Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Exploring Accessibility And Social Inclusion For Children With Hearing Impairments In Residential Camps Through The Occupational Therapy Lens, Tiffany Coles

Student Capstone Papers

Children are encouraged to engage in various play, leisure, and social participation activities to enhance the development of life skills, independence, and social skills. A common leisure and social participation activity for children aged 6 to 18-years-old is to attend residential camp. Residential camps provide children a structured opportunity to engage in leisure activities while learning to become independent and self-confident when socializing and making new friends. Attending camp can be a fun and engaging environment to help accelerate growth in key developmental outcomes, such as positive identity, social skills, physical skills, positive values, and spirituality.

Within the residential camp …

Environmental Barriers And Supports To Participation For Individuals With Disabilities: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Ali M. Grinde, Ella V. Johnson, Anya H. Larson, Jordan A. Mills, Gretta N. Obeid, Bridgett N. Tegen, Julie D. Bass

Graduate Occupational Therapy Research and Projects

This Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project considered the following question: What environmental supports and barriers influence participation for individuals with disabilities and are there disparities, inequalities, or inequities between disabled and non-disabled groups?

Evaluation Of Participation And Environments For Individuals With Disabilities: An Evidence-Based Practice Project Bailey, Bailey Allen, Abby Anderson, Natalie Bruno, Sydney Grohman, Katie Martinek, Cassidy Mattson, Maddie O'Reilly, Zachary Wells, Julie D. Bass

Graduate Occupational Therapy Research and Projects

This Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project considered the following question: What measures are available to evaluate participation and environmental supports and barriers for individuals with disabilities and what are their psychometric properties?

Attitudes And Biases Of Health Professionals Toward Individuals With Disabilities: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Kelsey L. Colvin, Kelly J. Eckert, Payton V. Gilreath, Ellen M. Hiestand, Alexandra L. Jendersee, Rachel G. Kullas, Justene N. Martin, Sydney R. Mckenzie, Marissa K. Smith, Julie D. Bass

Graduate Occupational Therapy Research and Projects

This Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project considered the following question: What are the attitudes and biases of health professionals toward individuals with disabilities and what are the implications for training?

Perspectives And Experiences Of Participation By Individuals With Disabilities: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Mckenzie Brink, Kelsey Holmer, Sydney Hrastich, Kelly O'Connor, Simon Olmstead, Stephen Schuster, Hailey Valencour, Mikael Viazcan, Julie D. Bass

Graduate Occupational Therapy Research and Projects

This Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project considered the following question: How do individuals with disabilities describe their perspectives on and experiences with participation?

Social And Community Participation Interventions For Individuals With Disabilities: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Madisyn Anderson, Alex Demarais, Vanj Ebel, Anna Foster, Tyler Hobson, Kaitlyn Huntley, Alli Park, Allie Roehl, Julie D. Bass

Graduate Occupational Therapy Research and Projects

This Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project considered the following question: What measures are available to evaluate participation and environmental supports and barriers for individuals with disabilities and what are their psychometric properties?

Upper Extremity Kinematics And Pain Outcomes During Activities Of Daily Living In Pediatric Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Olivia Yanez Wilwert

Theses and Dissertations

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a group of heritable connective tissue disorders, consisting of thirteen different subtypes. Among the thirteen, Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) is the most common. Individuals with this condition present with frequent joint instability that results in ongoing subluxations and dislocations. Secondary diagnoses of this condition include chronic pain, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The diagnostic process of hEDS is convoluted by the lack of a genetic identifier (Malfait et al., 2017). Individuals with hEDS are often not diagnosed until later in adulthood, leaving their adolescent life full …

Work Participation Interventions For Individuals With Disabilities: An Evidence-Based Practice Project, Tina B. Dalki, Maureen C. Doran, Taylor P. King, Paige M. Loy, Alex W. Manos, Mia R. Massaro, Emily M. Medcalf, Alexis M. Walsh, Julie D. Bass

Graduate Occupational Therapy Research and Projects

This Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) project considered the following question: What are the characteristics of interventions, programs, and services that are effective in supporting work participation for individuals with disabilities and their employers?

Understanding The Impact Of Social Distancing On Older Adults And Senior Centers To Better Adapt Towards A New Normal, Salina Jivan

Student Capstone Papers

COVID-19 brought about social distancing mandates that posed as a new barrier to meaningful social participation in the community. The purpose of this project was to understand the impact of social distancing on older adults and senior organizations to better inform the role of OT in helping seniors adapt towards a new normal within the community. A qualitative study and needs assessment were performed through phone interviews with seniors and organizations that support them from around the United States. Themes highlighted seniors desire for social contact and cautious return to the community once mandates are lifted. Both seniors and organizations …

Promoting Interprofessional Collaboration Through Education In The Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting, Emma Murphy

OTD Capstone Projects

As part of a 14-week occupational therapy doctoral capstone project, the author partnered with Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital to research and address interprofessional collaboration in the inpatient rehabilitation setting. The project sought to attain a comprehensive assessment of the current interdisciplinary collaboration environment at VSRH, improve communication between the therapy and nursing departments, provide rehabilitation education for nurses on staff-identified topics, and promote interprofessional collaboration as a whole.

Occupational Therapy And Accessibility In The Outdoors And Summer Camps, David M. Lewis

Student Capstone Papers

Opportunities for positive youth development (PYD) are promoted through both outdoor and camp experiences. The experiences provided by the outdoors and camps are ideal for developing physically, cognitively, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. These areas of PYD are further generalizable to several aspects of occupational performance and participation, while continuing to have benefits throughout the lifespan. While the outdoors and camps provide these valuable opportunities for development, the environments and contexts of these opportunities are often limiting factors for individuals with disabilities. Utilizing an occupational therapy approach allows for further understanding of how to promote inclusion and accessibility practices in these …

Occupation-Based Learning Modules In Preparation For Parole: A Program Evaluation, Alisha Cheyne, Gabrielle Martino, Elizabeth Vander Wall, Natalie Wallace

Community Based

A qualitative research study was conducted that examined occupational therapy students’ fieldwork rotation at Muskegon Correctional Facility, where they implemented a 15-week pre-parole program. One focus group with three participants was conducted. Transcription, coding, and theming followed, providing five themes; restriction, OT perceptions, learning styles, future needs, and relationships. Results showed areas of needs within this population, ways occupational therapy can address this need, and general improvements that can be made to pre-release programs.

An Exploration Of Leadership Qualities Demonstrated During Level Ii Fieldwork, Amy Maurer, Summer Besteman, Jessica Mooney, Katelyn Campbell

Education

Background. Occupational therapy (OT) students are expected to demonstrate leadership qualities throughout their Level II Fieldwork experiences; however, it has been reported that students lack this quality. The purpose of this project was to identify the leadership characteristics that master’s-level OT students demonstrate and develop during their Level II Fieldwork experiences.

Method. This study utilized an online survey tool, Qualtrics, to understand the perceptions of Fieldwork Educators (FWEds) who have taken a Level II Fieldwork student within the past five years. A code-recode procedure was used to analyze open-ended questions. The frequency and mode of responses were used to report …

Occupational Therapy As Part Of A Team-Based Approach In Primary Care Settings, Lydia Royeen

Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to study issues related to occupational therapists integrating into primary care settings, as part of a team-based approach and to best meet the needs of the clients.

This is a mixed methods study that examined quantitative and qualitative data for members of the primary care team and occupational therapists working in primary care clinics. The Team Climate Inventory-14 (Kivimaki & Elovainio, 1999) was selected as the quantitative measure because it examines themes related to team functioning, which include vision, participative safety, task orientation, and mutual support. Participants completed a semi-structured interview that examined themes …

A Pilot Study On A Mindfulness Intervention For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Meredith Obaytek

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

This project explores the effects of a mindfulness intervention on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in an occupational therapy setting, as well as explores the attitudes of student occupational therapists on the treatment acceptability for mindfulness interventions in occupational therapy. This paper discusses the current research in mindfulness and explores how it may have an impact on children with ASD, and in particular, within the field of occupational therapy. This project was made up of two components and took place at James Madison University’s Inter-Professional Autism Clinic (IPAC) over the course of three weeks. The first component was an …

Are All Instrumental Activities Of Daily Living Equal? A Pilot Study On The Performances Of Adults With Acquired Brain Injury, Crystal Lee, Samantha Schauer, Amy Tam, Yareli Vargas

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

Aim: To determine if a relationship exists among performances of different instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) in adults with acquired brain injury (ABI).

Methods: A two-group correlational design was used to examine the relationship among performances in cooking, medication management, and financial management in nine adults with ABI who returned to driving and nine adults with ABI who did not return to driving. The Executive Function Performance Test (EFPT) measured initiation, organization, sequencing, judgment and safety, and completion.

Association Of Generalized Joint Hypermobility And Occurrence Of Musculoskeletal Injury In Physical Therapy And Occupational Therapy Students, Allie Erdmann, Amber Klein

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background: Prior research has shown that physical and occupational therapy students have a higher prevalence of hypermobility than that which is seen within the general population. Throughout the literature, the rates of injury are greater in those with hypermobile joints. It has also been found that females have higher rates of hypermobility than males. Given this information, a secondary question arose regarding whether or not hypermobility and injury (initial or recurrence) are directly related to one another.

Purpose: The intent of conducting this study was to evaluate physical therapy and occupational therapy students for hypermobility while concurrently assessing for their …

Impacts Of Assistive Technology Applications In Higher Education For Students With And Without Disabilities, Christine Jacob, Michelle Morello, Cayla Chapman, Grace Erhardt, Erin Camarena, Sara Delucchi, Bethany Young

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

Current trends in higher education include an increased enrollment of students who have a disability and a rising trend of technology use within the classroom. Assistive technology (AT) has been shown to enhance academic success and influence learning strategies. Furthermore, the combination of AT and individualized support has the potential to promote and enhance engagement in meaningful occupations, such as participation in school, for individuals with and without disabilities. However, the procurement of AT alone can often have less impact than AT combined with individualized support. Occupational therapists (OT) can play a significant role in HE providing training and individualized …

Challenges Associated With Occupational Therapy In Nebraska, Delaney Simmonds

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

As part of a fast-growing field, occupational therapists (OTs) in Nebraska face many challenges. This project utilizes interviews with local OTs, analysis of scholarly articles, and online databases in order to understand the challenges faced by OTs and how they may be improved upon at both an individual and a state level. The three most common settings for occupational therapists to be placed for fieldwork assignments and for work post-graduation are hospitals, schools, and skilled nursing facilities (AOTA State Affairs Group 2017). Interviews were carried out with occupational therapists working in these three settings in order to examine the similarities …

Leadership Roles In The Field Of Occupational Therapy, Christina Pitts

Student Capstone Papers

The idea of this capstone project was to learn about leadership through expertise and experience. The first portion of the project consisted of reviewing the literature and interviewing four occupational therapists that currently have a leadership role within the healthcare industry to gain insight into leadership qualities. The second potion included being at a facility (Advent Therapy in Richmond Hill, G.A.) for 14 weeks to observe and learn about current programs, and with the guidance of the therapists and management of the facility, develop and implement a program that was deemed to be beneficial to the client population.

Exploring The Concurrent Validity Of The Indoor Mobility Pre-Driving Screen (Imps): A Comparison Of The Imps And Ef-Car Motion Driving Simulator., Nicholas T. Bolen

Student Capstone Papers

This paper details the results of a non-experimental assessment comparison study of concurrent validity in which the Indoor Mobility Pre-driving Screen (IMPS) is compared to an EF-Car Motion Driving Simulator. 36 participants completed both assessments concurrently. Collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson's r correlations. Results show low to moderate correlations between the compared assessments.

Occupational Therapy Student Pro Bono Clinic: Creating A Sustainable Model, Shane Tong

Student Capstone Papers

The purpose of this project was to create a model for a sustainable student pro bono clinic with a clear mission and vision that aligned with that of the occupational therapy (OT) profession. This project consisted of interviewing founding members of similar programs, conducting an indirect needs assessment, and performing a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis of current pro bono clinic operations at the University of St. Augustine College for Health Sciences (USAHS). These results, combined with input from key stakeholders, were used to develop a strategic plan to support the development of future pro bono clinics by …

Accessibility And Inclusivity At The Frist Art Museum, Andrea M. Boyer

OTD Capstone Projects

A doctoral capstone project to provide a comprehensive look at accessibility of the Frist Art Museum and its programming. Outcomes included a review of the literature, pre-visit materials (e.g., social narratives, visual schedule), a survey on accessibility experiences in the museum, a comparison of resources offered at other local institutions, and comprehensive observations and recommendations to increase accessibility of physical facilities, digital media, and assistive technology.

Nurses For Newborns – Incorporating An Occupational Therapy Perspective In Its Work With Women And Families In The Perinatal Period, Lynsey Beros

OTD Capstone Projects

The author partnered with a nonprofit organization, Nurses for Newborns, to incorporate an occupational therapy perspective in its work with women and families in the perinatal period as part of the OTD capstone project.

Supporting Older Adults Through Aging In Place And Capable Programs, Laura Compton

OTD Capstone Projects

This experiential component or doctoral capstone project involved a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis. Through this agency, projects were completed based on identified needs of the Aging in Place and CAPABLE programs. The Aging in Place (AIP) program provides critical home repairs to low-income adults aged 60 years and older. The CAPABLE program provides the same critical home repairs along with a select number of visits from a registered nurse and an occupational therapist to help the older adults age in place safely.

Promoting Physical Activity & Social Participation In Young Adults With Idd With Best Buddies, Belmont Chapter, Courtney Janusz

OTD Capstone Projects

Best Buddies is the largest international organization dedicated to end social, physical, and economic isolation among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Alongside of the Belmont Best Buddies president, we assessed the club’s specific needs and developed a sustainable field-day like event to promote engagement in physical activity and social participation. Much of the research found revolved around a lack of ability to engage and participate in these kinds of activities, which resulted in poor overall physical health. Also, research stated that participation in activities (similar to the one we want to create) is the context in which we form …

Promoting Sensory Environments And Strategies For Tennessee Baptist Children's Homes, Emma Mace

OTD Capstone Projects

This project served to promote sensory strategies among youth residents and their caregivers of a children's home in Brentwood, Tennessee as well as use the lens of occupational therapy to design an on-campus multi-sensory room.

Champ's Triathlon Training Program, Rachael Sollman

OTD Capstone Projects

Champ's Triathlon Training Program was created to provide an adaptive fitness opportunity to the community of Nashville, TN. This program was specifically targeting children 8 to 15 years old diagnosed with Down's Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy, Gross Motor Function Classification Scale levels I, II, and III. Champ's Triathlon Training Program was an extension of the Champ's Tri My Best Triathlon hosted by a team of therapists and Vanderbilt's Pediatric Clinic, including Kelley Newman. The program aimed to increase the participants' strength, flexibility, and endurance through triathlon related activities such as running/walking, swimming, and biking. Outcomes of the program were to …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy For Homeless Women And Women At-Risk Of Homelessness, Kelcey Storkersen

Student Capstone Papers

This paper seeks to identify the occupational barriers and needs of homeless women and women at risk of homelessness. A qualitative research study was performed to learn more about the lived experience of two women at-risk of homelessness. Themes uncovered in this study are described in order to provide more understanding and advocacy for this population. A program proposal was delivered for future fieldwork students to provide occupational therapy students at this resource center.

Experiences Of Caregivers And Healthcare Practitioners Working With Children With Histories Of Family Trauma And Substance Abuse, Alexandra Contreras

OT Student Capstones

While the number of infants born with substance abuse exposure continues to grow, the United States lacks a national monitoring system (CDC, 2019). This may contribute to the discrepancy of services and supports available to those working with children with histories of family trauma and substance abuse. The purpose of this study was to investigate the needs and challenges of caregivers and healthcare practitioners working with children with histories of family trauma and substance abuse. To obtain a better understanding and well-rounded image of the challenges and needs, information was gathered from various perspectives of those involved. This OT doctoral …