Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Life Skills For Individuals In A Juvenile Detention Center, Carrington Brown

Student Capstone Papers

This capstone project involved the development, implementation, and evaluation of a life skills program for justice-involved youth in a juvenile detention setting. Guided by a needs assessment, the program targeted financial literacy, job readiness, professionalism, and soft skills through structured sessions incorporating education, interactive activities, and group discussion. Findings from pre- and post-surveys and qualitative feedback indicated improved knowledge, confidence, and readiness for community reintegration, supporting the value of rehabilitative, occupation-based programming.

Occupational Justice In The Classroom For Children With Developmental Disabilities: A Program For Child-Led Play Interactions, Rayah Kassis, Cynthia Haynes

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Play and education are important occupations in students’ lives; however, there is a lack of resources in schools to enhance social and communication skills that impact occupational engagement for children with developmental disabilities. The purpose of this capstone project is to develop and provide resources to registered behavioral technicians (RBTs) that will inform them about how to use child-led principles to enhance the social and communication skills of students with developmental disabilities so that the students can meet their occupational roles in school and play participation.

Cortical Visual Impairment (Cvi) In Children: An Educational Video Series For Caregivers, Melody Brown, Zeida Gutierrez

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project focused on the development and dissemination of educational video series designed to increase awareness and understanding of CVI among parents, caregivers, and professionals. The project aimed to improve knowledge of CVI, support caregiver confidence in advocacy, and highlight the importance of coordinated care for children with CVI. Overall, the results of this project indicate that the video series was effective in increasing participant-reported understanding of CVI, confidence in supporting children, and awareness of available resources and interdisciplinary coordination. These findings support the use of accessible, video-based educational resources as a valuable tool for caregivers of CVI, and …

Program Development Of Incorporating Dance Therapy Into Occupational Therapy Practice For Sensory Regulation In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Taylor Briske, Keisa Boykin, Katherine O'Hara

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this project was to develop and implement a program to educate occupational therapists on how to effectively integrate dance therapy as an intervention to address sensory regulation in children with autism.

Bridging The Gap: Advocating For Improved Integrated Occupational Therapy Services In Prosthetic Care, Sarah A. Paddock, Keisa Boykin, Cheryl Sheffield

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This advocacy project focused on advocating for increased OT services in prosthetic care from pre-amputation to post-amputation.

Instrumental Activities Of Daily Living (Iadl) Education To Support Role Transition For Teen Mothers In Underserved Communities, Ayanna Johnson, Lakeisa Boykin, Jessica De Brun

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This project focuses on researching the unique challenges faced by teenage mothers in low-socioeconomic communities and developing occupation-based strategies to support their transition into motherhood. The aim was to enhance their independence and effectiveness in instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), such as child-rearing, home and financial management, community engagement, and meal preparation.

Understanding Post-Nicu Caregiver Mental Health And Occupational Participation: Implications For Healthcare Practice, Emily S. Knight

Student Capstone Papers

This capstone project explored the mental health challenges experienced by caregivers following their infant’s discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and the resulting impact on occupational participation. Using a mixed-methods design, data was collected through an anonymous survey of 46 post-NICU caregivers, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative responses. Findings revealed that caregivers commonly experienced significant mental health concerns, including stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, particularly within the first year following discharge. Although results demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in mental health over time, many caregivers reported limited access to mental health resources and professional support. Importantly, the study …

From Missed To Measured: Understanding And Elevating Functional Cognition In Occupational Therapy, Taylor Card, Zeida Gutierrez, Gordon Giles

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Functional cognition is critical to occupational performance but is often inconsistently assessed in occupational therapy practice. This mixed-methods study explored practitioners’ perspectives, assessment practices, and barriers across clinical settings. Findings revealed a reliance on observation over standardized, performance-based assessments, despite strong recognition of its importance. Barriers included time constraints, limited resources, and role ambiguity. Results highlight a gap between current practice and evidence-based approaches, supporting the need for increased education and improved access to practical assessment tools.

Shift In Caregivers Occupations For Patients With Cerebrovascular Accidents, Hannah M. Ninan, Zeida Gutierrez

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this capstone is to research the impact of assuming the caregiver role for individuals recovering from a CVA on the caregivers’ occupations and their occupational balance. Acquiring this information allows for a deeper understanding of its impacts and informs the implementation of support strategies and interventions to mitigate burnout within the first year of caregiving.

Grade School Population With Autism And The Development Of Social Emotional Skills, Sabrina Cheney, Cynthia Haynes

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose was to create and evaluate the efficacy of an occupational therapy informed program that addressed social skills, promoted emotional well-being, and fostered a sense of belonging for grade school students with ASD by enhancing communication, interaction, and relationship-building skills.

Meeting The Needs Of Students With Low Vision Or Blindness: A Resource Guidebook Through The Occupational Therapy Lens, Zoe E. Wilson, Keisa Boykin

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this project is to develop a guidebook and educational tools to support the academic and social participation needs of students with visual impairments. These tools are intended to help address common challenges children with low vision face in school including difficulties accessing classroom materials, participating in group activities, and keeping up with academic expectations. The guidebook will include evidence-based strategies such as the use of low-vision aids, optical devices, and activity-based supports shown to improve quality of life for children with low vision. By providing practical resources, this project aims to enable educators and occupational therapists to …

Ot’S Role In Promoting Independence And Employment Readiness Skills For Adults With Intellectual Or Developmental Disabilities (Idd), Grace Tompkins, Cynthia Haynes

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project is a six-week program that addresses OT's role in work readiness skills for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) who are living independently in Jacksonville, Florida. This program consisted of six group sessions with topics including social participation, time management, stress management, financial management, personal hygiene, and executive functioning.

Bridging The Unemployment Gap For Individuals With Developmental Disabilities: An Educational Program, Desiree Polite, Cynthia Haynes

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Improving work readiness skills for individuals with developmental disabilities to increase work/volunteer opportunities.

Occupational Therapy In Action: Enhancing Diabetes Awareness And Support In Rural Schools, Sierra Cook, Cynthia Haynes

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

The rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes among adolescents highlights the need for early prevention-focused interventions. This capstone project implemented an occupation-based program for middle school students targeting body awareness, nutrition, movement, and stress management. Five interactive workshops incorporated hands-on activities, including energy check-ins, meal planning, movement stations, and coping strategy development, to promote engagement and support the development of healthy routines.

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Adaptive Sports: Implementation Of A Young Athletes Program In St. Johns County, Gabriellea Elizabeth Zito Fernandez, Cynthia Haynes

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This doctoral capstone project examined the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the Special Olympics Young Athletes Program (YAP) within St. Johns County, Florida, an area with limited early childhood adaptive sports opportunities. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and the occupation-centered program development model, the project aimed to support participation in inclusive recreation for children ages 2–7 with and without disabilities.

A comprehensive needs assessment, community resource mapping, and collaboration with Brooks Rehabilitation Adaptive Sports & Recreation informed program planning and implementation. A five-week YAP pilot program was conducted, focusing on foundational motor skill development through structured, play-based activities centered on …

Addressing Social Isolation, Role Loss, And Participation Challenges In Older Adults Post-Stroke: An Education Program, Djenane Fevrier, Zeida Gutierrez

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of the project was to develop four educational workshop to equip occupational therapists with resources to identify barriers to social participation such as social isolation, role loss, and participation challenges from the patient’s perspective in older adults. This capstone addresses a gap in current post-stroke care, where rehabilitation often prioritizes physical recovery while providing limited structured and evidence-based strategies to support social participation and role restoration. In response, four educational workshops were develop for occupational therapists highlighting findings from the needs assessments, review of six assessment tools, and building a screening tool to improved engagement in meaningful roles …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Health Management Of Cancer Survivors, Morgan Mcguffee, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Cancer survivorship often results in ongoing physical, cognitive, and psychosocial challenges that disrupt daily routines, roles, and participation in meaningful activities. Despite these needs, occupational therapy remains underutilized in survivorship care. This capstone project, completed at the Cancer Support Community North Texas, developed and implemented a 6-week occupation-based wellness program to support re-engagement in daily life, promote health management, and enhance overall quality of life

Impact Of Dementia On Caregiver Quality Of Life And How Occupational Therapy Plays A Role, Alissa Diaz, Lakeisa Boykin, Katelyn Fell

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this project is to provide an occupation-based website that focuses on dementia related educational material, local and online resources, and training support to improve caregivers' QoL.

Using Standardized Assessments To Guide Adl-Focused Interventions, Emily James, Keisa Boykin, Natalie Rivera

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This project sought to address challenges faced by acute care OTs by promoting the use of ADL-focused standardized assessments as a clinical guide for ADL interventions. Challenges such as large caseloads, productivity demands, time constraints, and staffing shortages limit OTs contribution within the acute care setting. With acute care also being a fast-paced environment in which medical necessity can overshadow rehabilitative needs, OT is often undervalued and the focus is shifted on mobility over function. Although standardized assessments are not commonly used in acute care due to time limitations, this capstone project successfully piloted an assessment tool based on the …

The Impact Of Vestibular System Stimulation On Emotional Regulation For Children With Disabilities, Mickayla N. Coyle, Zeida Gutierrez

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project is a mixed-methods research study that aimed to identify the impact of vestibular system stimulation on emotional regulation in children with disabilities. Throughout this research study, swing use was used as vestibular stimulation to identify its effectiveness in improving emotional regulation in children with disabilities. The study was conducted over the course of six weeks in a school-based setting.

Executive Functioning And Retained Primitive Reflexes In School-Aged Children, Haley A. Kane, Zeida Gutierrez

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This project aimed to provide teachers with education on EF and RPR and to improve access to educational materials. The education provided definitions of EF and RPR, what deficits in each may present in the classroom, and classroom strategies to mitigate the impact of the skills affected by these deficits. This educational program improved understanding of EF and RPR, evidenced by knowledge-based questions. These materials also increased awareness of RPR and their effects on students, as evidenced by responses to short-answer questions. These results align with the long-term goal of improving the academic performance of students impacted by EF deficits …

Examining The Correlation Between Emotional Well-Being, Leisure Engagement, And Leisure Preferences In Geriatric Long-Term Care, Katherine G. Stahl, Keisa Boykin, Sharon Glover

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project explores the relationship between emotional well-being, leisure participation, and activity preferences among older adults in an assisted living facility using a mixed-methods approach. Findings showed that participation frequency alone was not strongly associated with emotional well-being, as residents with varying levels of attendance reported similar well-being scores. Instead, factors such as personal interest, physical limitations, scheduling conflicts, and environmental preferences played a larger role in engagement. Residents preferred socially interactive and physically active activities, such as fitness classes and performances, and identified gaps in current programming where preferred activities were not consistently offered. Overall, the study highlights …

Understanding Post-Nicu Caregiver Mental Health And Occupational Participation: Implications For Healthcare Practice, Emily S. Knight, Zeida Gutierrez, Maureen Fischer

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project explored the mental health challenges experienced by caregivers following their infant’s discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and the resulting impact on occupational participation. Using a mixed-methods design, data was collected through an anonymous survey of 46 post-NICU caregivers, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative responses. Findings revealed that caregivers commonly experienced significant mental health concerns, including stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, particularly within the first year following discharge. Although results demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in mental health over time, many caregivers reported limited access to mental health resources and professional support. Importantly, the study …

The Effect Of Vestibular System Stimulation On Emotional Regulation In Children With Disabilities, Mickayla N. Coyle

Student Capstone Papers

This capstone project is a mixed-methods research study that aimed to identify the impact of vestibular system stimulation on emotional regulation in children with disabilities. Throughout this research study, swing use was used as vestibular stimulation to identify its effectiveness in improving emotional regulation in children with disabilities. The study was conducted over the course of six weeks in a school-based setting.  The results of this research study are indicative that using a swing as a vestibular input is an effective intervention to manage emotional regulation in children with disabilities. Utilization of linear swinging at the beginning of occupational therapy …

Occupational Therapy In Action: Enhancing Diabetes Awareness And Support In Rural Schools, Sierra Cook

Student Capstone Papers

The rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes among adolescents highlights the need for early prevention-focused interventions. This capstone project developed and implemented an occupation-based educational program for middle school students targeting body awareness, nutrition, movement, and stress management. The program consisted of five interactive workshops addressing energy awareness, meal planning, social and environmental influences on health, movement-based regulation strategies, and coping skills. Hands-on activities, including energy check-ins, meal logs, movement stations, and coping toolbox development, were used to promote engagement and support the development of healthy routines.

Supporting Positive Interactions With Individuals With Disabilities: A Law Enforcement Guide, Brittany James Jefferson, Mary Jan Greer

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project developed an educational guide to support law enforcement officers in creating safe and effective interactions with individuals with disabilities. A needs assessment informed the guide’s development, which was grounded in occupational therapy principles and the Person Environment Occupation Performance (PEOP) model. The guide was implemented within a law enforcement setting and evaluated through officer feedback. Findings indicated strong baseline experience among officers, with added value in providing structured strategies to support communication, interpretation, and de-escalation. This project highlights the role of occupational therapy in promoting inclusive, community-based practice.

Enhancing Occupation-Based Engagement For Adults With Idd, Miranda Brown, Mary Jan Greer

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This study aimed to explore the importance of occupation-based engagement for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through the lens of occupational therapy (OT). Literature review and needs assessments informed the development of client-centered interventions and program modules. Project outcomes highlighted the benefit of increased opportunity and appropriate grading of occupation-based engagement for adults with IDD, as well as education for community-based site staff and caregivers.

Play For All: Promoting Inclusivity And Providing Modifications For Kids With Disabilities Within An Indoor Play Space, Yasmeen Ikbal, Mary Jan Greer

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

Children’s environments need to be enhanced to match their developmental levels (Winter & Dempsey, 1994). There is a lack of tools, play equipment, and structures specifically targeted to children with disabilities (Therrien et al., 2022). Lack of opportunities for these children can hinder their development (Mullick, 2013). This capstone intends to educate staff and parents on how to promote inclusivity by increasing their understanding of disabilities, creating accessible environments, adapting activities, and building confidence in supporting children with disabilities to participate in their occupations.

Medication Nonadherence And Social Participation For African American Adults With Low Vision, Shakeda Mcghee, Mary Jan Greer Phd, Otr, Jaimee Fielder

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

The concept of this capstone is to analyze how quality of life (social participation, health management) is affected in adults ages 18-55 with low vision/blindness with conditions to include diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts.

Cognition And Mental Health: Addressing The Impact Of Traumatic Brain Injuries (Tbi) On Adults, Hannah E. Smith, Lesley Khan-Farooqi, Anne Mcdonnell, Mpa, Otr/L, Cbist

Spring 2026 OTD Capstone Symposium

This project addresses cognitive and mental health challenges in adults with traumatic brain injuries (TBI). It developed evidence-based resources, including a clinician handbook and user-friendly survivor guidebook - using research, interviews, and observations. The materials were refined with expert feedback and support improved interventions, education, and quality of life for individuals with TBIs, and their caregivers.