Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Animal Assisted Therapy When Used As An Adjunct To Occupational Therapy In The Rehabilitation Of Persons Who Have Had Cerebral Vascular Accidents, Alice Arlene Briggs

Masters Theses

Occupational therapists can use animals to assist their clients in achieving goals in treatment. Most often dogs are used as they are more easily trained. The dog may fetch a ball thrown by the client or stand still and allow the client to brush it. These activities with the animal increase the client's range of motion, endurance and strength. Dogs as well as other animals are used in various ways to elicit the desired response from the client. No studies were found in the literature that examined the use of animals as adjuncts to, or as modalities in occupational therapy …

Locus Of Control, Activity Level, And Living Situation Among The Elderly, Jennifer L. Birchenough

Masters Theses

The focus of this study was to investigate the relationships among locus of control, activity level, and living situation in the elderly. The participants in this study consisted of 62 elderly individuals who resided in one of three living situations: (1) independent living, (2) assisted living, and (3) comprehensive care centers. All participants were screened for cognitive status using the Mini-Mental State Assessment (Folstein, M., Folstein, S., & McHugh, 1975). Individuals who scored in the normal range then completed a Locus of Control Scale (Rotter, 1966) and the Index of Occupational Behavior (Gregory, 1983) to address the meaningfulness of, and …

Cultural Considerations In Clinical Reasoning: An Occupational Therapy Case Study, Sandra M. Winter

Masters Theses

This study looked at an occupational therapist's work with clients from varied cultural backgrounds. Qualitative research strategies and a phenomenological approach were used to gather data through interviews with a single respondent and observation of treatment. This methodology was used to examine the process utilized to acquire cultural knowledge and integrate that knowledge into treatment planning. Research focused on: (a) how the cultural background of a client influenced an occupational therapist as she planned and implemented treatment, (b) how the treatment process was influenced by cultural differences between the therapist and the client, and (c) how training or education helped …

Perceived Differences Between Male And Female Occupational Therapists’ Treatment And Other Related Gender Issues, Dennis Robert Jones

Masters Theses

This study explored how occupational therapy clients perceive the treatment they receive from male and female occupational therapists. The study was conducted in a qualitative manner. Occupational therapy supervisors who have supervised both female and male occupational therapists were interviewed to gain an initial understanding of the relevant issues. More structured interviews were then conducted with clients who have been treated by both a female and a male occupational therapist. Therapists and clients were also observed during four treatment sessions.

Analysis of the data collected through interviews revealed that supervisors and clients do notice some behavioral differences in male and …

Musicians' Upper Extremity Musculoskeletal Problems: Medical Care From The Patients' Perspective, Susan Gail Stephenson

Masters Theses

This study was conducted to add to the body of knowledge concerning musicians' musculoskeletal problems and to investigate whether an occupational therapy specialty is warranted for this field of medicine. An original questionnaire was constructed and administered to the members of three symphony orchestras. Three primary sections of the questionnaire address participants' demographic and occupational characteristics, symptom and treatment experiences, and opinions on medical care. Descriptive data are reported for all sections of the questionnaire. Particular attention is given to the effectiveness of traditional occupational and physical· therapy treatments. Data are provided regarding the relationships between variables: (a) certain personal …

Assessing The Pragmatic Skills Of Adolescents With And Without Learning Disabilities On A Dramatization Task, Amy L. Juergens

Masters Theses

This study was designed to compare the pragmatic skills of adolescents with and without learning disabilities as measured by a dramatization task. Seventeen high school students with learning disabilities and 17 normal-achieving high school students participated in this study. Twenty scenes were presented verbally to the participants who were instructed to act out the part of a character in each scene, making up the dialogue to fit the scene. The responses were scored for their pragmatic appropriateness and linguistic quality. Task reliability and validity analyses indicated that the dramatization task was an effective measure of key aspects of pragmatic skills. …

The Effect Of The Hapad Longitudinal Metatarsal Arch Pad On Ground Reaction Forces And Rear Foot Angle, William F. Rocker

Masters Theses

The effectiveness of the Hapad Longitudinal Metatarsal Arch Pad (HLMAP) to correct for pronation was investigated using 30 female volunteer student subjects. The investigation consisted of measuring ground reaction forces measured by a force plate and rear foot angle (RFA) measured by video digitization. The repeated measures design consisted of l grouping variable with 3 levels, supinators, mildpronators, and over pronators, and 2 research variables, 10 trials, and pad/no-pad. The results indicated (a) no significant difference for medial or lateral force, propulsive force, vertic al thrust, negative torque among groups, or between pad/no-pad; (b) a significant difference was found for …