Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Enhancing Psychosocial Well-Being For Pediatric Oncology Clients: A Guidebook For Occupational Therapists, Marzia Khan, Lesley Khan-Farooqi, Brooke Weber

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project addressed the critical gap in psychosocial support for pediatric oncology clients by developing an evidence-based guidebook for occupational therapy (OT) practitioners. Grounded in the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), the guidebook provides therapists with developmentally appropriate strategies to enhance emotional regulation, social participation, and engagement in meaningful activities for children aged 3 to 12 undergoing cancer treatment. The project identified key psychosocial challenges through qualitative interviews, needs assessments, and real-time clinical feedback and designed targeted interventions aligned with OT principles. The digital guidebook provides accessible, structured resources to support holistic, client-centered care and improve the quality of …

Occupational Therapy In Upper Limb Loss, Prosthetics, And Rehabilitation: A Video Training Series For Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Bailey M. Brown, Lesley Khan-Farooqi

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this capstone project was to deepen my understanding of upper limb prosthetics, observe patient care, and identify gaps in occupational therapy education related to upper limb loss, prosthetic use, and rehabilitation. A key objective was to support the Hanger Clinic by increasing the number of completed Upper Limb Prosthetic User Outcome Forms, as well as to capture photos and videos—separate from this video training series—to contribute to Hanger’s educational library. Additionally, the project aimed to develop practical resources for both patients and clinicians navigating upper limb loss. Insights gained throughout this experience informed the creation of a …

Sound Asleep: A Manual For Occupational Therapy Practitioners (Otp) Addressing Sleep-Related Challenges In Young Children, Lorie-Ann Love, Ellen M. Pope Otd, Otr/L, Angela L. Blackwell Phd, Otr

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project sought to address the limited competence and confidence of occupational therapy practitioners (OTP) in providing services for children and families facing sleep-related challenges. The objective was to enhance OTP knowledge and skills in delivering specialized sleep interventions through the development of an educational resource. The project was implemented across two settings: telehealth and an outpatient pediatric service, integrating both virtual and outdoor environments for occupational therapy (OT). Participants include OTP, OT students, and families of young children (ages 0-5) experiencing sleep disturbances.

The project followed a structured four-phase approach: strengths and needs assessment, development of an educational …

Learning What To Say Through Theater And Play: A Theater Arts Communication And Conflict Resolution Program For Neurodivergent Children, Elena Corsair, Steven M. Gerardi

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Joshua’s Stage is a theater-based enrichment program for children with special needs. Joshua’s Stage provides developmentally appropriate activities for their students, but they do not address clinical or functional problems. Problem: Joshua’s Stage does not provide specialized programming to meet the needs of neurodivergent children with communication problems and conflict resolution, making it difficult for these children to participate fully. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to create a theater arts communication and conflict resolution program for neurodivergent children to be integrated into Joshua’s Stage enrichment program. A four-week program, consisting of eight sessions, was developed over a 14-week …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Bladder And Bowel Management For Individuals With Spinal Cord Injuries: An Educational Video Series, Julia Ryan, Steven Gerardi, Heather Rennerfeldt

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners are uniquely positioned to support individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) in developing effective bowel and bladder management (BBM) routines. However, most existing literature approaches BBM from a medical perspective, offering limited guidance on how to translate occupation-based strategies into OT practice. This lack of discipline-specific resources contributes to reduced confidence among generalist practitioners and hinders the consistent implementation of BBM interventions across inpatient and community settings. To address this gap, a nine-part educational video series was developed to enhance OT practitioners’ knowledge, clinical reasoning, and confidence in delivering BBM interventions for clients with SCI. The …

Graded Habilitation Activities For Direct Support Professionals: An Educational Video Series, Christi Cantu, Steven M. Gerardi, Daniel J. Burt

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project was created for direct support professionals (DSPs) to have a new resource for education and training on how to properly apply the concept of graded habilitation activities based on the Allen’s cognitive levels to the DSPs sessions. This capstone project was a need in the DSP community for DSPs provide direct care to people with intellectual or development disabilities (IDD). Therefore, this capstone project supports education and training DSPs need to optimally apply graded habilitation activities, based on participants’ cognitive level, to provide optimal services for people with IDD. Problem: DSPs lack knowledge of and education/training …

Bridges To Asd: Building Resilience, Self-Efficacy And Capacity In Belizean Caregivers Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (Asd), Katherine B. Anderton, Amy Satterthwaite, Angela Labrie Blackwell

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

The Bridges to ASD program was a capstone project that contributed to the nonprofit clinic in a developing country by providing resources and training sessions that potentially helped to unify the caregivers, the teachers and the therapists in their common goals to better support their children in the community with ASD.

Occupational Therapy For Participation In Spirituality For Individuals With Cancer: A Scoping Review, Natalie Fernandez, Lesley Khan-Farooqi, Steven Gerardi

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

The incidence of cancer continues to rise. For many individuals with cancer, spirituality is an important part of life. Spirituality impacts the individual’s meaning, purpose, self-identity, occupational engagement, occupational performance, and quality of life. However, there are sometimes barriers to participation in religions activities. Occupational therapy (OT) is indicated when people have barriers to participation. However, spirituality is not consistently addressed in OT practice and OT practitioners may not feel comfortable in addressing barriers to participation in spiritual activities among their clients with cancer. Objective: Scoping review methodology was used to answer the research question, how are OT practitioners addressing …

Implementing Self-Regulation Practice And Handouts For Parents And Educators At Linden Waldorf School For The Neurodivergent Student Population​, Samantha Thompson

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone project was completed through a partnership with Linden Waldorf School in Nashville, TN. The invention, application, and advocacy of occupational therapy approaches for the neurodivergent student population were the main objectives of this research. This project aimed to empower Linden Waldorf educators and staff to more effectively address the needs of their kids by offering direct observations, educational presentations, and a range of educational resources on an assortment of neurodivergent deficits and diagnoses. Executive dysfunction, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, difficulties with emotional regulation, autistic spectrum disorders, and anxiety are among the diagnoses and deficiencies discussed in this …

84 - Effect Of Organized Sport Interventions On Motor Outcomes Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder - A Systematic Review., Maeren Hill, Kailash Ram, Caitlyn Warnock, Kaitlin Hardy, Sonia Khurana, Pt, Ph.D.

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Aim:

The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize randomized clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of sports-based interventions on motor outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods:

A comprehensive literature search was conducted on the following five databases from inception to November 2024: PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Clinical Trials. Gray literature was sourced from Google Scholar and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

Articles were eligible for inclusion if they met the following criteria: (1) published in English; (2) participants were under the age of 18 with a diagnosis of ASD; (3) interventions consisted …

Implementation & Evaluation Of A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Transition To Early Intervention Program For High-Risk Infants: A Pilot Study, Erin Price, Otd, Otr/L, Cnt, Ntmtc, Amy Carroll Otd, Otr/L

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Background

Advances in medicine have increased the survival rate of preterm infants. It is well documented that preterm infants have increased risk for developmental delays (Heiny et al., 2020; Pineda et al., 2020) . Additionally, after long stays in the NICU, families report anxiety and feeling unprepared to care for their fragile child at home (Cheong at al., 2020; Garfield et al., 2014; Aloysius et al., 2018; Lakshmanan et al., 2019) . Preterm infants have fewer developmental delays when enrolled in a program that fosters development of skills and provides caregiver education; however, there is often a 4-5 month gap …

Training To Move An Evidence-Based Dementia Caregiver Support Program Into Practice: A Pragmatic, Randomized, Non-Inferiority Trial Protocol, Nancy A. Hodgson, Miranda V. Mcphillips, Karen B. Hirschman, Emily Summerhayes, Catherine Verrier Piersol, Laura N. Gitlin

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

Background

Objective

Workplace Isolation And Loneliness In School-Based Occupational Therapy Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Study, Megan Ziff Otd, Otr/L, Amy Carroll Otd, Otr/L, Catherine V. Piersol Phd, Otr/L

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Introduction

• Increasing “epidemic” of social isolation and loneliness in the United States
• The workplace is one locale that can provide social connection¹
• School-based occupational therapy practitioners (SBOTPs) report feeling isolated in the workplace²
• Lack of time can constrain development of collaborative relationships³
• Contractors in particular report feeling on the outskirts of school team communication⁴
• No prior study specific to SBOTP’s workplace isolation and loneliness

Purpose: Describe workplace isolation and workplace loneliness in SBOTPs; investigate their relationship to employment type, and indirect time.

Hypothesis 1: A weak-to-moderate positive relationship between workplace isolation and workplace loneliness in SBOTPs …

Comparison Of Treatments For Lumbar Disc Herniations & Long-Term Pain Relief, Becca Pollack

D.U.Quark

A lumbar disc herniation (LDH) occurs when the intervertebral disc pushes out from the disc space and irritates the surrounding nerves. LDHs are typically diagnosed via MRI scan, and the most common symptoms are low back pain and shooting leg pain, along with leg weakness/numbness. Although many different treatments are available to treat LDHs, few papers have compared the efficacy of treatment beyond 12 months. This review evaluates the differences between popular LDH treatments, like epidural steroid injections and microdiscectomies, at reducing leg and back pain, as well as comparing newer treatments’ efficacy at treating pain. Research comparing treatments should …

Disability-Related Diversity In Occupational Therapy: A Scoping Review, Molly Whitlow, Allison Singh, Johana Cedillo, Brady A. Harrison, Sydney Wondra

Posters and Presentations: Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Ergonomic Consulting As Fieldwork: A Pandemic Need & Beyond, Sarah Klunk, Mba, Otr/L, Sara Loesche, Ms, Otr/L, Cht, Ceas

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Background

In March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted clinical and educational environments accessed by occupational therapy students. Educators had to reimagine learning in virtual spaces—including fieldwork education. At the same time, workers in many industries quickly pivoted from office spaces to a work from home (WFH) environment. Most workers had to navigate this transition without employer support—especially in larger companies (Voss et al., 2021).

This project was a collaboration between the academic fieldwork coordinator (AFWC) and a faculty member (fieldwork educator) who worked to identify a need for services as a result of the shift in work environments. Then, …

Backpacks & Beyond: Applying Ergonomic Principles To Promote Wellness For School Students And Staff, Sara Loesche, Ms, Otr/L, Cht, Ceas

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Overview

Students in elementary and secondary educational settings encounter ergonomic risk factors due to sedentary activity, poor postural habits, backpacks, and lack of knowledge related to health and wellness. Additionally, students are still physically developing during childhood and adolescent years.

An Occupational Therapy Intervention To Enhance Social And Physical Well-Being In Young Adults With First Episode Psychosis, Sarah Zagorac, Caitlin Taylor, Nuriya Neumann, Ilyse Kramer, Tina Deangelis

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Background

Can Occupational Therapy (OT) increase social participation, physical well-being, and functional recovery in young adults with psychosis?

• Early Intervention Services (EIS), including Coordinated Specialty Care programs (CSC), for young adults who experience a first episode of psychosis (FEP) have been shown to reduce hospitalizations, increase quality of life, and increase global functioning.^1,2,3
• Young adults who experience FEP report a need to further address physical well-being and social participation, areas of life linked with long-term functional recovery.^4,5,6
• Early evidence related to the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the disproportionate impact on underserved youth’s psychological well-being, including decreased social participation and …

Fostering Autonomy And Self Efficacy: An Informal Caregiver's Guide To Encouraging Participation In Self-Care, Jade A. Evans, Steven M. Gerardi, Precious Osuoha

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Helping Hands and Active Lives is a practical guidebook designed to empower informal caregivers to support senior independence and well-being. It offers evidence-based strategies to enhance communication, mobility, and daily function while emphasizing the impact of caregiving approaches on occupational success.

Interprofessional Education And Collaboration In The Philippines: Current Landscape, Gaps, And Propositions, Arvie Vitente, Michael Sy, Reeva Ann Sumulong, Anna Causapin, Jocel Regino

Rehabilitation Sciences Department Faculty Articles

Interprofessional education (IPE) is a forward-looking strategy in healthcare education that unites students and professionals from various disciplines to enhance interprofessional collaboration (IPC). IPE is designed to prepare future health and social care professionals to navigate and address the complexities of modern healthcare systems. In the Philippines, despite being a developing country with a fragmented healthcare system, there have been efforts over the last 15 to 20 years to introduce and institutionalize IPE and IPC in both higher education and healthcare settings. However, significant challenges persist, including the dominance of medical professionals, inadequate regulatory mechanisms, and a lack of strong …

Understanding The Challenges And Opportunities For Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy In Filipino Physical Therapy Practice: An Exploratory Survey, Oliver Ang, Lily Ann Bautista, Maria Carmela Gerella, Roly Dimol, Arvie Vitente, Ulysses Juntilla, Michael Brian Gasidan

Rehabilitation Sciences Department Faculty Articles

Introduction. Orthopedic manual physical therapy (OMPT) is renowned for its positive biophysical and psychosocial effects, making it an important tool in clinical practice. Although OMPT has long been a stable intervention used in developed countries, its adoption has spiked in developing countries, including the Philippines. Despite this progress, no comprehensive study has explored the factors that may hinder or enable Filipino physical therapists (PTs) from utilizing OMPT into their daily clinical practice. The aim of this study was to conduct a thorough behavioral analysis to determine Filipino PTs' capabilities, opportunities, and motivations for using orthopedic manual therapy in their …

A Collective Approach: Enhancing Population Health And Social Drivers Of Health Through Interprofessional Education And Collaboration, Arvie Vitente

Rehabilitation Sciences Department Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Quality Of Life Through Participant-Led Programming For Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Hannah Bolton

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

There are currently over 6.5 million Americans living with an intellectual disability (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019). Research shows that individuals with intellectual disabilities are more likely to experience a lower quality of life (QOL) compared to those without disabilities (Hughes-McCormack et al., 2017). Eight core domains have been identified as essential to quality of life: emotional well-being, interpersonal relationships, material well-being, personal development, physical well-being, self-determination, social inclusion, and rights (Lachapelle et al., 2005). In response to these needs, this capstone project aimed to implement customized, supported, participant-led programming at a day program for adults with …

Implementing A Palliative Care Approach In Acute Care Occupational Therapy Practice, Gianina Concepcion

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this doctoral capstone project was to develop and provide an educational resource for acute care occupational therapists to improve knowledge and confidence in treating patients with serious illnesses using a palliative care approach. Through the needs assessment taken by the rehabilitation team, it was discovered that occupational therapists overall were least familiar with palliative care, but at least one occupational therapist reported feeling confident in addressing functional mobility, feeding, mental health, functional abilities, leisure activities, cognition, and communication to improve quality of life. While palliative care is a sub-specialty, the principles and many practices should be employed …

Development Of A Mental Health Screening Protocol And Educational Materials For Cares Therapy Clinic, Darlene C. Horn

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

In the United States, 26% of individuals report living with mental illness each year. Those with a disability are 5 times more likely to report symptoms of mental distress. Additionally, underinsured individuals are at increased risk of going undiagnosed and untreated.

A student-run free clinic that provides occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy, and speech therapy services to underinsured individuals implemented a new initiative to screen patients using the Patient-Health-Questionnaire (PHQ) assessment due to the higher risk of undiagnosed mental illness. However, with no dedicated mental health providers on staff, there was a need to develop a standard protocol for students …

Mindfulness In Motion: Development Of A Post-Operative Protocol For Rotator Cuff Repair Using Reformer Pilates, Carrington M. Lee

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

INTRODUCTION: Reformer Pilates, based on values of breath, whole-body health, whole-body commitment, and whole-body encompassing mind, body, and spirit, is a form of low-impact exercises using a specialized machine with springs and straps to gauge resistance, primarily targeting core and postural strength. Evidence demonstrates the use of Reformer Pilates in rehabilitation, signifying improvement in chronic pain, physical health, and mental health compared to traditional therapies. Local adult outpatient clinic prioritizes movement in rehabilitation by using Reformer Pilates, incorporating this into treatment during occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) sessions. The clinic has a significant number of patients with post-op …

Educational Resource Development For College Students With Intellectual & Developmental Disability:A Focus On Adls And Mental Health, Regan Fosmire

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

This Occupational Therapy (OT) Doctoral Capstone project was completed in a university-based Inclusive Post-Secondary Education (IPSE) program serving enrolled students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). These programs offer college students with IDD opportunities in academic learning, independent living, personal development, career training, and social participation. In response to a site needs analysis, this quality improvement project sought to develop educational resources to improve student confidence and preparedness for independent living and mental health education.

The project had two primary goals: (1) to create accessible, evidence-based educational materials to support students’ understanding of mental health and activities of daily living …

Sensory Processing And Intervention In The Pediatric Setting: Resources For Implementing Sensory Strategies In The Pediatric Outpatient Clinic, Community, And Among Different Diagnoses, Sophia Evatt

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Sensory Integration is such an important concept as sensory processing underlies all independent functioning (Miller et al., 2017), and it is particularly important for pediatric occupational therapists as sensory processing differences are especially common in pediatric populations (Ahn et al., 2004; Leekam et al., 2007).

The purpose of this capstone project is to facilitate occupational therapy clinician competence and confidence in implementing sensory strategies and techniques within an outpatient pediatric clinic that provides in-clinic and community-based services. Project goals include the creation of educational materials in order to improve confidence and to facilitate creativity when incorporating sensory strategies into treatment …

Expanding Health Literacy Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Developing And Delivering Educational Sessions, Mary H. Lambert

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Older adults face numerous challenges in maintaining their health and independence, often due to limited access to health information that supports aging in place. This capstone project was executed in a community-based setting catered to older adults and focused on increasing health literacy to promote independence and overall well-being. Through interactive educational sessions, the project aimed to enhance participants’ understanding of key health topics relevant to their daily lives.

The overarching goals of this project were to provide accessible, engaging, and practical health education to older adults, empowering them to make informed decisions about their health. Specifically, the sessions addressed …

Optimizing Pelvic Health: Evaluating The Efficacy Of Prenatal Strength And Resistance Training Combined With Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises In Reducing Pelvic Organ Prolapse Risk, Samantha Requilman

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is the descent of pelvic organs—such as the bladder, rectum, or uterus—into the vaginal canal, causing symptoms like discomfort, incontinence, and pain. Beyond physical effects, postpartum women may also experience anxiety, decreased self-confidence, and fear of symptom progression. Research by O’Boyle et al. (2002) highlights that POP studies have focused more on treatment than prevention and suggests that while pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFME) are supported as effective preventive strategies, POP remains prevalent in pregnancy. There are limited research studies on the effectiveness of prenatal resistance training in the prevention of pelvic dysfunctions and this study …