Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Sensory Processing Difficulties In Children Born Preterm And The Needs Of Their Families, Shelby J. Buie

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Children who are born preterm frequently experience sensory processing difficulties due to their underdeveloped brains and the atypical early sensory experiences that are associated with increased medical needs. These factors impact the development of a child’s sensory system, which ultimately influences how a child participates in daily activities. Having a child born preterm that requires increased medical attention causes stress on the family. Increased stress and a decrease in mental health can disrupt the parent-child bond. This project aimed to provide sensory-based occupational therapy treatment sessions to children who were born preterm to improve their sensory processing skills. Furthermore, the …

Occupational Therapy Services In Pediatric Mental Health, Hallie Jerome

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Children and youth experiencing mental health concerns often have limited or decreased engagement in meaningful occupations. Additionally, children and youth who experience mental health concerns at an early age are more likely to experience negative health outcomes such as poor occupational engagement, academic achievement, adverse childhood experiences (ACES), maltreatment/abuse/neglect, family and peer conflict/rejection, low self-esteem, early substance use, and many others impacting their overall health and well-being. My capstone project aimed to administer occupation-based interventions in a pediatric mental health program while I advance my skills working with an interdisciplinary team. The literature and needs assessment indicated a need for …

Animal-Assisted Therapy In An Outpatient Pediatric Occupational Therapy Setting, Peyton N. Stolle

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

The use of animals to assist in the healthcare industry has been around for some time now, however, only recently have those in the occupational therapy industry begun looking at the effects that it would have on patients within their scope of practice. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has various uses, and recent studies have shown that the use of dogs within a healthcare setting can greatly increase patient motivation and well-being. However, prior literature shows that there are limited studies on the effects of AAT in a pediatric occupational therapy (OT) setting, specifically an outpatient setting. My capstone project aimed to …

Enhancing Participation In Play Through Staff Training At We Rock The Spectrum, Megan Poppens

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone was completed by partnering with We Rock the Spectrum in Franklin, Tennessee. We Rock the Spectrum is an inclusive, sensory-safe play environment for all children. The goal was to provide education, coaching, and practical tips for staff to foster increased inclusion and participation in play. A training manual was created with topics including the impact of play, development, respectful disability language, disability terms and abbreviations, sensory regulation, safety, common misconceptions, pediatric diagnoses, strategies for leading groups, behavior management, and interacting one-on-one with children. The educational resources were used to enhance the staff member’s knowledge, confidence, and skills …

Expanding The Availability Of Adapted Athletics For Youth With Physical Disabilities In Middle Tennessee, Alexandra Hurd

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed in partnership with ABLE Youth in Nashville, TN. ABLE Youth is a non-profit organization that uses sports as the motivation for children who use wheelchairs to reach their goals of independence. The two main goals of this project were as follows: One, to facilitate the Music City Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, the largest adaptive athletics event in Tennessee, and Two, to expand the variety of sports offered at the monthly Super Sports Saturday events. By the end of this capstone experience, volleyball and lacrosse were introduced to the ABLE youth program participants. Ideas for future …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy For Mothers With Children Who Have Had A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Nicu) Stay, Reagan Mclendon, Cynthia Haynes

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This study examined the occupational needs of mothers with a child who required a NICU stay and illustrates the potential roles of occupational therapy for this population.

Barriers: Location, Functionality, And Method Of Access In Childhood Pool/Spa Submersion Incidents, United States, 2000-2017, Alison Miller, Kristina R. Anderson, William D. Ramos

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Drowning is a leading cause of fatality among children in the United States, and residential pools/spas currently account for as much as 80% of these submersion incidents. This study reviewed narrative case reports obtained from the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to understand barrier location, type, and functionality as methods of pool/spa access for childhood submersion incidents. Retroactive analysis of 1,523 fatal and non-fatal submersion incidents among children aged 13 years old and younger was conducted using the CPSC in depth investigation dataset from 2000-2017. Narrative descriptions were coded according to the attributes of barrier location, functionality, and …

Toying With Adapted Toys, Joshua King

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

My project is a design for an adapted toy that occupational therapists (OT) can use when working with kids. OTs are people who help others to be able to do daily tasks that they need to do to live their lives. This can look like helping a person who has been injured or has a disability to accomplish tasks like getting dressed or feeding themselves. It can also involve helping school children to improve their writing or to use assistive technology. My project started out as an idea from my mom who is an OT and was using a coffee …

Empowering And Educating Parents To Implement A Home Intervention: Effects On Preschool Children's Engagement In Hands-On Constructive Play, Michelle Boulanger Thompson, Yaoying Xu, Chin-Chih Chen, Kathleen Rudasill

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Constructive play is a creative process-oriented activity that promotes children’s engaged learning through building and designing with materials. This study investigated a parent-implemented intervention to promote active engagement in constructive play for preschool-aged children at risk for developmental delay. This study utilized a single-subject multiple-baseline across-participants design with four participants. Visual analysis of the data identified a functional relation between the temporal, physical, and social–emotional environmental support provided by the parents and the children’s active engagement in constructive play. Parents reported the intervention as meaningful to their lives, indicating strong social validity. These findings highlight the importance of centering and …

Hippotherapy Within Physical Therapy Treatment: Helping Patients With Cerebral Palsy Achieve Functional Goals, Grace Kucienski

Honors Capstones

Hippotherapy is a treatment tool that can be utilized by trained occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, and physical therapists. It involves the utilization of a horse’s movement to facilitate certain sensory, adaptive, neuromotor, cognitive, and physical responses from a patient. The purpose of this project is to examine how hippotherapy as a treatment tool in physical therapy benefits children with cerebral palsy. The examination of this subject matter was conducted in a case study format. For twelve weeks, one patient with cerebral palsy’s physical therapy sessions utilizing hippotherapy were observed. During these sessions, her progress towards reaching a specific functional …

The Ventilatory Management Of Paediatric Central Sleep Apnoea: A Systematic Review, Kane A. Hodge, Anne Jones

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Paediatric central sleep apnoea (CSA) occurs more frequently in the presence of another medical condition. This systematic review aimed to determine the effectiveness of oxygen therapy and non-invasive ventilation (NIV) for children with CSA and additional underlying comorbidities. Method: A search was undertaken of CINAHL Complete, Emcare, Scopus, MEDLINE, and PubMed with forward and backward citations for studies published between database inception and the 5th of May 2022. Articles of any study design or quality were included, excluding systematic reviews, letters, or study protocols. Articles had to involve only paediatric patients with a diagnosis of CSA with …

Pharmacology Training Of Counselors, Jessica Fanguy Cortez, Chris Rachal

Louisiana Journal of Counseling

As the use of psychotropic medications to treat mental illness increases across the lifespan, the need for psychopharmacology training for counselors intensifies. Research by Sepulveda (2011) concluded that counselor educators are not overwhelmingly supportive of including a psychopharmacology course in CACREP–approved school counselor curricula. Expanding on Sepulveda’s (2011) work, our findings indicate that most CACREP-approved counseling programs do not offer psychological or psychopharmacology courses. Most program directors favor such courses in their programs, and agree that licensed counselors are routinely confronted with medication issues in professional settings. But despite the fact that most programs lack training in psychopharmacology, directors believe …

Educating Counselors-In-Training To Work With Parents Of Minors, Krystal M. Vaughn, Erin M. Dugan, Kellie G. Camelford

Louisiana Journal of Counseling

Counselor education programs offer numerous opportunities for students to receive the necessary knowledge, skills, and experiences to become professional counselors. However, due to limited time, there are areas in the program that are not covered in-depth for various reasons. One such area where students may lack educational or clinical training is in the preparation of working with minors, and more specifically, the treatment of minors surrounding parental consultation practice patterns. The purpose of this article is to define parent consultation, review ethical and legal considerations when working with minors, and to provide counselor educators considerations to utilize when preparing counselors-in-training …

Accommodated Gymnastics Program For Atypically Developing Children, Ashtin Callahan

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Posture Care Management In School Based Settings For Children With Complex Physical Disabilities, Sabrina Rodriguez, Mary Jan Greer, Lee Ann Hoffman

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Posture care management (PCM) is an intervention that helps protect a person’s body through different positions within different contexts. PCM is not a singular direct intervention as each person is different and has different needs. This process is especially important for those who cannot reposition themselves such as children with complex physical disabilities. These children rely mainly for caregivers and school staff this process since home and school are the main places they spend the beginning years of their lives. Therefore, it is important to educate caregivers and school staff on the guidelines of proper PCM to promote health, well-being, …

The Decline Of Physical Activity With Age In School-Aged Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Single-Center Cross-Sectional Observational Study, Jinuk Lee, Min-Hwa Suk, Soojin Yoo, Jeong-Yi Kwon

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications and Presentations

Maintaining physical activity is important for children with cerebral palsy (CP). This study examined whether age predicted habitual physical activity (HPA) or cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in school-aged children with CP and clarified the relationship between HPA and CRF. We utilized cross-sectional data from 39 children with CP (18 girls and 21 boys; mean age 7.44 years; mean body weight 24.76 kg; mean body mass index 15.97 kg/m2; hemiplegic or diplegic CP). The participants wore an accelerometer (ActiGraph) for five days to measure HPA, physical activity energy expenditure (kcal/kg/d), sedentary physical activity (%SPA), light physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (%MVPA), and …

Effectiveness Of Feeding Therapy Approaches On Consumption And Dietary Variety In Children With Sensory-Based Feeding Challenges, Josie Ash, Kayla Estes, Cecilia Morales, Rachel Mcelroy

Occupational Therapy Evidence Projects

This project was completed in collaboration with Hannah Michlmayer (OTR/L) at Therapy Services for Children in Seattle, Washington. The research team conducted a literature review to investigate the following question: For children ages 3-12 with sensory-based feeding challenges, what are the most effective interventions to improve dietary diversity and/or food acceptance? Evidence indicates that ABA-based interventions are the most studied, followed by video modeling and caregiver/parent training. These approaches demonstrate short-term increases in consumption and dietary variety. Most studies had small sample sizes with minimal long-term follow-up. There is a lack of research on group interventions, the SOS approach, and …

Measuring Outcomes Of Occupational Therapy Facilitated In Natural Settings With Young Children, Amie Smith, Deepak Dale, Brinda Saini, Zoe Peters, Amanda Laccone

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

To date, there is limited evidence to support the effectiveness of Occupational Therapy (OT) services delivered outside in nature. This study explored the benefits of OT intervention in Natural Settings (NS) for children by examining development in the areas of self-regulation, social skills, sensory processing, confidence, and motor skills. A quantitative, quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was used in this study. Researchers partnered with a local outpatient OT clinic that offers an 8-week outdoor program. Seven children and their parents were recruited and participated in the study. A modified version of the COPM and two BOT-2 subtests, along with a novel log …

Trauma-Informed Care Professional Development For K-12 Educators From An Occupational Therapy Perspective, Sarah Farrance

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

According to SAMHSA, more than 66% of children report that they have experienced at least one traumatic event by the age of 16. The focus of this capstone project was create a trauma-informed care professional development program to equip K-12 educators in traditional school settings so that they can address trauma in their students appropriately and successfully. This was done through understanding, working with, and implementing the Every Moment Counts mental health promotion initiative with the students at Bridges Learning Center in Akron Public Schools.

Homeschool Educators’ Perspectives About Student Needs Within Occupational Therapy Scope Of Practice: A Pilot Study, Susan L. Iliff, Mary T. Hill, Rose White, Aubrey Alexander

Pediatrics Research and Scholarship

Homeschool educators (n = 31) were recruited to complete an electronic survey describing their perspectives. Findings indicated that many students had medical/academic needs, and accessed additional services such as occupational therapy (OT). Data analysis of open-ended questions revealed common categories: (a) curricula met or did not meet student needs (b) participants had experience-based, general or no knowledge of OT and (c) most felt homeschooling was a positive experience and expressed that limited resources were available. Further research is warranted to investigate available resources, specific needs, and how to best support students who homeschool.

Measuring Outcomes Of Occupational Therapy Facilitated In Natural Settings With Young Children, Amie Smith, Zoe Peters, Brinda Saini, Deepak Dale, Amanda Laccone

Occupational Therapy | Student Research Posters

To date, there is limited evidence to support the effectiveness of Occupational Therapy (OT) services delivered outside in nature. This study explored the benefits of OT intervention in Natural Settings (NS) for children by examining development in the areas of self-regulation, social skills, sensory processing, confidence, and motor skills. A quantitative, quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was used in this study. Researchers partnered with a local outpatient OT clinic that offers an 8-week outdoor program. Seven children and their parents were recruited and participated in the study. A modified version of the COPM and two BOT-2 subtests, along with a novel log …

The Correlation Between The Season Of Birth And Early Child Development In Healthy Children: Evidence From The Midwestern Region Of The United States: A Pilot Study, Elizabeth G. Bodensteiner

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Research has been conducted in countries like Japan and China assessing the impact of various factors on gross motor development. One variable that has been researched and discussed within studies in other countries is the relationship between gross motor development and birth season. This study aimed to address the impact of birth season on gross motor development, specifically within the Midwestern region of the United States. There is limited research regarding this topic within the Midwestern region of the United States.

Materials and Methods: Parents of 114 children completed self-reports on their children’s gross and …

Effective Occupational Therapy Interventions To Decrease Picky Eating In Children: A Systematic Review, Savannah L. Jacobsen, Josie Cox, Alli Bos, Cherokee Ferguson, Stacey Smallfield, Molly Whitlow

Student Systematic Reviews: Occupational Therapy

PURPOSE: Picky eating is related to the lack of consumption in food variety by children when shown different foods (Wolstenholme et al., 2020). A 2015 study reported that almost half of children experience a period of picky eating at some point during early childhood, including almost 15% of children for whom picky eating does not resolve by age 6 (Cardona et al., 2015). The purpose of this systematic review is to identify interventions within the scope of occupational therapy that increase food acceptance in children under the age of seven years who demonstrate picky eating characteristics and who have no …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of The Mover Program For Treating Attention Deficit In Children (Mover: Movement Opportunities Through Vestibular Engagement Rhythm), Lindsay B. Williams, Camille Skubik-Peplaski

Student Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of participation in a movement- to music program on the attention span of elementary school-aged children who have attention deficits. The hypothesis was that participants would demonstrate improved attention on the Test of Sustained Selective Attention (TOSSA) (Kovacs, 2015).

Methods: This quantitative study involved nine children who participated in four movement-to-music sessions with a staggered stop over a period of six weeks. The study incorporated a single group pre-test/post-test design, and a non-parametric Sign Test was utilized to analyze data from the TOSSA subcategories of concentration, detection, …

Piloting A Study To Examine Children’S Understandings Of Chronic Pain And Coping, Kristina P. Ferreira

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Many of our understandings of how children conceptualize and cope with chronic pain are drawn from adult accounts or extrapolated from research in adult populations. Accordingly, there is scant knowledge relating to children’s own experiences of chronic pain and coping. This study begins to address this gap by piloting a methodology combining arts-based methods with semi-structured interviews to generate data with children aged 6-13 years. Participants with chronic pain were invited to draw and/or photograph what represents a ‘good pain day’ and ‘a bad pain day’, before engaging in a tailored, semi-structured interview. Results, interpreted using a constructivist lens, contribute …

Associations Between Otitis Media And Social Development And Behavior, Samantha Reed, Inga Rohde, Hannah Yu

Occupational Therapy Evidence Projects

Doreen Hunt, MA, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist at Children's Therapy of Woodinville, an outpatient pediatric clinic. She served as the primary collaborator with three University of Puget Sound occupational therapy (OT) doctoral students to address the research question, "How are chronic ear infections (otitis media) in early childhood associated with children's behavioral outcomes and social development?" A literature review identified 29 relevant articles which led to establishing themes of social skills, attention and behavior. Strong evidence indicates an association between chronic ear infections and social skills. However, due to mixed evidence, no clear associations could be found between chronic …

Incorporating Trust-Based Relational Intervention In Occupational Therapy To Address Mental Health Needs Of Elementary Students, Maci K. Stouffer

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Background. The rate of children experiencing mental health issues is increasing exponentially. Many mental health conditions could be successfully treated in childhood, yet they are overlooked, with only half of the diagnosed cases treated and many others undiagnosed. Youth spend much of their day in school. Therefore, their mental health must be addressed within this setting. Purpose. This capstone project aimed to develop and implement a trauma-informed, occupation-based intervention program for elementary students. Equipping students with self-regulation skills, teaching appropriate calming strategies, and providing opportunities to practice the main components of building healthy relationships. The school staff was educated on …

Comparison Of Computer-Based And Therapeutic Activity Interventions For Improving Visual Motor Abilities Of Preschoolers With Autism: A Randomized Control Study, Supawadee C. Lee

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer-based and a traditional activity/practice-based intervention for improving the visual motor abilities of children with autism.

Methods: A group, pre-post, experimental design was used with randomization of subjects to four intervention conditions: a computer-based training, a therapeutic practice intervention, the combination of a computer-based training and therapeutic practice intervention, and a martial arts exercise. A sample of 34 preschool children with autism and visual motor integration deficits between 3 and 5 years of age were recruited. The Wide Range Assessment of Visual Motor Abilities was administered …

Sensory Preference And Learning Preference In Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Dyslexia, Jennifer Gomez, Hope Mccarroll, Lisa Griggs-Stapleton

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Is there a connection between a child’s sensory preferences and their learning preference? Sensory processing disorders are a heavily researched topic in current literature and many children with sensory differences present with learning disabilities, but research is lacking concerning any connection between sensory processing and learning. This research study examines children’s sensory preferences and learning preferences and denotes trends between these two variables. 15 participants were recruited from the Accommodated Learning Academy in Grapevine, Texas, a private school for students 1st-12th grade with learning delays. The sample of 15 participants consisted of 12 females and 3 males, aged 11-15 years …

Identifying An Association Between Sensory Processing And Food Sensitivities, Taylor Tonks

OT Student Capstones

Introduction: Feeding difficulties are quite common in children and can lead to a multitude of poor health outcomes. Children with sensory processing difficulties can present with feeding difficulties. The relationship between sensory processing and feeding difficulties in children has been previously researched. However, most of the existing research focuses on children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: The purpose of the present study was to identify the association between sensory processing and food sensitivities in children of varying diagnoses using retrospective data. In the study, the researcher included 47 children who presented to an outpatient pediatric clinic for a feeding …