Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Reducing Emergency Department Visits Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Teri Nguyen

Nursing | Student Research Posters

In the realm of pediatric healthcare, children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face unique challenges alongside their caregivers. Caregivers face challenges in accessing appropriate support and resources to effectively address the needs of children with ASD. Children with ASD struggle with sensory sensitivities, impaired safety awareness, and difficulties perceiving potential dangers which put them at greater risk for injuries. As a result, children with autism have higher rates of emergency department visits compared to their neurotypical peers. This research aims to assess the effectiveness of nurse-led home injury prevention and education in reducing emergency department visits for children with …

Enhancing Athletic Participation: Continuous Glucose Monitoring For Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Athletes, Danielle Santiago

Nursing | Senior Theses

The difficulties that children and teenagers with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) encounter are discussed in this thesis, with a focus on how fear of hypoglycemia (FOH) and actual hypoglycemia associated with this chronic illness affects their ability to engage in physical activities, especially organized sports. A common challenge for children diagnosed with T1DM is meeting the daily recommendation of 60 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity. The purpose of the proposed study is to evaluate if participation in structured exercise (physical education classes and after-school sports) increases among school-aged children who wear continuous glucose monitors (CGM) when …

Reducing Emergency Department Visits For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Nurse-Led Home Interventions, Teri Nguyen

Nursing | Senior Theses

In the realm of pediatric healthcare, children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face unique challenges alongside their caregivers. Caregivers face challenges in accessing appropriate support and resources to effectively address the needs of children with ASD. Children with ASD struggle with sensory sensitivities, impaired safety awareness, and difficulties perceiving potential dangers which put them at greater risk for injuries. As a result, children with autism have higher rates of emergency department visits compared to their neurotypical peers. This research aims to assess the effectiveness of nurse-led home injury prevention and education in reducing emergency department visits for children with …

Enhancing Athletic Participation: Continuous Glucose Monitoring For Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Athletes, Danielle Santiago

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a lifelong autoimmune condition requiring exogenous insulin, daily insulin management, and blood glucose monitoring (Kahanovitz et al., 2018). Diagnosis, often in childhood, brings overwhelming challenges for children and parents. While no cure exists, advances in monitoring and insulin delivery enhance blood sugar control and quality of life (Mayo Clinic, 2023)

Problem Statement: It is suspected that children with T1DM develop a fear of hypoglycemia (FOH) that deters exercise. Cockroft et al. (2023) found that 70% of youth with T1DM do not meet the recommended amount of exercise (Cockcroft et al., 2023). Physical education …

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 …

Early Diagnosis Of Celiac Disease In Pediatric Patients, Nicole Gertsberg

Nursing | Student Research Posters

Celiac disease affects about 1% of the population; however, the indistinct symptoms make it difficult to diagnose. Children are vulnerable populations who are able to experience this disease, but go severely undiagnosed. As a result, when this population matures, additional health issues arise such as other autoimmune diseases. Different studies were done regarding diet modifications, gaps in research, and treatment options for Celiac disease. This is the reason to investigate whether early diagnosis in childhood will achieve better health outcomes through diet modifications. A cohort study will be performed on Celiac disease patients, ages 5 to 15 years old at …

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 Effects Of Screen Time On Children, Jacqueline Valdepenas

Nursing | Senior Theses

With the development of technology continuing to grow at a fast-paced pace in society, children are now becoming exposed to such technology at a younger age. The introduction of smartphones and tablets, which is defined as screen time in this paper, are being introduced to children as young as 6 months of age. Instead of children playing with toys recommended for their age, they use screen time for their play needs and entertainment. Some parents use screen time as a distraction and/or relief for their own needs when the child is upset or they’re unable to tend to the child. …

Safe Practices For Preventing Covid-19 Among School-Aged Children, Meleena Reyelle Banda-Garcia

Nursing | Senior Theses

Communicable diseases and infections are common health problems among children. Among the most impactful communicable diseases present today is COVID-19, a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2, which has forced many school closures due to rapid transmission. Despite children not being the main driving factor of the spread of the disease, severe complications underlying COVID-19 incidence have resulted in increased hospitalization among school-age children.The initial global response to the spread of COVID-19 included the closure of school systems; however as the disease continues to be effectively managed, communities are starting to re-open schools partially or entirely nationwide. Although pharmaceutical …

Effects Of Dance/Movement Therapy On Pediatric Oncology Patients, Kaitlin Callorina

Nursing | Senior Theses

Pediatric nursing specializes in caring for patients from birth through adolescence; therefore, pediatric nursing can be spiritually challenging but rewarding. This thesis will explore the questions:

• Does dance/movement therapy have the potential to improve the quality of life for children who are diagnosed with cancer?
• How does dance/movement therapy change the quality of life in pediatric cancer patients throughout their diagnosis and treatment?

To aid in answering these questions, this thesis will examine various research articles related to dance/movement therapy and other creative arts therapy as complementary medicine and integrating the activity into nursing care. Children who are diagnosed and …

A Cross-Content Validation: Sosi-M & Bot-Sf, Eleanor Brewer, Emily Yuen, Alyssa Asuncion, Taylor Hanson, Mariella Villanueva

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

This thesis paper examines a new assessment, Structured Observations of Sensory Integration- Motor (SOSI-M), and it’s concurrent validity against the well-validated Bruininks- Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency Second Edition (BOT-2). This research study answers the question of “Do the scores from SOSI-M correlate with scores from the BOT-2 in a sample of children 5 to 14 years of age?”. The participants for this study are school-aged children between the ages of five to fourteen years old, all genders, English-speaking, ambulate without assistance or use of orthotic devices, and have motor and sensory abilities sufficient in order to complete both motor …

The Effects Of Therapeutic Listening On Bilateral Coordination, Avery Wilson, Mios Buccat, Amanda Grace Irao, Morgan Mousley, Michael Yra Munchua

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Therapeutic Listening® is an intervention increasingly used by occupational therapists despite the lack of supporting evidence in current literature. Therapeutic Listening® is a sound-based treatment developed by Sheila Frick, OTR/L, rooted in sensory integration. The purpose of this continuation study was to compare the quality of bilateral movement in typically developing children after either listening to Therapeutic Listening® Bilateral Coordination Quick Shift or listening to white noise. This study used a randomized control pretest-posttest experimental design to analyze posture, smooth and continuous movement, effort, precision, and arm/leg movements. Specific items were further analyzed after eliminating those with a strong ceiling …

What We Can't Understand: The Non-Verbal Communication Among Autistic Children, Samantha Simmons

Senior Theses

This project is about children on the Autism Spectrum Disorder and the tools they use to communicate with others. I touch on the ways parents can help their children at home and how they can assist their child to talk even if they are told they will never do so. Discussed in the paper are the various methods of communication including PECS, the QWERTY keyboard, and mobile applications. These can be used on an iPad, iPhone, smartphone etc. The nutritional benefit of some foods for children with autism is also a contributing factor of how they act. Eating foods such …

The Effects Of Therapeutic Listening On Bilateral Coordination, Avery Wilson, Mios Buccat, Amanda Grace Irao, Morgan Mousley, Michael Yra Munchua

Student Research Posters

Therapeutic Listening® is an intervention increasingly used by occupational therapists despite the lack of supporting evidence in current literature. Therapeutic Listening® is a sound-based treatment developed by Sheila Frick, OTR/L, rooted in sensory integration. The purpose of this continuation study was to analyze the quality of bilateral movement in typically developing children after a Therapeutic Listening® session using a more sensitive, qualitative measure. This study used a randomized control pretest-posttest experimental design to analyze posture, smooth and continuous movement, effort, precision, and arm/leg movements. Specific items were further analyzed after eliminating those with a strong ceiling effect and focusing on …