Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Interdisciplinary Collaboration Between Occupational Therapy And Dentistry For Autistic Patients And Sensory Processing Differences, Mallory Fox

Capstone Projects

Dental care is the most frequently cited unmet healthcare need for children with special needs (Cermak et al., 2015). Given the increased research linking oral health to overall health, it is important to ensure that dental care is accessible to all individuals. Oral hygiene and health management are both occupations included in the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (4th ed). Combined with the unique training of an occupational therapist in sensory processing and environmental adaptations, the profession of occupational therapy has an important role in addressing the availability of dental care for those with disabilities.

The aim of my doctoral capstone …

The Benefits Of An Occupational Therapy Lens Within A Gymnastics Center To Promote Greater Inclusivity And Cohesion In Classes, Kimberly Ortiz

Capstone Projects

Inclusive programming has become more prevalent in many occupational pursuits for children, including that of leisure pursuits, or activities that a child engages in during their free time as they bring a sense of purpose and/or reward (Woodmansee et al., 2016). A major leisure pursuit of young children is organized sports and one that has demonstrated benefits for kids of all abilities and is growing in popularity is gymnastics (Gitimoghaddam et al., 2019; Mak & Cheung, 2018; Campain, 2014). While the benefits of participating in an inclusive gymnastics program are high for all children involved, the most benefits will be …

Substance Use Disorder: Parent Support Group, Alexandra Superson

Capstone Projects

The focus of this 14-week capstone project revolved around program development and implementation of a parent support group through Wedgwood Christian Services for parents who are raising adolescents who were struggling with substance use disorder (SUD). Very little is known regarding interventions available to support affected parents to cope with the high stress that comes with navigating the waters of raising a teenager with SUD. The purpose of this project was to improve mental health, family dynamics, and overall quality of life for the affected parents who attended the support group once a week for four weeks. Evidence of stress …

Occupational Therapy's Role In Medication Management With The Corewell Health System, Anthony Genna

Capstone Projects

Gap: Corewell Health lacked a competency program to assess their occupational therapist ability to provide medication management services. The occupational therapist required an educational resource to support the use of the Pill-Box Test. Additional resources were needed to identify evidence-based interventions and documentation tips to aid with reimbursement of services. The patient education library required a resource to highlight strategies to support clients in reaching their medication management goals.

Objective: To standardize practice of medication management services including evaluation, intervention, and documentation of outcomes for occupational therapy patients at Corewell health.

Outcomes: The health system was equipped with a medication …

Outdoor Community Based Rehabilitation Program Development, Dylan Pritel

Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone paper is to promote Outdoor Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) as an adjunctive therapeutic approach to traditional treatment for rehabilitation professionals working in outpatient settings. The primary objective of this project was to create a comprehensive program proposal for an Outdoor CBR program for patients receiving outpatient services at Oroville Hospital. It included creating program activities, a patient referral process, identifying possible community partners, locating applicable grants, determining program staffing, as well as creating a workable budget, which included overall activity costs, staffing costs, equipment costs and reimbursement procedures. (See appendix A and B) The program …

Program Development Of Meaningful Work For Those With Brain Injury: A Doctoral Capstone Experience, Alyssa Mckenna

Capstone Projects

In the United States there were 18,557 people diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries (TBI’s) with 49% of those injuries being caused by vehicular crashes in 2021 (Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center, 2021). Those who suffer from these injuries often struggle to maintain jobs due to the symptoms resulting from the TBI’s. Vocational rehabilitation programs have been created to address the skills necessary to participate in the work environment. Vocational rehabilitation is a specialized area of occupational therapy. Recent changes have been made to Michigan’s auto no-fault insurance policy that has created a gap between this …

Advocating For Occupational Therapy At The Systemic Level, Alyssa Schwartz

Capstone Projects

The future of occupational therapy, a commonly misunderstood and underutilized profession, is largely influenced by advocacy at the systemic level. The following capstone project was completed at the American Occupational Therapy Association with the federal advocacy department. The capstone site mentor, Abe Saffer, is a lobbyist who mainly works on workforce, mental health, and school-based occupational therapy issues. Throughout this project, the capstone student advocated for occupational therapy and those that occupational therapy serves through legislation, networking, and by facilitating the development of OTP advocates. Additionally, the student acquired skills to continue to advocate for herself, the clients she works …

An Occupational Therapist's Role As A Prospective Payment System Coordinator And Identifying Patient Trends In An Inpatient Rehab Center, Autumn Idalski

Capstone Projects

This capstone experience explores the role of a Prospective Payment System (PPS) Coordinator within an inpatient rehabilitation setting and how the skills of an occupational therapist qualify the profession to contribute to the success of a PPS team. A literature review revealed the importance of non-traditional education placements within the occupational therapy curriculum to provide well-rounded experiences to students to leverage their professional careers. A needs assessment revealed a need to identify patient outcome trends within different Rehabilitation Impairment Categories at the capstone site. Objectives for this capstone experience and project include gaining competence in reviewing patient charts within the …

Occupational Therapy In A Daytime Homeless Shelter Setting, Ruth Erin Garcia

Capstone Projects

Occupational therapy (OT) is an allied health profession that works with individuals on improving their engagement and performance in meaningful occupations. This doctoral capstone project (DCE) was completed at Ministry with Community (MwC), a daytime shelter and resource center. There is emerging but limited literature regarding the role of OT working within a homeless shelter setting. Additionally, individuals experiencing homelessness are at risk for occupational injustice, or restriction to engagement in meaningful life activities.

The primary goal of this DCE was to improve engagement in meaningful occupations. The focus was program development with a secondary focus on advocacy. The objectives …

Service Gap In Kalamazoo County: Establishing A Reimbursable, Child-Led Multidisciplinary Feeding Tube-Weaning Protocol, Piper Friend

Capstone Projects

I partnered with the feeding team at Bronson Methodist Hospital (BMH) including outpatient pediatric occupational therapy, gastroenterologists, and dietitians to implement an evidence-based tube-weaning guideline for tube-dependent infant and pediatric patients. There is limited research in the area of tube-weaning and therefore limited national standards and guidelines to support clinicians and families going through this process. Current options for feeding tube-weaning services for Kalamazoo residents include traveling to Helen DeVos’s Intensive Feeding Program in Grand Rapids which places a heavy emphasis on behavioral intervention. This does not support the autonomy of the child or support the holistic occupation of feeding. …

Resident Reported Changes To Social Engagement And Quality Of Life Due To Increased Physical Activity Within A Senior Living Facility, Sydney Leroy

Capstone Projects

The purpose of this Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) was to see if regular participation in an exercise program could promote positive changes in social engagement and overall quality of life for older adults residing in an independent or assisted living facility. A standardized assessment and interview were completed with each participating resident before and after a 6-week exercise program to assess any changes in social engagement and quality of life. As a result, recruitment for this study and overall resident participation increased by advertising new and existing exercise classes throughout the senior living facility. In addition to the already scheduled …

Occupational Therapy's Impact Utilizing Trauma-Informed Care With At-Risk Youth, Kerri Lindeman

Capstone Projects

The 14-week capstone experience aimed to advocate and implement occupational therapy (OT) alongside a non-profit organization serving at-risk youth while utilizing trauma-informed care (TIC) approach. Alongside various staff and volunteers, this capstone project focused on aiding underserved children in a variety of age-specific after-school programs. This specific population of youth have limited resources at home. The families in the community have limitations with basic needs including food, water, and shelter. The organization was able to fulfill these basic needs along with activities to meet the developmental needs of each child. Due to their minimal resources, the children also have limited …

Efficacy Of Using Virtual Reality To Reduce Perceived Exertion During Therapy When Compared To Traditional Ot Intervention, Luke Lee

Capstone Projects

This project looked at the differences in perceived and actual exertion in virtual reality therapy interventions and upper extremity ergometer. The goal of this project was to quantify the efficacy of virtual reality interventions as an alternative to more traditional upper extremity interventions. This project wanted to address the lack of research focused on perceived exertion in virtual reality interventions. The student objectives focused on conducting research, familiarizing oneself with the use of virtual reality in the in-patient setting, and dissemination of the results. This study found that there was no significant difference in perceived exertion scores, changes in heart …

Integrating Occupational Therapy Strategies In Autism Community Programs, Danielle Daoud

Capstone Projects

The purpose of this 14-week Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) was to implement Occupational Therapy (OT) strategies into already existing Autism community programs. The capstone project took place at The Joanne and Ted Lindsay Foundation Autism Outreach Services (OUCARES) under the mentorship of Kristin Rohrbeck, M.A., Director of OUCARES. This project’s concentration area was in program and policy development, and although these programs were already established, there was a need for Occupational Therapy based strategies and recommendations to further enhance them. OUCARES offers a wide variety of programs focused on everyday life skills for individuals with Autism of all ages, along …

Disability Advocates Of Kent County (Dakc) Consumer Follow-Up For Aging In Place, Bianca Cordova

Capstone Projects

Disability Advocates of Kent County (DAKC) is a non-profit organization with an occupational therapy (OT) department that aims to keep primarily community-dwelling, low-income, older adults safe and independent in their home. The organization provides home assessments which identifies the barriers and supports for daily activities within the home. After the home assessment evaluation, adaptive equipment and/or home modification recommendations are provided. Literature supports the restorative approach DAKC uses to facilitate aging in place. There was a lack of quantitative and qualitative evidence on how consumers were aging in place post-intervention. This capstone project focused on creating a pilot follow-up program …

Addressing Sensory Processing And Mental Health Needs In The Middle School Setting, Kate Bergsma

Capstone Projects

Rooted in policy and program development, this occupational therapy doctoral capstone experience focused on addressing sensory processing and mental health needs at Grand Rapids Christian Middle School (GRCMS). With a significant proportion of students suffering from sensory processing difficulties and mental health concerns, the field of occupational therapy is distinctly equipped to address both needs within the context of school (Nielsen at al., 2021, Mental health for adolescents, n.d.). Occupational therapy’s background and expert training in both sensory processing as well as mental health needs proved vital the completion of this capstone. An intensive literature review was conducted to guide …

Therapeutic Gardening For Older Adults At A Community-Based Day Center: A Doctoral Capstone Experience, Anna Serbantez

Capstone Projects

As we age, it is common for individuals to participate in less meaningful and purposeful occupations due to cognitive and physical declines. Research has shown that gardening is a popular leisure activity that offers many therapeutic benefits. This capstone project involved creating an evidence-based therapeutic gardening program for older adults at Care Resources. This community-based day center offers many activities and opportunities for participants to get involved with; however, after completing a needs assessment, it was clear that participants could benefit from more hands on and productive activities that help encourage regular attendance to the day center. The objectives of …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Transition Programs For High School Students With Disabilities, Taylor Kehren

Capstone Projects

Public schools are required to provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) include transition planning to prepare for life after graduation focusing on employment and independent living. Although these services are required, high school students with disabilities have lower rates of employment and independent living compared to their peers. OT services are reimbursed under IEPs, but there is a gap in service with under-utilization in transition planning. The purpose of this DCE was program development with the transition program, Project SEARCH, while also exploring the role OT has in transition planning for high school students with …

Impact Of Cooking Groups On Children And Adolescents With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities, Abigail Willinger

Capstone Projects

Engagement in play and leisure activities is an important component of daily life for individuals of all ages. However, there is still a lack of leisure and recreation availability and knowledge regarding children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their participation in daily activities specifically related to play, recreation, and socialization. With healthcare advocacy efforts on the rise, the implementation of a meaningful leisure occupation, such as cooking, through group classes is evident in order to improve one’s overall quality of life. The aim of this 14- week education and program development based capstone project is to improve inclusivity and …

Dog And Owner Emotional Relationship Training, Andrea Sowles

Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone experience was to develop a program for emotional relationship training to create a human-animal interaction (HAI) with a dog and their owner. Along with promoting the importance of mental health and engagement in occupations. The program focused on helping the dog provide emotional support to their owner through participating in the training of the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. This outline helped deepen the bond between dog and owner and allowed them to become more connected as a team. There is a gap in knowledge between the use of animal assistance in therapy and the …

Occupational Therapy's Role In Serving Individuals With Social, Emotional, And Cognitive Deficits At Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center, Molly Ireland

Capstone Projects

This capstone aimed to gain experience and knowledge in developing evidence-based materials that positively affect the programming at the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center. Within occupational therapy (OT), Equine-Based Therapy (EBT) has demonstrated positive outcomes for improving participation in meaningful occupations. However, based on a needs assessment with the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center, a demonstrated increased need for outreach and enhanced mental health programming for trauma-related populations was evident. Therefore, the objectives to meet their needs were to develop a sustainable evidenced-based program utilizing EBT for individuals with trauma and provide input for their evaluation process and therapeutic riding classes within …

Interdisciplinary Amputee Care From Injury To Independence: Medical, Occupational Therapy, And Prosthetic Intervention, Amanda Fox

Capstone Projects

During my doctoral capstone experience, I focused on advanced clinical practice of hand therapy and treatment of upper extremity amputees. I had the opportunity to observe and collaborate with surgeons and prosthetists to gain an improved understanding of my patients’ multi-disciplinary care. I assisted in teaching three upper extremity courses for WMU’s OTD program. I also evaluated and treated my site’s entire amputee caseload in addition to my site mentor’s more complex cases. Utilizing what I learned, I created educational resources and HEPs specifically geared toward amputees. Theses resources were supplied throughout the patient’s POC as needed and at my …

Evaluation Of Soft Employability Skills In Students With Disabilities Attending A Vocational Training Program, David Gasser

Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone project was to create a customized assessment tool that evaluates soft employability skills and quantifiably measures progress made over time. This project was completed at the Michigan Career and Technical Institute (MCTI). MCTI is a post-secondary vocational and technical training center for adults with disabilities. This project was completed as current literature regarding vocational rehabilitation evaluation and soft employability skills is underdeveloped and requires further research. Also, existing vocational rehabilitation assessments are heavily focused on an individual's physical capabilities. Existing assessments that address soft skills also do not meet demands of MCTI and assessment customization …

Development Of A Community Living Coffee Shop, Micah Taniguchi

Capstone Projects

Providing employment opportunities for individuals with a disability has multiple benefits for the employer and for the individual (Lindsay et al., 2018). In addition, occupational therapy within a community-based living setting could decrease the risks for social isolation and increase engagement in occupation for older adults (Domville, 2019). This capstone project focused on program development at Self-Help Alternative Living of Michigan (SHALOM). SHALOM is a community-based living program who was seeking to provide additional employment opportunity for their participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Limited research available made it difficult to develop a training manual for coaches, participants, and volunteers …

Swim Instructor Education For Adaptive And Inclusive Swimming, Anna Griesbach

Capstone Projects

My doctoral capstone experience (DCE) focused on swim instructor education in order to promote adaptive and inclusive swimming. The mentors that I collaborated and worked with throughout the capstone experience were both certified aquatic instructors with extensive experience in instructing swim classes, adaptive classes, and one of my mentors has created and implemented an adaptive swim program in the past. The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) focus area that I completed my capstone experience and culminating project was on education. I identified several gaps and areas of need within my site and the population served there that I …

Entry Level Ota Module Content: Sexual Activity As An Adl, Peightyn Larson

Capstone Projects

Sexuality is a “state of mind that represents how individuals feels about themselves, relate to other people, establish relationships, and express themselves” (AOTA, 2013). Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants have the skill set necessary to address sexuality in practice, however, it is neglected in occupational therapy (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) programs throughout the United States of America (Lohman et al., 2017). The absence of sexuality in curriculum stems from lack of time, low priority, and various client factors including age, marital status, therapist safety, personal beliefs, and fear of offending the client (Lohman et al., 2017; McGarth …

Advocacy Efforts For The Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact, Caitlin Cornish

Capstone Projects

Advocacy efforts for the occupational therapy profession are critical in order to promote the scope of practice and what benefits occupational therapy can provide to consumers. However, many occupational therapists and occupational therapy students find there are many barriers to becoming involved in advocacy efforts. The barriers to advocacy decrease the amount of individuals involved in advocacy efforts that allow forward progress within our profession. Clinicians and students need to be involved in the advocacy efforts at the policy level and engage in conversations with legislators. There are pieces of legislation that exist at the state-policy level that would advance …

Occupational Therapy Integration In Psychosocial Rehabilitation: The Clubhouse Model, Kenzie Callahan

Capstone Projects

There is a growing need for individuals with any mental illness to receive services in community-based settings. The profession of occupational therapy uses occupation-based practice to engage people in daily activities of living, identify individualized goals, promote health, wellness, and quality of life. These practitioners are a component of the interdisciplinary care that complements holistic mental health treatment. The capstone project was designed to integrate occupational therapy practice into the clubhouse model setting. Primary modes of capstone project and experience included participating in the work-ordered day alongside members, informal assessments, lunch and learn educations, advocation for occupational therapy integration in …

Outcome Measures At A Private Outpatient Pediatric Occupational Therapy Clinic, Kelly Alter

Capstone Projects

My Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) focused on outcome measurements and better understanding business related elements within a private outpatient occupational therapy clinic. As described in the paper below, outcome measurements are important for a variety of reasons but can be difficult to implement in everyday practice for clinicians. Thus, I aimed to improve the ways that this clinic collected outcome measures so that it would be more manageable for the clinicians. For my DCE, I also sought to improve the physical environment at Sensory Systems Clinic West (SSCW) which was indicated as a barrier during the needs assessment by staff. …

Expanding Trauma Treatment With Sensory Based Occupational Therapy, Domonique Chambers

Capstone Projects

Sensory based occupational therapy is bridging the gap between the brain and body for individuals who have experienced complex trauma or have a barrier within their functional skills due to the integration of their sensory system. This can include individuals who have experienced complex trauma or individuals who are neurodivergent experiencing barriers to function in their lives. My objectives throughout my capstone experience is to support these clients seeking occupational therapy through educational handouts and videos on the what and why, pursuing grant information, and advancing my clinical skills within this outpatient clinic. These have resulted in increased resources for …