also arise when parents are unsure about what professional will address these issues and help support their child in development. Occupational therapy is a unique discipline that offers a number of services to children with disabilities in the school system. These services begin at the age of 3 and continue until the child graduates or turns 21 and …

The Role Of The Occupational Therapist In Adolescent Substance Intervention, Cassandra Leach, Kori Le Blanc

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The current occupational therapy literature has limited information regarding the use of occupational therapy interventions for substance abuse specific to the adolescent population. Adolescents between the ages of 12 to 17 years have increased their engagement in illicit drug use from 9.3% in 2008 to 10% in 2009 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009). In regards to alcohol use, in 2009, approximately 10.4 million persons (27%) ages 12-20 years reported drinking alcohol within the last month (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009). According to Martin, Bliven, and Boisvert, (2008) substance abuse addictions significantly impact the person’s …

A Lifestyle Modification Program For Community Dwelling Adults With Obesity, Ashlee M. Lee, Julie A. Stolt

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Obesity is significantly rising among adults in the United States. The Center for Disease Control (CDC, 2009e), estimates that obesity increased by 15% to 32.9% within a 20 year span (1985 – 2008). Clinical obesity is defined as having a BMI 30 and over; it is correlated with secondary complications that include hypertension, type II diabetes, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular diseases, cancers, cerebral vascular accidents, sleep apnea, and respiratory illnesses (CDC, 2009d; World Health Organization [WHO], 2009). Beyond the many health consequences caused by obesity, there are also psychosocial, genetic, and discriminatory aspects of this disease that negatively impact the quality of …

The Experience Of Retirement For Individuals With An Intellectual Disability, Megan Flowers

Theses : Honours

Retirement is a significant life transition that affects all workers; it is therefore important that individuals in the workforce are aware of the issues that can occur during the retirement years. The retirement experience has been researched in depth, however studies into the experience of retirement for individuals with an intellectual disability is severely lacking. Robert Atchley researched the factors that facilitate successful retirement adjustment for individuals in the normative population; this narrative review discusses these factors in relation to the barriers that individuals with an intellectual disability face in achieving a smooth retirement adjustment. The results found that: individuals …

Heart Transplant Rehabilitation: An Occupational Therapy Program, Amos Hartsell, Kirsten Slominski

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop a comprehensive rehabilitation program following the acute inpatient stay after heart transplantation. This project can be applied in community based and in home rehabilitation settings.

Methods: A literature review was conducted using the SCOPUS and Pub Med databases. Information was gathered regarding rehabilitation of cardiac transplant recipients, problems facing recipients, occupations/activities, and occupational therapist roles. In addition information was gathered from medical facility web sites regarding existing cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Results: Designed from the perspective of the Occupation Adaptation Model, a rehabilitation home program was developed for heart transplant recipients. …

A Cultural Competence Guide For Occupational Therapists: Addressing Major Health Issues Of The Eastern Shoshone & Northern Arapaho Tribes, Crystal Nelson, Ashton Wilcox-Brown

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The authors have created a cultural competency guide on the history, culture, and beliefs of the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes as well as an overview of current health concerns and resulting health disparities. The creation of the guide is necessary in order to provide information about these cultures to occupational therapists (OT) working with them. However, there is considerable lack of resources for discussing cultural competency regarding these tribes in relation to occupational therapy.

In preparing to create the guide, an extensive literature review was conducted to determine cultural issues and health disparities of the two tribes. Secondary …

The Work Practices And Employment Patterns Of Parents Of A Child With Rett Syndrome, Jessica Coles

Theses : Honours

Objective: To review the literature examining the work practices and employment patterns of parents of a child with an intellectual disability, with a specific focus on Rett syndrome. Method: Electronic database searches of Medline, Cinahl and ISI Web of Knowledge and manual searches of reference lists were conducted. Government Reports obtained from Australian Bureau of Statistics were also examined. Quality of articles was assessed using Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment Checklists from Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers used to assess quality of literature. Results: The work practices and employment patterns of parents of children …

Occupational Therapists' Perspectives On Psychosocial Treatment Of Sexual Dysfunction With Mental Health Patients, Brittany Siefert, Joseph Troudt

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of mental health occupational therapists about psychosocial treatment of sexual dysfunction with clients in psychiatric facilities.

Methods: Using qualitative methodology, student researchers interviewed six occupational therapists practicing in psychiatric settings as part of an exploratory study into the perceptions of clinicians about treatment of sexual dysfunction with people who have mental health disabilities. Semi-structured interviews utilized open-ended questions. Electronic recording of interviews was conducted and verbatim transcripts were created. Data was analyzed and emergent codes and themes were developed.

Results: Three themes emerged related to: scope of practice, perceived …

Treating Adults With Chronic Pain: Exploring The Contemporary Trends Of Occupational Therapy, Jennifer Gough, Laura Roush

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore occupational therapy’s approach in treating individuals with chronic pain. More specifically, to evaluate occupational therapy’s role in current practices including assessments, models of practice, modalities, and competencies.

Methodology: Following IRB approval, a purposive sampling method was used to gain a sufficient number of participants to complete an online survey. Inclusion criteria for participants in this study included occupational therapists currently working in an outpatient setting, current members of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), and practicing within the states of Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Colorado, and Nebraska. Subjects were …

A Holistic Treatment Approach For Individuals Experiencing Phantom Phenomena: An Occupational Therapy Approach, Jenna Akkanen, Laura Olauson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The prevalence of individuals who have had an amputation and experience adverse types of sensory input from the missing limb is very high (Hunter, Katz, & Davis, 2005). According to the literature, sensory input can be divided into non-painful sensations or painful sensations in the amputated limb often called "phantom sensations." These pains and sensations can have many negative implications upon an individual's occupational performance, and consequently directly implicate the need for occupational therapy. A large number of persons post-amputation experience pain and different sensations from their affected limb even after the healing process has finalized; the etiology behind why …

The Adl Of Sexuality: A Guide For Occupational Therapists For Elderly Clients, Autumn Edmundson, Amber Lafrenz

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop a guide that would address the assessments, treatment/interventions, and discharge planning process regarding sexual health/sexuality with an elderly client. Through the use of the guide and accompanying resources it is assumed that occupational therapists will have an increased level of comfort, knowledge, and competence. This is important as Couloumbis and Miller (1994) study indicated that occupational therapists that received formal education (academically or clinical practice) addressed sexuality in the elderly 27.8% more than occupational therapists who did not have any educational experience.

Methodology: An in depth literature review was conducted …

Differentiating Dementia From Mental Illness In The Elderly: An Occupational Therapy Process, Michelle Halsted

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this product is to provide those persons admitted to a hospital setting with an unclear diagnosis the opportunity to be efficiently and accurately diagnosed, thus allowing proper treatment, medications, and placement, if needed. Often, . there is confusion amongst professionals in the treatment team as to whether an older adult may have a developing dementia versus symptoms of a mental illness. Through the evaluation process, individuals will engage in a balance of evaluative activities that may improve physical, social, emotional, spiritual, occupational, and cognitive focus areas. These evaluations are primarily based on Allen's Cognitive Model and The …

Life Coaching: Possibilities For Occupational Therapy Practice, Amy L. Heinz, Karen Mccarthy, Wendy Pentland, Camille M. Dieterle, Jennie M. Antolak

Collected Faculty Scholarship

No abstract available

The Outcome Star: A Tool For Recovery Orientated Services; And, Exploring The Use Of The Outcome Star In A Recovery Orientated Mental Health Service, Emma-Louise Keen

Theses : Honours

Objective: The primary objective of this review was to examine the Outcome Star and its utility as a tool for use in recovery oriented mental health services. The secondary objective was to examine similar instruments and their use within mental health services. Methods: Electronic databases Psycinfo, CINAHL, Medline and Proquest were searched. Manual searches of reference lists of retrieved articles and specific journals were undertaken to identify research relevant to describing the structure and properties of the Outcome Star, and its use in mental health settings. Results: A review of the literature revealed that there is a paucity of research …

Pubertal Trajectory And The Management Of Menstruation In Females With Rett Syndrome And Down Syndrome, Olivia Annelies Knight

Theses : Honours

Background: Puberty is a challenging transition for all young women and particularly so for those with an intellectual disability. Individuals with an intellectual disability often experience both cognitive and physical impairment and a wide range of comorbidities. This review explores research into the pubertal trajectory and the management of menstruation in two syndromes within intellectual disability. Rett syndrome which is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder and Down syndrome which is a chromosomal birth disorder. Aim: The purpose of this review was to identify research exploring pube1ial trajectory and menstrual management in females with Rett syndrome and Down syndrome and …

The Relationship Between A Teacher Check List And Standardised Tests For Visual Perception Skills: A South African Remedial Primary School Perspective, Janet Richmond, K Holland

Research outputs pre 2011

Occupational therapy in remedial education settings has been questioned by the South African Government as they see occupational therapy as a costly service and thus has challenged occupational therapy clinicians’ approach to assessment. This study was undertaken to establish whether the results of standardised tests of visual perception skills, relate to teachers’ observations in respect of primary remedial school age children (six to eleven years) attending a short term remedial school because of low scholastic achievement despite having average or above intellectual ability. The Test of Visual Perceptual Skills – Revised, the Developmental Test of Visual Perception-2, the Jordan Left-Right …

Imitation In Fragile X Syndrome: Implications For Autism, Marta Macedoni-Luksic, Laura Greiss Hess, Sally J. Rogers, David Gosar, Kerrie Lemons-Chitwood, Randi Hagerman

Occupational Therapy | Faculty Scholarship

To address the specific impairment of imitation in autism, the imitation abilities of 22 children with fragile X syndrome (FXS) with and without autism were compared. Based on previous research, we predicted that children with FXS and autism would have significantly more difficulty with non-meaningful imitation tasks. After controlling for full-scale IQ and age, the groups did not differ in their overall imitation accuracy scores, but analysis of error patterns revealed that children with FXS and autism made more groping errors and additional movements than the comparison group. These error patterns are consistent with the hypothesis that an action production …

Observation Of Amounts Of Movement Practice Provided During Stroke Rehabilitation, Catherine E. Lang, Jillian R. Macdonald, Darcy S. Reisman, Lara Boyd, Teresa Jacobson Kimberley, Sheila M. Schindler-Ivens, T. George Hornby, Sandy A. Ross, Patricia L. Scheets

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

To investigate how much movement practice occurred during stroke rehabilitation, and what factors might influence doses of practice provided.

Design

Observational survey of stroke therapy sessions.

Setting

Seven inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation sites.

Participants

We observed a convenience sample of 312 physical and occupational therapy sessions for people with stroke.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

We recorded numbers of repetitions in specific movement categories and data on potential modifying factors (patient age, side affected, time since stroke, FIM item scores, years of therapist experience). Descriptive statistics were used to characterize amounts of practice. Correlation and regression analyses were …

Development And Evaluation Of Health And Wellness Exhibits At The Jefferson Occupational Therapy Education Center In Second Life, Susan Toth-Cohen, Therese Gallagher

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

Virtual worlds such as Second Life are increasingly used for consumer health and higher education. The present paper will describe the development and evaluation of public exhibits on health and wellness at the Jefferson occupational therapy education center in Second Life.

A Study Of The Effect Of Splinting On Pain During Tip Pinch For Osteoarthritis Of The First Carpometacarpal Joint, Leana Tank

Masters Theses

The following research project focused on the effect of a prefabricated neoprene first carpometacarpal splint on osteoarthritis pain with tip-pinch, strength measurements of tip-pinch and functional performance. The following questions were explored throughout this study:

1. There will be a significant decrease in mean pain levels when the subject’s hand is splinted as compared to mean pain levels when the hand is not splinted.

2. There will be a significant decrease in mean pain levels for the second session as compared to the first.

3. There will be a significant increase in mean tip pinch strength measurements when the subject’s …

Maturation Of Sensory Gating Performance In Children With And Without Sensory Processing Disorders, Patricia L. Davies, Wen-Pin Chang, William J. Gavin

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Recent interest in sensory gating in children with and without neuropsychological disorders has resulted in a number of studies and the results regarding the developmental trajectory of sensory gating are inconsistent. We investigated the maturational course of sensory gating in samples of typically developing children and children with sensory processing deficits (SPD) and compared their performance to adults. Besides gating ratios, we also examined the brain responses to conditioning and test click stimuli in the sensory gating paradigm separately to clarify if the changes in click amplitudes could explain the maturational change in the T/C ratio in children. Eighteen adults …

Making The Connection: Creating Leaders In Research, Education, And Practice Through Doctoral Study In Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, Carlin Lorena Daley, Courtney E. Daniels, Camille Marie Dieterle, Lisa D. Hickey, Karen Mccarthy, Elizabeth Pyatak, Tina C. Yang

Collected Faculty Scholarship

Current students and recent graduates of USC's OTD and PhD programs share innovative projects that address the Centennial Vision priority areas of practice. They share practical and creative strategies for bridging the gaps between research, education, and practice, and developing and implementing changes in a variety of practice settings.

The History, Development, And Purpose Of The Sensory Integration Global Network, Elizabeth Soechting, Tara J. Glennon, Heather Miller-Kuhaneck, Brian Erwin, Diana A. Henry, Colleen Basaraba, Zoe Mailloux, Susanne Smith Roley

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

The Sensory Integration Global Network (SIGN) is a Web-based resource developed by a loosely structured group of international volunteers dedicated to protecting the integrity and promoting the work of Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI). SIGN provides an international resource to educate the public and professionals about A. Jean Ayres and sensory integration theory and practice to help them to discriminate between ASI and other interventions, especially those that use similar descriptors of improving sensory integration and sensory processing.

This article aims to increase awareness of the existence of SIGN within the readership of the American Occupational Therapy Association's (AOTA' s) Sensory …

Vision Therapy Promotional Packet: Through The Eyes Of Traumatic Brain Injury/Acquired Brain Injury: An Informational Resource On The Role Of Ot, Sarah A. Cooper, Whitney Schilling

Occupational Therapy Capstones

"Very few in the health care professions, including head trauma rehabilitation centers, are adequately aware of visual problems resulting from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)/ Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and the visual-perception consequences. These visual deficits may lead to impaired functioning in the person's daily activities and roles because vision affects all other functions" (braininjuries.org, ~ 1). A few examples of activities of daily living (ADL's) and instrumental activities of daily living (lADL's) that may be impacted by visual deficits include but are not limited to: driving, eating, dressing, leisure participation (movies, reading, sports), and employment. "Unfortunately, this creates a gap …

Occupational Therapy Program 2009, Nova Southeastern University

Health Professions Divisions Course Catalogs and Course Descriptions

No abstract provided.

Motor Abilities Of Children Diagnosed With Fragile X Syndrome With And Without Autism, C. Zingerevich, L. G. Hess, K. Lemons Chitwood, S. W. Harris, D. Hessl, K. Cook, R. J. Hagerman

Collected Faculty Scholarship

Background—Previous studies suggested that children diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) often meet criteria for autism or PDD. This study describes the fine motor abilities of children diagnosed with FXS with and without autism spectrum disorder, and compares the motor scores of those groups controlling for cognitive level.

Method—Forty-eight children, ages 12-76 months (SD=16) diagnosed with FXS were assessed with the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Their parents were interviewed with the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). We used a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine if the fine motor scale …

Handbook On Sensitive Practice For Health Care Practitioners: Lessons From Adult Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse, Candice L. Schachter, Carol A. Stalker, Eli Teram, Gerri C. Lasiuk, Alanna Danilkewich

Lyle S. Hallman Social Work Faculty Publications

This handbook is the culmination of a multiphase, multidisciplinary research project that used grounded theory and participatory action research to illuminate ways that healthcare providers can work sensitively (in a trauma-informed way) with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

The research identified nine Principles of Sensitive Practice: respect, rapport, taking time, sharing information and control, respecting boundaries, fostering mutual learning, understanding non-linear healing and demonstrating an understanding of trauma to patients. Specific guidelines were developed for a wide variety of issues pertinent to clinical practice such as, removal of clothing, touch, responding to disclosures of abuse, managing triggers among others. …