Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

The Newly Arrived Client: Applying Culturally Responsive Occupational Therapy Approaches To The Refugee Population To Promote Occupational Justice, Dominique Menard

Occupational Therapy Capstones

At the end of 2021, there were 836,300 Somali refugees and asylum seekers worldwide; in Minnesota alone, there are more than 70,000 Somali refugees, which is the largest concentration in the United States (Culture Care Connection, 2022; The UN Refugee Agency, n.d.). As with many refugee populations, Somali refugees experience many healthcare inequities including limited understanding of the resettled nation's healthcare system, poor functional health literacy, provider and/or interpreter gender preferences, discrimination, and limited cultural competence of providers (Eklöf et al., 2019; Fang et al., 2015; Gele et al., 2016; Houston et al., 2021; Njenga, 2022; Wångdahl et al., 2018). …

Fostering Early Literacy Skill Development In School Aged Children, Jaden Pikarski

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this scholarly project is to foster early literacy skill development for children within the school system. The materials created are intended to enhance the context and promote learning in a way that is meaningful and developmentally appropriate.

Living A Trustful Life: A Trauma-Focused Mentorship Program For Foster Youth, Michelle Ann Mcnamee

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Foster youth can experience many challenges as they transition into adulthood which can threaten their success in achieving whom they wish to become. Often, foster youth are exposed to physical, mental, and sexual trauma leading to their removal from their biological home (Engler et al., 2020). Adverse experiences at a young age can be multi-dimensional and long-lasting, leading to negative consequences in occupational performance including self-isolation and hesitation to trust others (Häggman-Laitila et al., 2019; Paul-Ward & Lambdin-Pattavina, 2016).

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Promoting Early Literacy In Head Start Programs, Paige Mann

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this scholarly project is to create resources to support teachers and caregivers of Head Start students in supporting early literacy skill development. These resource guides and activity kits aim to support teachers and caregivers in closing the literacy gap between children raised in low-socioeconomic (SES) households and their peers from highsocioeconomic households.

Assisting Mothers In The Transition Into Motherhood, Abbey Mckenna Marinucci

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The perinatal period ranges from 22 weeks gestation to 2 years postpartum (Hoekzema et al., 2017; Seth et al., 2016; World Health Organization, n.d.). During the perinatal period, intervention is primarily provided by an obstetrician and gynecologist (OBGYN) during pregnancy. Typically, mothers are discharged on average 2.1 days after a natural birth (Podulka et al., 2011). Women are seen at 6 weeks postpartum where mothers’ physical health is the focus of the visit, leaving mothers' mental health concerns unaddressed and questions typically unanswered (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012 & American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2012 as cited in Corrigan …

Water Based Therapy Educational Resource And Program Development For Children With Neurological Disorders, Alicia Young

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Children with neurological disorders require more social, behavioral, and physical support to be successful in everyday life (Ogundele, 2018). The impairments these children face can often lead to isolation, decreased overall functioning, and impact engagement in occupations such as play, social participation, and leisure (Kwan and Collet, 2020). Access to water-based group lessons can be limited due to one- on-one instruction required. Occupational therapy has the skill set to be able to incorporate play, social participation, and leisure-based activities for children with neurological disorders.

Serving The Needs Of The Autism Spectrum Disorder Population, Taylor White

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is marked by challenges in social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behavior which results in difficulties in many occupations (American Psychological Association [APA], 2013; Crabtree & Demchick, 2018). Occupational therapy is part of the multidisciplinary team providing services to children with ASD. The purpose of this doctoral experiential placement was to gain advanced clinical practice knowledge for serving children with ASD. Additionally, a product focused on enhancing interprofessional collaboration was developed.

Occupational Therpay’S Role When Treating Pediatric Feeding Disorders, Callie Vold

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Feeding and eating are required occupations that all humans must engage in to meet one of their most basic needs (AOTA, 2020; Maslow, 1943). While feeding and eating allows humans to meet their most basic physiological needs it also allows them to meet other needs of Maslow's Hierarchy along with engaging in valued occupations (AOTA, 2020; Maslow, 1943. Children with Pediatric Feeding Disorders (PFD) have difficulty with one or more areas of feeding which are medical, nutritional, feeding skill and/or psychosocial dysfunction (Fleet et al., 2022; Goday et al., 2019; Howe & Wang, 2013; Marshall et al., 2015; Sharp et …

Improving Transitions For Individuals With Spinal Cord Injuries: A Dual-Component Resource, Benjamin Frederick Stagg

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Returning to societal functions after a spinal cord injury is often the primary goal of most individuals (Kennedy et al., 2010). The transition out of rehabilitation is often inhibited by many difficulties ranging from a lack of quality peer supports, a gap in post-discharge care, an absence of psychological support, and experiences of unaddressed chronic pain, worries about bowel and bladder accidents, altered body image, concerns about autonomic dysreflexia, and spasms (Dickson et al., 2011; Kennedy et al., 2010). Transitions for individuals with spinal cord injuries presents a clear area of need for this scholarly project.

Program Structure For Children And Adolescents With Disabilities To Increase Participation In Physical Activity, Abbigail Mackenzie Smith

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Children and adolescents with disabilities face barriers and are often excluded from engaging in daily activities such as physical activity and social participation (Bundy & Du Toit, 2019; Hocking, 2019). Activities such as physical activity and social participation not only increase children's and adolescents' sense of belonging, mental health, and quality of life but also impact the development of skills needed to fully engage in society (Bundy & Du Toit, 2019). Opportunities for children and adolescents with disabilities to engage in physical activity and social participation are commonly seen in the form of programs supported by nonprofit organizations. These programs …

Reading The Warning Signs: Preventive Mental Health Youth Education Program, Cammy Cate Robertson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Wyoming is the third leading state in suicide related death (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2018; Wyoming Department of Health, n.d.). According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2022), suicide is the second leading cause of death in individuals aged 10-14. One in six youth experiences a mental health disorder yearly, while 50% of individuals aged 14 begin to have lifelong mental health concerns (Kessler et al., 2005; Whitney & Peterson, 2019). Students who experience depression are twice as likely to drop out of school, and students with mental, emotional, or behavioral concerns are three times more …

A Guide For Occupational Therapists: Utilizing Equine-Assisted Therapy For Children In The Foster Care System Dealing With Trauma, Alexis Skogen

Occupational Therapy Capstones

In 2015, over three million children who were affected by trauma or abuse were reported to Child Protective Services (Papovich, 2019). “Children in the foster care system have often been exposed to traumatic experiences such as violence, illicit substances, and neglect” (Crabill & Hanson, 2018, p.8). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can be similar to experiencing trauma; children, prior to entering the foster care system, often experience ACEs (Craig, 2020). Children in the foster care system face hardships such as being taken out of their homes, passing through multiple homes, in addition to other childhood traumas they experience prior to their …

Addressing The Psychosocial Impacts And Recovery Of A Patient With Carpal-Metacarpal (Cmc) Arthroplasty: A Case Study, Christopher Hernandez

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background & Purpose: Hands are an integral part of what defines us as human beings, they provide us with independence in work, leisure, self-care, and social interactions (Hannah, 2011). Injury to the upper extremity can harm one’s ability to engage in daily occupations, and often can result in a wide range of consequences affecting the physical, psychological, social, and economic aspects of a person’s everyday life (Cederlund et al., 2010; Chown et al., 2017). Treatment is often placed on the physical aspects of the injury, while the phycological symptoms associated with the injury are often not addressed (Jack & Estes, …

Disability Awareness To Promote Inclusivity For Children In The Educational Setting, Abby Bauman

Occupational Therapy Capstones

A large barrier to an effective and successful educational experience is the stigma and perceived judgment surrounding a child’s disability (Fontil et al., 2020). Implementing disability awareness materials into young classrooms is a way to prevent the development of stigma towards disability. Children who received disability awareness programming in the past have shown improved attitudes towards disabilities as opposed to those who have not (Chae et al., 2019). The purpose of this scholarly project is to assist teachers with implementing disability awareness materials to increase encouragement for young peers to accept, include, and support young individuals with disabilities.

Sensory-Based Universal Design Strategies For Head Start Students To Optimize Educational Engagement, Lexi Elizabeth Zahn

Occupational Therapy Capstones

This scholarly project aims to educate and enable early childhood education teachers on how children’s sensory systems can be positively or negatively influenced to improve overall classroom experiences for all children. A teacher’s resource guide was developed to inform early education teachers about the sensory system and sensory regulation so that they can better understand the sensory needs of their students. The guide provides them with universally designed, sensory-based strategies to implement in the classroom to increase the performance ranges of students in their educational pursuits.

Transitional Caregiver Support From Nicu To Early Intervention Services., Sophia Schutt

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Transitional Caregiver Support from NICU to Early Intervention Services. Sophia B. Schutt, Dr. Julie Grabanski, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences, 501 North Columbia Road, Grand Forks, ND 58202

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to develop an occupation-based educational product for caregivers leaving the NICU setting and transitioning into early intervention services. The project is aimed at assessing and reducing caregiver stress levels and increasing co-occupational outcomes with their infants.

Methods: A needs assessment was conducted to evaluate the gap in caregiver education during the transition in care. The educational …

Pediatric Telehealth Simplified: A Toolkit For The Rural Pediatric Occupational Therapy Practitioner, Stacy Michelle Buschette

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project is to promote occupational therapy to rural pediatric populations by means of effective and efficient telehealth service delivery via an extensive toolkit. The toolkit is meant to enhance the occupational therapy practitioner’s skills, abilities, and competencies pertaining to telehealth to ease the transition to telehealth implementation.

Methodology: An in-depth literature review of current research was conducted to determine the common barriers and supports that are experienced by occupational therapy practitioners implementing telehealth service delivery. Due to the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous occupational therapy practitioners were compelled to transition to telehealth intervention …

Tiny Humans, Huge Environments: All The Sense’S Coming Into Play, Jessica L. Blackman

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Introduction The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a busy overwhelming environment that differs from the womb. In the womb, an infant is protected from noises and bright lights, tasting and smelling the mother's diet, feeling movement and pushing against the mother as they grow (Altimier & Phillips, 2016). It is ideal for a premature infant's neurodevelopment to have the NICU environment mimic the womb. Two models were selected to help guide the product development, one occupation-based model and one NICU-based model.

Methodology The Person, Environment, Occupation (PEO) model Law et al. (1996) was selected to be used as it …

Increasing Health, Wellness, And Self-Care In Older Adults Experiencing Mental Health Effects During And After A Pandemic, Hayley Blom

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The COVID-19 pandemic calls for new solutions in promoting increased health, wellness, and self-care in older adults experiencing mental health effects during and after a pandemic. As the virus began to spread in the United States in early 2020, social distancing measures were implemented to reduce the spread of the virus. During this time of uncertainty, assisted living facilities (ALF) put a halt to all program activities, mealtimes in the communal dining area, and any other activities or events that were face-to-face. Along with activity programming, most facilities restricted visitors from entering the building including residents’ loved ones. These factors …

Addressing Challenges Related To Community Reintegration Following A Traumatic Brain Injury, Alexia Rose Gallagher

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Title: Addressing Challenges Related to Community Reintegration Following a Traumatic Brain Injury

Introduction: The purpose of this scholarly project was to create a guide of resources and tools available in and around Bismarck, North Dakota that individuals after a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can utilize to assist in their successful return to their community. The Rancho Los Amigos Scale was utilized to effectively guide which resources and supports were needed based on the functional level the individual is currently presenting at. The Person Environment Occupational (PEO) Model theoretical framework was utilized to guide the creation and implementation of this community …

Promoting Adherence To Lymphedema Manageemnt: A Resource Guide For Ot Practitioners In Interprofessional Teams, Marissa Louise Dreiling

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The chronic condition of lymphedema continues to be poorly recognized and managed by healthcare providers due to limited knowledge and education, which poses barriers for patients trying to manage from a personal, occupational, and environmental standpoint. The barriers experienced by patients include complex and time-consuming management approaches with little attention towards health literacy causing poor self-efficacy, lost independence in occupations, increased distress and frustration, isolation, and withdrawal (Boyages et al., 2016; Keast, Despatis, Allen, & Brassard, 2015; Ostby, Armer, Smith, & Stewart, 2018). The purpose of this product is to provide occupational therapy practitioners with educational strategies and materials to …

Programming To Help At-Risk Youth Find Success In And Outside Of The Classroom, Nora Carlson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Title: Senior Portfolios: A guide to Help Students Plan for the Transition to Adulthood Nora Carlson, OTDS, Dr. Andrea Young, OTD, OTR/L, Faculty Advisor, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of North Dakota School of Medicine Health Sciences, 501 North Columbia Rd, Grand Forks, ND 58202

Purpose: The purpose of the project was to assist at-risk students attending an alternative learning center (ALC) with secondary transition planning into adulthood to promote a successful first year out of high school. Planning is essential to ensure a smooth transition (Mankey, 2011). This project also aimed to showcase occupational therapy’s role in transition services, …

Care For The Caregiver: A Rural Perspective, Michaela Claire Gerving

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Title: Care for the Caregiver: A Rural Perspective

Background: Informal caregivers in rural communities have multiple challenges. First, they have limited access to caregiving training yet are expected to perform tasks at skilled levels (Morelli, Barello, Mayan, & Graffigna, 2019). Second, they have limited access to supportive services, such as respite, which keeps them on-call 24 hours a day (Pfankuch, 2018). Finally, this continual status of caregiving around the clock encroaches on their own engagement in personal health management (Hewitt & McNiesh, 2019).

Purpose: The product of this scholarly project is an interprofessional (IP) telehealth wellness program for informal caregivers …

Occupation, Dissociation, And Queer Identity, Katie Christopherson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Queer youth and young adults are more likely to experience trauma and are at a higher risk of developing mental health conditions and experiencing dissociation that negatively impacts occupational engagement (Keating & Muller, 2020; Tankersley et al., 2021). This disparity is attributed to environmental factors, such as discrimination (Keating & Muller, 2020). The goal of this project is to advocate for queer youth and young adults through educational resources. The resources were designed for an audience of healthcare professionals who work with queer youth in mental health settings in order to have a broader impact on the target population. The …

Protecting Against Pain And Stress In The Nicu: An Evidence-Based Eye Examination Guideline, Heather Jo Bowman

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to create an evidence-based Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) eye examination guideline and associated resources that supported use of non-pharmacological interventions and emphasized the importance of parent education and involvement from both an interdisciplinary and occupational therapy perspective.

Literature Review: Although medically necessary, researchers and practitioners in the NICU interdisciplinary field have discussed pain and stress associated with preterm infant eye examinations (American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP], 2016; Fierson, 2018; Francis, 2016; Pollaci et al., 2020; Samra & McGrath, 2009). Pain and stress likely impact sensory and overall brain development (AAP, 2016; Brummelte …

Aquatic Therapy: An Interprofessional Resource Focusing On Children With Developmental And Intellectual Disabilities, Mackenzie Martha Brokaw

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Background Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) experience impairments with physical development, learning, language, and behavior (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021b). These impairments lead to impacts with day to day functioning and meaningful occupations such as play, education, social participation, and activities of daily living (ADLs) (CDC, 2021b). Occupational therapy has the skilled knowledge to assist with these challenges from a variety of approaches. Aquatic therapy is one tool shown to be beneficial as the physical properties of water create an environment that can be very supportive to an individual and their needs (Pocius & Riley, …

Addressing Autism Spectrum Disorder In A School Based Setting, Grant Baker

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that is currently estimated to be diagnosed in 1 in every 59 children (Baio et al., 2018). It has been established that it is important for individuals with a diagnosis of ASD to receive occupational therapy services (McGuire et al., 2015). Due to the high prevalence of an ASD diagnosis and the importance of occupational therapy services for children with this diagnosis there is a need for occupational therapy practitioners in all settings that work with these children to be competent in evidencebased approaches. Currently, students with ASD are receiving occupational therapy …

An Occupational Therapy Practitioner’S Intervention Guide To Increasing Occupational Engagement In The Virtual Setting With Individuals Diagnosed With Serious Mental Illness, Oluwafeyikemi Deborah Adewoye

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to ultimately reduce psychiatric readmissions by enhancing tele-health services to those diagnosed with a serious mental illness (SMI). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) brought attention to the barriers regarding public health policies and lack of a national pandemic response approach as care was moved to the virtual context (Robinson et al., 2021). Due to the restrictions set in place, many individuals lost their ability to engage in meaningful occupations (Hoel et al., 2021).

Methods: An in-depth literature review was conducted to better understand the supports and barriers that are affecting effective service care …

Referral And Outcomes In An Equine Facilitated Occupational Therapy Program, Julie A. Juracich

Occupational Therapy Capstones

A miscommunication between referral sources and therapists can lead to difficulties for both parties, as such the purpose of this study is to better understand the perspectives of primary care providers regarding the referral and communication process to equine facilitated occupational therapy. A phenomenological qualitative design was used, seven physicians were recruited through purposive sampling. Each physician participated in a 15-minute interview consisting of 10 open ended questions designed to explore their experiences and perspectives regarding referrals to an occupational therapy program utilizing equine movement. Themes identified in 4 categories were referrals, payment, education and marketing, and communication and updates. …

The Effects Of Retained Primitive Reflexes On Students’ Occupational And Academic Performance In The School Setting, Molly Banks

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Primitive reflexes (PR) are survival responses necessary for infants’ health and safety and are the foundation for higher motor skills (Desorbay, 2013). While they usually integrate a year after birth, there are instances when these reflexes stay retained. The retention of PRs often indicates a higher probability of a disruption/delay in motor and cognitive-emotional development. This disruption/delay can be observed in a school setting and can negatively impact a student’s academic performance and behavior in school. There is significant research on the impact of retained primitive reflexes (RPR), but there is a gap in research about effectively implementing reflex integration …