Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Transition Programs For High School Students With Disabilities, Kara Hutchison

Capstone Projects

Students with disabilities frequently experience a gap in services as they grow older and after exiting the public education system. During school, students have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) to support their education, but once they graduate, the services they were receiving expire. Occupational therapy is under- utilized in transition planning for students after graduating high school and entering adulthood. The purpose of this DCE was program development and advocacy with the Project SEARCH transition program while exploring the role of occupational therapy has in transition planning for high school students with disabilities. The goal of this project was to improve …

Combating Social Isolation Among Older Adults Through Intergenerational Relationships With Children; Facilitating Meaningful Connection During Intergenerational Interactions By Improving Sensory Environment And Increasing Engagement During Group Activities, Lillian John

Capstone Projects

The following capstone project focused on the enhancement of meaningful engagement among all participants of an intergenerational care center. The interventions implemented within the intergenerational program were put in place to facilitate communication, improve behavioral regulation, modify sensory environment, create the just right challenge for group activities, and increase independence to promote meaningful engagement and social connection. The implementation of the interventions was completed through on-site education to the employees, the creation of various educational binders to support the participants individually, and adjustments to the environment and group activities. This capstones projects’ primary goal was to improve the efficacy of …

Enhancing Pre-Vocational Programs For High School Students With Disabilities: The Impact Of Occupational Therapy And Support Staff Education, Maria Calzada

Capstone Projects

Pre-vocational programs in high school serve as a crucial platform for supporting students in the transition from education to the workplace. These programs provide classroom instruction, hands-on training, and practical experiences to maximize students’ vocational skills post-high school. Pre-vocational programs provide a crucial platform for the development of IADL skills, task analysis, and the promotion of occupational engagement among diverse populations. The purpose of this DCE was program development within the pre-vocational program and provide additional education for the support staff at the high school setting. The goal was to improve vocational skills, including problem solving, self-advocacy, sequencing, and sustained …

Implementation Of A Bilingual Feeding Program For Hispanic Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sarah Aguilar

Capstone Projects

Feeding is an important occupation that contributes to a child’s physical, emotional, and social development and is also influenced by cultural and environmental factors, (Korth & Maune, 2020). In individuals with developmental delays, specifically autism spectrum disorder (ASD), feeding difficulties have been reported in as many as 75% of children (Nygren et al., 2021). These difficulties often result in increased feelings of anxiety experienced by the child and caregiver. Limited information exists on the impact of these on minority populations, such as Spanish speaking families that face many challenges when accessing healthcare services like language and cultural barriers. Similarly, group …

Pediatric Developmental Milestones And Surveillance; Understanding Pediatrician, Ot, Slp, Bcba, And Respective Pre-Professionals’ Current Knowledge, Roles, And Confidence, Gabrielle A. Jones

Capstone Projects

Limited literature exists on developmental surveillance, particularly occupational therapist’s role, and clinicians’ current knowledge and understanding of the CDC milestones. A pilot study was conducted to better understand the current knowledge, role, and confidence of primary care pediatricians, Speech and Language Pathologists, Board Certified Behavior Analysts, Occupational Therapists and respective pre-professionals regarding utilization of updated CDC developmental milestones and developmental surveillance. My objectives involved gaining knowledge and collaborating to create, administer, collect data, and analyze data using an anonymous survey. This also included collaborating to create, edit, and submit an HSIRB application. Results of this study provide supporting evidence that …

Implementation Of A Life Skills Program With Houseless Youth, Stephanie Velasco

Capstone Projects

The goal of my capstone project was to use occupational therapy knowledge and processes to integrate life skills training into a pre-existing program of services at a not-for-profit organization that helps youth overcome being houseless on Oahu, Hawaii. Occupational therapy as a profession helps individuals to engage in everyday meaningful activities as independently as possible. The scope of occupational therapy includes education and practice of life skills. Life skills are practical abilities and behaviors that allow individuals to effectively meet the demands and challenges of everyday life. Examples of these are knowledge of food and nutrition, meal preparation, home cleanliness …

The Effects Of Customized Art-Based Interventions On The Quality Of Life Of Older Adults With Early-Stage Dementia, Kalei Hubert-Mclennan

Capstone Projects

Occupational therapy (OT) was founded during the Arts and Crafts and Moral Treatment Movement to assist veterans in acclimating to their communities after discharge. While arts and crafts were initially a large part of OT, after the paradigm shift to the medical model in the 1960s, art was replaced by technology and removed from the OT curriculum and ACOTE standards. As OT continued to grow as a profession, art shifted from being part of the psychodynamic approach to being utilized to gather information and foster relationships. While art is an activity that can span across ages, there is a lack …

A Descriptive Study: Capability For Change In Older Adult Falls Prevention Using An Intelligent And Intuitive Online Learning Platform At A Medical Care Facility, Emily N. Makowski

Capstone Projects

Older adult falls are among the most common, fatal, and costly incidents in the United States, yet they are preventable. The literature related to falls prevention education for the older adult population is vast, but evidence of effective falls prevention educational tools for indirect and direct care providers is scant. Occupational therapists collaborate with several disciplines every day and it is important for the team to work together to prevent adverse events. There is limited evidence of training delivered to an interdisciplinary team via an intelligent and intuitive online behavior change learning platform. This paper captures the impact of the …

Integrating Sport’S Vision Training Into Vision Therapy: The Role Of Occupational Therapy, Emily M. Beaird

Capstone Projects

Sports vision training (SVT) is a specialized area of vision therapy focused on enhancing an athlete's visual skills for peak athletic performance. Vision training is vital for athletes because “athletic performance can be one of the most rigorous activities for the visual system” (Khanal, 2015) and is responsible for upward of 80% of the sensory input received during an athletic performance. However, it is often overlooked in traditional training regimens. Focusing on advanced clinical practice and program development, an unmet need for SVT at Origami Rehabilitation was achieved. The main goal was to create an SVT program that catered to …

Sensory Room Protocol And Education On Sensory Processing Differences In The School Setting, Bethany R. Antor

Capstone Projects

This capstone experience and project targets the enhancement of sensory integration strategies within a school environment by upgrading a sensory room, educating paraprofessionals and teachers on sensory processing differences, associated signs, and regulation tips, and implementing new material within a sensory path for increased student regulation. Sensory processing difficulties can significantly impact a child’s learning and behavior, necessitating effective school - based interventions involving an occupational therapist. This project aims to shrink the gap between school staff’s knowledge of sensory processing differences and the needs of their students. The outcomes include improved functionality and utilization of the sensory room, increased …

Incorporation Of Animal Assisted Therapy Into Occupational Therapy Interventions For Pediatric Clients In An Outpatient Setting, Jamie Markus

Capstone Projects

Animal assisted therapy (AAT) is an emerging field that can be used to compliment traditional occupational therapy (OT). This project particularly focused on pediatric clients receiving services in an outpatient clinic. Animal assisted occupational therapy (AAOT) can be used to improve physical, social, and emotional health through the incorporation of a certified therapy dog. OT clients actively participate in a unique and individualized intervention with the therapy dog that is designed to meet their specific goals. The purpose of this project was to further develop the Therapy Dog Clinic at Unified Clinics and to expand services to community-based organizations including …

Support Group Development And Implementation For Parents With Disabilities, Jessica Zydorczyk

Capstone Projects

The focus of this capstone project was to develop a peer-to-peer support group open to any parent or caregiver with a disability navigating the challenges of pregnancy and parenthood. Occupational therapy can have a large impact on the population of individuals parenting with a disability with increased awareness and understanding of their needs. Friendship, community, resource access, and awareness were all needs addressed with the development of the parent support group. The objectives set to be achieved during the 14-week experience included conducting extensive research on the disabled parenting experiences of day-to-day life, developing of handouts and resource collection on …

Implementation Of An Occupation-Focused Education Program For Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Riley Janssen

Capstone Projects

A Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) and project was completed at the conclusion of Western Michigan University’s Occupational Therapy program with the goal of implementing an occupation-focused educational program dedicated toward topics relevant for community-dwelling older adults. The capstone project took place at the Clinton Township Senior Adult Life Center (CTSC) under the mentorship of Ericka Tringali, CPRP. The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) focus area of this project was program development. The program consisted of three educational classes focusing on topics including Basic Activities of Daily Living (BADLs), creating healthy habits and routines, and fall prevention and energy …

Evaluating Sensory Processing And Functional Outcomes Of Children Participating In A Therapeutic Horseback Riding Read And Ride Program: A Single-Subject Research Study, Samantha Dunleavy-Shotsberger

Capstone Projects

Therapeutic horseback riding (TR) can be beneficial to various populations, such as individuals with disabilities, trauma, behavioral problems, anxiety, developmental delay, depression, and learning challenges. However, individuals come with a variety of complex needs and diagnoses, therefore more research is needed to determine how TR impacts the individual. Specifically, there is a lack of understanding of how the individual’s behavior, learning, and sensory processing is affected by TR intervention. Therefore, this study examined the effects of TR on childhood sensory processing and at-risk academic occupational performance in reading as it relates to behavior and attention. A single subject ABA design …

Holistic Education To Empower And Enhance Women's Health Throughout Pregnancy, Birth, And The Postpartum Period, Hannah Wilson

Capstone Projects

Making informed healthcare decisions on behalf of oneself for optimal outcomes first begins with comprehending basic health education about one’s own body, typical bodily functioning and bodily processes and ends with empowered decision making. Health literacy is the ability of an individual to understand and apply basic healthcare information to their personal healthcare decision making and is integral for any and all healthcare providers to comprehend when educating patients in practice. Occupational therapists (OTs) are healthcare professionals that work with any demographic of people to improve satisfaction with performance of everyday living activities and quality of life. OTs’ scope of …

Impact Of Trauma On Development: Creating Training Materials For Effective Trauma Evaluations, Jessica M. Englerth

Capstone Projects

This 14-week capstone project had an education focus under ACOTE standards. This project was completed at Western Michigan University’s Resiliency Center which is part of the Unified Clinics. The focus of this capstone project was to educate new and current staff and students on the administration of trauma evaluations in pediatric and adolescent populations as well as the impact of trauma on development. The purpose of this project was to develop training materials detailing how to administer different assessments that may be used in a trauma assessment including the PDMS-3, the Occupational Regulation Questionnaire, the QNST-3, the BAYLEY-III, the Sensory …

Wild Wheels: Meaningful Art Program Designed For Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Alexis Bailey-Lauchie

Capstone Projects

The Wild Wheels program was designed to offer adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) an opportunity to engage in meaningful and purposeful art-based activities. The aim supports the distinctive value of occupational therapy (OT) defined as enhancing the health and quality of life (QOL) of individuals by promoting participation and engagement in meaningful daily activities. Typically, for individuals with IDD options for meaningful engagement are limited due to various physical/mental limitations and increased need for assistance. The Center for Disability Services (CDS) at Western Michigan University (WMU) introduced the Wild Wheels program to enable participants to create unique artwork …

Development Of Carf Accreditation Requirements For A Vocational Rehabilitation Program For Individuals Independently Living With Post-Traumatic Brain Injury, Samantha Kowalczyk

Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was to assist a vocational rehabilitation program at Community Connections in Sterling Heights, Michigan with developing requirements for CARF Accreditation for individuals independently living with post-traumatic brain injury. This work program site is unique in the fact it is primarily run by Occupational Therapists and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants. Achieving CARF Accreditation, which stands for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, demonstrates that standards are being met and provides greater satisfaction and the possibility for reimbursement and funding for a program. The overall aim was to assist in the development of the primary materials …

Expanding Menstrual Health And Hygiene Management At Western Michigan University, Kaitlyn R. Brady

Capstone Projects

Menstrual health and hygiene are vital yet often overlooked components of women’s well-being with implications for academic success, physical health, and social equity. This capstone project, conducted with Western Michigan University’s Broncos. Period program, aimed to address the critical issue of period poverty and inadequate menstrual hygiene management on campus. Through comprehensive needs assessments, key gaps and opportunities were identified. Objectives were created based on results from the needs assessments and implemented to secure grant funding for menstrual products, establish formal partnerships, and develop educational materials. As a result of the objectives, the project secured funding to restock partner locations, …

Mindful Teaching In Adolescent Dance Educaton: Prioritizing Mental Health, Camille Chimner

Capstone Projects

Mental health continues to be a concern for all ages, especially those within the period of adolescence. Adolescence is a time of great physical, cognitive, social, and emotional change that can be positively facilitated with support and strong coping skills. Adolescent dancers have additional demands placed upon them within the dance space. Adults can play a large role in this support, especially adults who serve as educators and coaches. Dance educators have the opportunity to work closely with dancers and can have great influence on both their physical and emotional health, but are not often trained to be mindful of …

Promoting And Sustaining An Adaptive Sports Program On A College Campus Through Outreach And Resource Developmen, Morgan E. Otero

Capstone Projects

Participation in physical activity is essential for an individual’s health and well-being. However, persons with disabilities have limited access to physical activity due to personal, environmental, institutional, and/or social barriers. This limited access increases a disabled individual’s likelihood of developing secondary health conditions, decreased mental health outcomes, and feelings of social isolation. To combat this, it is important that these individuals have equitable access to and knowledge of adaptive physical activity opportunities such as adaptive sport, recreation, and fitness. To address this need, this capstone project focused on promoting and sustaining an existing adaptive sports and recreation program through the …

Therapeutic Recreation And Adaptive Ice Skating For Individuals With Disabilities, Anna Tamburrino

Capstone Projects

This 14-week doctoral capstone experience (DCE) was completed at Warren Special Recreation Association (WSRA) and Rising Stars Adaptive Skating program, with the focus of program development, education, and leadership. The primary goal of this capstone was to develop an adaptive ice-skating program at WSRA in collaboration with the Rising Stars Adaptive skating program. Further objectives during the capstone experience included the development and provision of training resources for both sites related to the skating program, as well as supplemental trainings for WSRA specific programs. I provided education and training resources to staff and volunteers to promote the distinct value of …

Connections Over Compliance: A Toolkit To Create A Pathway To Success For Teachers, Paraprofessionals, And Students, Mary Kate Nelson

Capstone Projects

This Doctoral Capstone Experience focuses on the development of a comprehensive toolkit tailored specifically for early childhood professionals, including teachers and paraprofessionals. The aim of this toolkit is to provide effective support to students facing various challenges both within and beyond the classroom environment. It encompasses a diverse range of meticulously curated resources and educational materials with occupational therapy principles in mind designed to address critical areas of concern. This toolkit explores sensory processing disorders and equips early childhood professionals with essential knowledge and strategies to support their students. By facilitating ways to create a sensory-friendly environment and supporting the …

Association Between Psychosocial Acuity And Glycemic Control In A Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Clinic., Joseph Wardell, Dana K. Albright Phd, Claire Chang, Melissa A Plegue, Jung Eun Lee, Emily Hirschfeld, Ashley Garrity, Joyce M Lee, Melissa Dejonckheere

Health Services and Informatics Research

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the frequency of psychosocial risk and its associations with glycemic levels in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) seen by social work staff during regular clinical care.

METHODS: A retrospective longitudinal analysis of observational clinical data was conducted. Individuals (1-26 years) with known T1D who were seen at a pediatric diabetes clinic in a US academic medical center between 2014 and 2021 were included. Variables included psychosocial acuity, A1C, and demographic characteristics. Chi-square tests, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, and mixed linear regressions were used to examine associations between demographic variables, psychosocial …

Patient Access To Health Device Data: Toward A Legal Framework, Charles Duan, Christopher J. Morten

Faculty Scholarship

New health care devices, including at-home diagnostic devices, are generating and aggregating data on patients’ health at a staggering pace. Yet much of that data is inaccessible because it is held in data siloes, most often cloud services controlled by device manufacturers. This proprietary siloing of patient data is problematic from ethical, economic, scientific, and broad public policy perspectives. This chapter frames these concerns and begins to sketch a regulatory framework for patient access to health care device data. As with other consumer data, breaking down siloes and securing patients’ access to their device data safeguards patients’ ownership interests, promotes …

The Time Is Now For Vascular Medicine, Heather L Gornik, Raghu Kolluri, Herbert Aronow, Bruce Gray, Geno Merli, Ido Weinberg, Joshua A Beckman

Heart and Vascular Articles

No abstract provided.

Longitudinal Evaluation Of Vitamin D Concentrations In Relation To The Onset Of Type 2 Diabetes In American Adults: A Secondary Data Analysis, Kathryn Michelle Schurr

Dissertations

Background: Prior research has suggested that low levels of Vitamin D may have negative effects on various biological functions, including Type 2 diabetes. The relationship between Vitamin D and the risk of Type 2 Diabetes has not yet been fully investigated. The objective of this research is to examine patients’ laboratory test data longitudinally to determine how vitamin D and other covariates of interest affect Type 2 diabetes status over time.

Methods: This study used retrospective data review from Quest Diagnostics from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2022. Patients included in the study were required to have consecutive test …

The Correlational Effects Of Academic And Demographic Factors On Nursing Students’ Attrition, Progression, And Completion At A University College Of Nursing, Adebusola A. Obafemi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High United States nursing student attrition rates have attracted political, organizational, and social interest for numerous reasons. This attrition places financial burdens on the students, results in revenue loss for the college, and exacerbates the existing nursing shortage. Students' success in a nursing program is crucial for nurses to practice nursing. The purpose of this retrospective study was to explore the effects of academic performance and demographic/categorical factors on nursing students' progression and completion at a University College of Nursing in the Southern United States. The target population consisted of students enrolled at the University College of Nursing from January …

A Multiple-Site Case Inquiry To Identify The Attributes Of Socio-Academic Culture In Successful Entry-To-Practice Respiratory Therapy Programs, Thomas D. Jones

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Background: Organizational structure and culture have been explored extensively in higher education. Nonacademic factors influence student engagement, motivation, and success. Research describing socio-academic culture in health professions programs is limited. Achievement of fundamental social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies empowers students to learn and achieve educational goals. SEL has not been established as a theoretical framework in health professions education. SEL competencies closely align with respiratory therapy (RT) learner needs and essential professional skills. Attributes of socio-academic culture in successful RT programs and their impact on student success are unknown. Objective: To identify the attributes of socio-academic culture in successful entry-to-practice respiratory …

Motivations Behind The Rise And Success Of Homeopathy In India, Kavya Patchipulusu

Senior Theses

Homeopathy is a form of medicine that is incredibly controversial and is often labeled as a fraudulent, placebo effect drug, that can have potentially dangerous side effects. This is the picture that is painted of homeopathy in the United States and many other countries in which these medicines are banned in distribution or highly unregulated. In contrast, India has popularized and well-integrated homeopathy into their medical systems with government backing and consistent funding towards accredited homeopathic institutions and funding hospital systems. This paper will explore the circumstances and health care dynamics of India that allowed homeopathy to gain the level …