Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effectiveness Of Occupation-Based Virtual Reality Intervention On Upper Extremity Functional Improvement In Post-Stroke Individuals: A Systematic Review, Darcy Bowman, Tiffani Suhm, Ann Marie Brown, Aubrey Barrett, Hannah Reilley

Student Journal of Occupational Therapy

Purpose: Virtual reality (VR)-based therapy is an emerging practice in the clinical setting and still requires research documenting its efficacy. This review analyzed the effectiveness of VR-based therapy on upper extremity (UE) motor recovery in individuals with chronic stroke by analyzing multiple randomized controlled trials.

Methods: Search limits for this review consisted of articles published between January 2010 and January 2020 and available in English. Search keywords were based on language in individual databases (e.g. stroke or cerebrovascular accident, upper extremity, occupational therapy). Articles were limited to include only randomized control trials consisting of adult patients (18+) with …

Spinal Cord Injury-Movement Index (Sci-Mi) Fine Motor Item Pool: Development And Preliminary Validation, Rachel Y. Kim, Otd, Nicole Gerhardt, Ms, Otr/L, Mj Mulcahey, Phd, Otr/L, Fasia

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Purpose: Describe the conceptual framework and preliminary results from pretesting for content validation of the Fine Motor Item Pool of the SCI-MI.

Coaching In Context: Implications For Practice & Parent Perspectives, Rachel Y. Kim, Otd, Otr/L, N. Gerhardt, Ms, Otr/L, Cbis, Bernadette Alpajora, Otd, Otr/L, Mj Mulcahey, Phd, Otr/L, Fasia, Clcp

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Introduction

• Informal care partners experience high levels of guilt, stress, anxiety, depression, and overall decreased health and wellness1-3.
• There is a gap in accessibility of services for informal care partners of individuals with chronic conditions4.
• Care partners of individuals with chronic conditions need long-term support and skill-building for the health & well-being of their care recipient and themselves5.

Coaching in Context

• Coaching in Context (CinC) (Figure 1) is a client-driven approach that leverages client’s strengths and addresses challenges through problem-solving skills.
• Coaches connect with clients to build a trusting relationship. The coach uses skillful questioning to enable the client to …

Exploring A Piloted Occupational Therapy Toolkit For Military Children And Youth In Addressing Occupational Performance, Mirely Murcio, Pam Kasyan-Howe, Kristin Domville, Lisa Schubert

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

In the United States (U.S.) there are more family members than military personal in the Department of Defense force with 62.8% of the 2,619,788 family members are children. Research indicates that children of active-duty service members experience unique challenges compared to same age peers due to military life and culture that create occupational disruptions. Research has shown that evidenced based interventions and assessments are needed to support the resilience of military connected children and youth to support their overall health and mental health resulting from the effects of parental deployment and military stressors.

The problem is that despite growing literature …

Occupation Based Program For African American Crossover Youth Aging Out Of Foster Care, Sadé Barnswell, Pam Kasyan-Howe, Kristin Domville, Lisa Schubert

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Unique challenges and differences surround the population of African American crossover youth and how they successfully transition into adulthood once aged out of foster care as compared to same-aged peers (Kim et al., 2019). The problem is that African American crossover youth aging out of the foster care system, are not receiving occupation-based transitional services focusing on IADLs required for adulthood independence resulting in increased prevalence of homelessness (Armstrong-Heimsoth et al., 2020; Flores et al., 2018; Kelly, 2020; Paul-Ward & Lambdin-Pattavina, 2016; Pérez et al., 2019). The purpose of this program development type project is to develop and implement an …

Descriptive Study Of A Healthy Weight Management Program For Overweight Or Obese Children And Youth, Chad Roberts, Pam Kasyan-Howe, Kristin Domville, Lisa Schubert

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The rise in obesity among children and youth in the last 20 years is a public health concern. The prevalence of childhood obesity has multiplied worldwide in the last four decades (“The Heavy Burden of Obesity and the Economics of Prevention,” 2019). Obesity is a complex chronic disease in which abnormal or excessive accumulation of body fat impairs health (Wharton et al., 2020). Childhood obesity can profoundly affect children's physical health, social and emotional well-being, and self-esteem (Rankin et al., 2016 & Purnell et al., 2018). The problem is a lack of an occupation-based evaluation tool utilized to link occupational …

Role Of School-Based Occupational Therapy Practitioners: Perspectives From Teachers And Ots, Kristen A. Ollison, Pam Kasyan-Howe, Kristin Domville, Lisa Schubert

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Schools are the third largest employer of occupational therapists (OTs) in the United States (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021). Occupational Therapists have the distinctive ability to observe the child in their natural context of the school, a place where children participate in a variety of activities (Benson et al., 2015). The problem is that there continues to be discrepancies in the understanding and utilization of OT services in the school setting that affect the perceptions of both OTs and teachers regarding the OT role in school, and general service provision (Bolton & Plattner, 2020; Seruya & Garfinkel, 2020; Truong …

Exploration Of Occupational Therapy’S Role Within The Lgbtq+ Population, Crystal Garcia, Pam Kasyan-Howe, Kristin Domville, Lisa Schubert

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

There are an estimated 11 million individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ in the United States (Rosendale et al., 2019). With this number steadily increasing, it is important that occupational therapists continue to become culturally competent and educated on different strategies to transform the way individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ are given and receive treatment. The problem is that there is a gap in the literature supporting occupational therapist cultural competence to integrate occupational roles of the LGBTQ+ population into their evaluation and intervention. Without culturally competent educational opportunities, the health care system is inadequately prepared to provide responsive health care …

Culture Change For Occupational Therapists On Safe Patient Handling And Mobility (Sphm): Advocacy For Sphm Policies For A National Organization., Guldana Alizakhova, Pam Kasyan-Howe, Kristin Domville, Lisa Schubert

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Safe patient handling and mobility is an ergonomic approach consisting of policies, programs, and equipment to reduce WMSD and facilitate a culture of safety among patients and healthcare practitioners. Due to occupational therapy’s established role in ergonomics, practitioners are skilled to utilize SPHM to provide evaluative, consultative, preventative, and therapeutic services to patients while preventing WMSDs to healthcare practitioners. Despite OT’s contributions to SPHM, occupational therapy practitioners are not recognized as leaders in SPHM. To address this problem, in the Spring 2021 meeting, the AOTA Representative Assembly was presented a request for action by a taskforce that also recognized this …

Advocating For Occupational Therapy’S Role In Secondary Stroke Prevention, Madison Coker Cox, Becki Cohill, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA), or stroke, is a leading cause of death and a major source of disability in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2017). Stroke is classically characterized as a neurological deficit attributed to an acute focal injury of the central nervous system (CNS) by a vascular cause de (Sacco, et al., 2013). Vascular causes include cerebral infarction, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). and is a major cause of disability and death worldwide (Sacco, et al., 2013). Stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients are at a high risk for a subsequent …

Ot’S Role In Older Adult Transitions To Assisted Living, Michelle Chavez, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: The transition of moving to an assisted living facility as an older adult can be accompanied by many physical and psychological challenges affecting adjustment to such a facility. Occupational therapists assist clients as they prepare for and cope with major life transitions, however this role is most often seen in childhood and early adulthood transitions. Occupational therapists are skilled at facilitating the re-establishment of roles, habits, routines, and rituals and are knowledgeable in how the environment serves as a major influence on this. Because of this, it would be ideal for occupational therapists to have a role in facilitating …

Addressing Food Insecurity Among College Students: A Life Skills Program, Lizbeth Mapa, Karen Park, Susan Macdermott, Becki Cohill

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Food insecurity, or the “limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate, safe foods, or inability to acquire personally acceptable food in socially acceptable ways,” is becoming a prevalent problem. College students are one of the susceptible groups to food insecurity, impacting many aspects of a student’s daily life. At present, there is limited OT-based programming that addresses the multiple internal and external factors of food insecurity in college students.

Purpose: The purpose of this capstone project was to develop a life skills program for college students experiencing food insecurity. The program aimed to address internal and external …

The Path A Pilot Program Bringing The Hero S Journey To Occupational Therapy, Cole Milkovich, Susan Macdermott

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The "Hero’s Journey" is a powerful narrative therapy tool that uses the hero metaphor to help clients reframe their life circumstances (Robertson & Lawrence, 2015; Williams, 2017). However, this concept has only been utilized in the department of psychology. Occupational therapists utilize narrative reasoning to guide client-heroes through a rehabilitative rite of passage through the collaboration (Kelly, 2007). As mentors, clinicians assist client-heroes to create their stories that will be acted out to reflect their identity. Therefore, the therapeutic process aims to empower the client and enact a real positive storyline through meaningful occupation (Clark, 1993; Mattingly, 1998).

The challenge …

An Exploration Of Dating As An Occupation For Autistic Adults, Maryam Binaei, Susan Macdermott

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Despite the presence and popularity of dating cultures in the media, the occupation of dating is highly complex and still prematurely understood through research. Recent research has found autistic adults to experience increased variety in their gender and sexual identity as well as challenges to achieving dating goals. A doctoral capstone project was completed to explore current approaches to resources and programs to address their dating needs, as well as understand their experiences in more depth. A needs assessment was carried out through an occupational therapist working with autistic adults in a day program. The need’s assessment revealed that autistic …

Exploring Occupational Therapy’S Role In Supporting Health And Wellness In The Transition To Motherhood, Katelynn A. Lillibridge, Karen Park, Susan Macdermott

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The transition to motherhood [matrescence] is a time of major life changes. All aspects of a new mother’s life are impacted during matrescence as she assumes her new role, identity, responsibilities, and learns the occupational skills of mothering. During this time, health, wellness, and occupational balance may all be impacted. This is a sensitive time for mothers with potential implications for both short and long-term health. Using an occupation-based approach can be a way to provide comprehensive support and care to mothers during this period to promote health and wellness, enhance occupational engagement, and support meaningful co-occupations. Currently …

Supporting Foster Care Transition Into Adulthood And Independent Living, Victoria Bui, Karen Park, Susan Macdermott, Becki Cohill

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The focus of this project was to enhance currently existing foster youth programming to promote engagement and participation in independent living skills (ILS) development. Research shows that although such programming exists to support foster youth transitioning into independent living, services are underutilized and may greatly benefit from a more personalized and holistic approach to engage participants. The process of this project included conduction of a needs assessment to understand site-specific areas of concern impacting occupational performance. Findings from the needs assessment informed development of a manual containing occupational therapy strategies for program staff to address concerns and promote engagement and …

Exploring The Impact Of Infertility On Women, Leslie Trinh, Susan Macdermott, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: In the United States, approximately 16% of couples, or roughly five million individuals, are diagnosed with infertility (Collins, 2019). The literature demonstrates that the experience of infertility limits the ability to participate in daily occupations and fulfill occupational roles. The goal of this study was to gain a better understanding of how occupations and roles are impacted by the experience of infertility and use that information to determine whether there is a potential role for occupational therapy in providing care to this population.

Methods: This study took a qualitative approach using interviews and photo elicitation to gain a deeper …

The Impact Of Culture On Family-Centered Care, Summer Akbar, Susan Macdermott, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Consistent caregiver involvement in therapy services is a necessity for an increase in therapeutic outcomes for children and caregiver confidence. A caregiver’s cultural background plays a significant role in choices made on behalf of their child and the amount of caregiver engagement that is involved in their child’s therapy services. When cultural factors and needs are unacknowledged or unmet by therapists, this can lead to a decrease in motivation for caregivers and their children to participate in therapeutic interventions. Due to the essential need for a caregiver to be involved in their child’s pediatric therapy services, pediatric OTs must learn …

Ot’S Role In A Social Enterprise Jobs Training Program For Homeless Youth, Luke Drohan, Susan Macdermott

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone outlines a jobs training program for transition-aged youth (TAY), ages 18 – 25, currently residing at Urban Street Angels, a transitional housing facility for youth experiencing homelessness located in San Diego, California. The purpose of this project was to incorporate occupational therapy services into the site’s dormant social enterprise program, 8West. 8West produces a line of artisanal hand soaps created in-house by the youth living at Urban Street Angels. Through experiential and didactic learning, youth developed integral skills in customer service, communication, sales, marketing, professionalism, and production. The project addressed an unmet need for job skills training and …

Exploring The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Development Of Behavior Management Programs For Elementary School Teachers And Staff, Lauran Minark, Becki Cohill, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Behavior, how one acts, influences occupation, the things one needs and wants to do. When a student struggles with the ability to regulate their behavior and actions, they are more likely to exhibit behaviors in the classroom that negatively impact their overall ability to participate in academic learning in the classroom (Walls & Rauner, 2015). Examples of these student behaviors include: Eloping from the classroom, yelling, tantrums, task refusal, physical and verbal aggression, standing on furniture, throwing materials, etc. Dealing with difficult student behaviors is difficult. This can impact a teacher’s ability to perform their responsibilities required of their …

Adaptive Fashion: Access, Advocacy, And Occupational Therapy, Tiffany Truong, Susan Macdermott, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Adaptive apparel is specially designed to make the dressing experience easier for individuals with disabilities (Azher et al., 2012). Some barriers to accessing adaptive apparel include limited retailers, limitations in design, and affordability. Though dressing is an occupation within occupational therapy’s scope of practice, there are limited research, programs, and projects defining occupational therapy’s role and presence in adaptive clothing.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine and understand individuals with disabilities' perceptions and experiences of fashion and apparel, and to better define occupational therapy’s role in this field.

Methods: The qualitative study used …

Exploring Occupational Therapy’S Role In Sports-Related Concussions, Rajvi Patel, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Concussions or mild traumatic brain injuries are caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or body causing the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth inside the skull (CDC, 2019). Concussions are one of the most common sports injuries reported in the pediatric population (Browne & Lam, 2006). According to the Center for Disease Control, from 2010-2016, a yearly average of 283,000 children, aged 17 and younger, checked into an emergency department for a sports recreation related concussion (CDC, 2019).

Purpose: The purpose of this program is to better understand occupational therapy’s …

Understanding Ot’S Role In Fall Prevention And Analyzing The Perceived Barriers From Nurses And Occupational Therapists In An Inpatient Setting, Kyle B. Esguerra, Becki Cohill, Susan Macdermott

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The aim of this project was to analyze current fall prevention strategies, work and environmental-related barriers, and OT’s role in fall prevention in a hospital setting. Two online surveys consisting of quantitative questions (multiple-choice, select-all-that-apply, and Likert scale) with the option for open-ended answers were given to OT practitioners and nurses with inpatient experience. A total of 341 OT practitioners and 21 nurses completed the survey. The results were transferred to a password-protected Microsoft Excel document in preparation for analysis. Data analysis derived several themes including lack of resources, lack of training, inter-professional collaboration, workload, work culture, cognitive and physical …

Advocating For Occupational Therapy’S Presence In Chronic Pain Programs, Taylor Borin, Susan Macdermott, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: The purpose of this project is to advocate for occupational therapy’s presence in chronic pain programs. In a chronic pain setting occupational therapy currently focuses on enabling individuals to achieve satisfying performance in activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) despite pain and fatigue (Hill, 2016). Treatment interventions focus on activity management, problem solving, activity adaptation, planning/pacing, stress management, relaxation training, and coping skills training (Hill, 2016). Occupational therapy can provide individuals with chronic pain a more diverse and unique perspective on pain management. They can utilize their consideration of psychosocial factors and occupation …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Adaptive Scuba Diving Industry, Erin Wallace, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Adaptive scuba diving is an activity that provides many therapeutic benefits to individuals living with physical, visual, and/or cognitive disabilities. Occupational therapists (OTs) specialize in using valued activities as therapeutic interventions, however, the literature supporting the profession’s value in the adaptive scuba diving industry is limited. There are no clearly defined job descriptions for OTs contributing to the adaptive scuba diving industry although evidence shows the therapeutic potential that OTs can contribute to it.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to demonstrate OT’s value in the adaptive scuba diving industry by creating an adaptive diving reference …

Evaluation Of College And Career Readiness Class Efficacy For Students With Learning Differences, Karen M. Travis, Karen Park, Susan Macdermott

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

A significant percentage of first year students in post-secondary education (PSE) do not persist through their first year and high schools continue to seek new ways of supporting students’ college and career readiness (CCR). Studies show lack of persistence derives not only from academic deficits but in non-academic skill deficits such as self-determination and executive function skills. Public school CCR programs have had limited resources to address these non-academic challenges to their students’ success whereas private high schools have significantly lower student to counselor ratio and many provide enhanced CCR programming. One small private school has provided a new semester …

Assessing Occupational Access And Enhancing Occupational Engagement At Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities, Cristina Ruelas, Susan Macdermott, Ingrid Leu

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Many individuals at inpatient psychiatric facilities experience limited participation in activities of daily living, minimal opportunities for purposeful occupations, very few productive roles, and almost no occupational choice and autonomy (Murphy & Shiel, 2019). Many people report experiencing boredom throughout their stay (Marshall, et. al., 2020). This boredom can lead to poor patient satisfaction, frustration, aggression, or incidents of self-harm (Foye, et al., 2020). Individuals at psychiatric facilities are deprived of participation in daily occupations (Murphy & Shiel, 2019) and they experience an injustice of occupational deprivation.

An Online Educational Resource On Adaptive Sports For People With Spinal Cord Injuries, Rachel Morgan, Steven M. Gerardi

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

A spinal cord injury (SCI) has a serious impact on an individual’s participation in everyday life activities, leading to a high risk of a sedentary life-style. There is a paucity of research pertaining to adaptive sport participation post-injury and the role of occupational therapy (OT). Additionally, there are limited resources available that inform people with SCI on the benefits of adapted sports or where to go to engage in them. As such, this paper describes the development of a doctoral capstone project to address this need. The purpose of this capstone project was to create an educational web page that …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Emergency And Disaster Preparation For The Population Of Physically Disabled Individuals, Aldin Cerillo, Susan Macdermott, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Emergencies and disasters may occur anywhere in the world, with no population immune to their effects. Vulnerable populations, including individuals with physical disabilities, are more at risk and lose the ability to maintain crucial occupations in the event of an emergency or disaster (Rutkow et al., 2015). Currently occupational therapy services have a strong presence in post emergency situations, in a recovery capacity. Despite Safety and Emergency Maintenance being an Instrumental Activity of Daily Living, a gap exists in the literature regarding what occupational therapists may do when engaging in emergency and disaster preparation with individuals who have a physical …

Providing Care To People With Dementia: An Educational Workshop, Hannah Hardeman, Steven M. Gerardi, Emily Frank

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Informal (family) caregivers providing care to loved ones experiencing symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease navigate multiple challenges. Caregivers observe and respond to changes in their loved ones related to physical, emotional and social skills. While providing care to their loved ones, caregivers must be aware of their own needs and the importance of maintaining a balance between the responsibilities of being a caregiver and the responsibilities in other areas of their life. Maintenance of positive emotional and physical health is crucial to providing effective and safe care. Identification of methods to promote the positive health of informal caregivers becomes …