Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Occupational Therapists’ Clinical Reasoning In Aat With Dogs In Pediatric Therapy, Catherine C. Goodman

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to understand the clinical reasoning used by occupational therapists to select animal assisted therapy with a dog to be included in a treatment plan for their pediatric occupational therapy clients

Theoretical Framework. The Ecology of Human Performance model supports the study purpose and emphasizes the effect of a person’s context and environment on their ability to function and perform tasks.

Methods. The descriptive qualitative study used interviews of seven occupational therapy practitioners who have included dogs in therapy sessions with children. Interactive coding and theme development was employed with member checking applied to …

The Impact Of Cooking Groups On One Individual's Transition To Independent Living, Alison Garcia

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The goal of occupational therapy in inpatient psychiatric settings is to develop independent living skills and restore normative life roles vital for leading a fulfilling life in the least restrictive environment. In one psychiatric hospital, cooking groups are an essential intervention and environment in which to develop these skills and roles. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to describe OT cooking group programing in one inpatient psychiatric setting, understand one client’s experience with cooking groups and illustrate how her participation in these groups led to a successful transition to independent living. This study was guided by the transformative …

Opening Minds Through Art: Engaging Art Agencies To Foster Community Participation And Commitment, Ashlyn Cunningham

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Opening Minds through Art [OMA] is a visual arts program for individuals with dementia which aims to enhance the quality of life for individuals living with dementia, as well as their caregivers, through a creative opportunity held within their own community. The intent of this project was for community art agencies and galleries to participate in dementia-specific training to develop programming for individuals with dementia so that clients with memory needs can actively engage in the creative arts in St. Louis. This project used a pre-post design to analyze perceptions regarding arts based programming with people who have memory …

The Secret Ingredient For Improving Infant/Child Mental Health: Teaching Parents To Play, Geraldine Healy Marini

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Disorders in mental health are the highest of all disorders and results in the most common form of disability. Since 2011, mental health disorders have increased at alarming rates. It is estimated that 9.5 to 14.2% of children between the ages of 0 to 5 years have and emotional or behavioral problem. The mental health of parents or caregivers can affect and impact the development of young children (Nelson & Mann, 2011, Zero to Three, 2004).

The over arching goal of this research is to explore issues of mental health within parent-child interactions. Coaching parents during the co-occupation of play …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Primary Care, Priti Patel

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The Capstone Project is focused on communicating, influencing and educating other health care professionals regarding the role of occupational therapy in the future model of primary care delivery initiated by the adoption of the Affordable Care Act and the Triple Aim Initiative. Currently, primary care, the largest health care platform in United States, is not inclusive of occupational therapy services. Occupational therapists have the scope, knowledge and understanding to be part of the redesigned team model of primary care. Educating those currently working in primary care about adding occupational therapy services can have a significant impact on the profession of …

Art As Occupation: A Phenomenological Study Of Art As A Means Of Self-Expression For An Individual Recovering From Severe Physical, Sexual, And Ritual Abuse, Raina Kay Remole

Online Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study presents an in-depth exploration of one individual's retrospective account of using art over approximately ten years in Occupational Therapy (OT) intervention while recovering from severe abuse with a diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). After an extensive literature review, the qualitative data was gathered during thorough semi-structured interviews using conference calls and correspondence through e-mail with the participant. Data analysis involved horizontalization of narrative data resulting in the dissemination of meaning units. From these a textual and structural description of the participant's individual experience emerged through self-reflection and discussion of meaning units with the participant and outside …