Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

The Impact Of Educating Interprofessional Healthcare Workers On The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Cardiac Acute Care Setting, Jennifer L. Taosuvanna

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The acute care setting has been a vastly growing practice area for the occupational therapy profession. Occupational therapists assist clients in the acute care setting with activities of daily living retraining and functional transfer training to increase independence. Each client demonstrates a different discharge course from the acute care setting and occupational therapists play a key role in assisting the clients the most appropriate rehabilitative setting. All professionals in the acute care setting work cohesively to provide clients with the best outcome.

The doctoral project explored the importance of interprofessional healthcare worker education about occupational therapy practices in the acute …

Voices Beyond Bars: A Qualitative Study Examining Occupational Participation For Formerly Incarcerated Women, Brianna Correia, Mary Smith Otd, Otr/L, Cynthia Simons Rps, Mhps

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project addressed the research question: “What are the systemic, societal, and personal barriers and facilitators to occupational participation and engagement that formerly incarcerated women experience in Texas?” The project aimed to advocate for formerly incarcerated women living in Texas by interviewing and collaborating with them to create an advocacy booklet highlighting their lived experiences. Following USAHS IRB approval, recruitment, and screening, 20 participants engaged in a semi-structured interview via Zoom. Insights on their experience post-incarceration in Texas regarding housing, employment, family, healthcare, and change were explored. The data obtained was analyzed and codes and themes were identified. When …

Enhancing Participation In Play Through Staff Training At We Rock The Spectrum, Megan Poppens

OTD Capstone Projects

This doctoral capstone was completed by partnering with We Rock the Spectrum in Franklin, Tennessee. We Rock the Spectrum is an inclusive, sensory-safe play environment for all children. The goal was to provide education, coaching, and practical tips for staff to foster increased inclusion and participation in play. A training manual was created with topics including the impact of play, development, respectful disability language, disability terms and abbreviations, sensory regulation, safety, common misconceptions, pediatric diagnoses, strategies for leading groups, behavior management, and interacting one-on-one with children. The educational resources were used to enhance the staff member’s knowledge, confidence, and skills …

Childhood Cancer Survivorship: Navigating A New Normal In Middle Tennessee, Karli M. Beaumont

OTD Capstone Projects

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in partnership with Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center offers REACH for Cancer Survivorship, a pediatric cancer survivorship clinic. REACH provides a full range of follow-up care designed to meet the physical, emotional, and practical needs of survivors and continuous surveillance of deleterious effects of cancer and its treatments. The purpose of this project was to meet population and agency needs through research of long- and late-term sequela while advocating for occupational therapy’s role in the oncology population through the proactive therapy and prospective surveillance models. The process of creating this project included synthesizing the literature, …

Education And Advocacy For Universal Design And Accessibility In Housing, Apisara Vairojanakich, Amy Lyons-Brown, Molly Wuebker

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

In the United States, there is a lack of adequate numbers of universally designed and accessible houses in the housing market for the older population and people with disabilities. Many barriers, such as financial support and lack of knowledge for housing-related professionals, can prevent this population from participating in home occupations. The project developed educational products, including the universal design housing experience booklet, universal design housing checklist, and universal design blueprints. These products were delivered through the blog post on Uncurbed LinkedIn website. The needs assessment was conducted to provide the guidelines for the chapters in the booklet and checklist. …

State Of The Journal: Introducing The Policy And Advocacy Category, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

The Role Of An Occupational Therapy Practitioner In Professional Advocacy: A Scoping Review, Sarah Mckinnon, Natalie Petrone, Amanda Tarbet

Translational Science in Occupation

Background: Participation in professional advocacy amongst occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) is necessary for strengthening the profession. Although advocacy remains essential for practice, specific activities of OTPs in professional advocacy remain inconsistent and unclear.

Purpose: To examine the activities occupational therapy practitioners are engaging in related to professional advocacy. To identify key strategies and future opportunities to strengthen OT practitioner participation in professional advocacy.

Methods: We systematically searched 4 databases and 1 search engine for relevant articles- MEDLINE via PubMed, The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Complete via Ebscohost, ERIC via Ebscohost, APA PsycInfo …

Advocating And Educating The Role Of Occupational Therapy For Adaptive Swim Lessons Among Children With Autism, Charlotte Leonard, Zeida Gutierrez, Jon Edenfield

Fall 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Drowning is the number one cause of death for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause of death for children ages 5-14 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022). Children with autism are 160x more likely to drown than their neurotypical peers (Autism Society of Florida, n.d.). Many parents and caregivers put protective layers in place such as locks, gates, and fencing. However, children with autism are known to wander from safe spaces. According to the Autism Society of Florida (n.d.) children with autism are naturally drawn to water due to its ability to ease sensory needs. Brenner …

Raising Awareness For Occupational Therapy's Role With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Sle), Madelyn Cabrera, Jazminne Orozco Arteaga, Amy Lyons-Brown

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project aims to raise awareness for occupational therapy's (OT) role in managing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) through education and to advocate OT's role within the SLE healthcare team. This project aims to understand the daily barriers that SLE patients experience and raise awareness for OT's role with SLE patients, OTs in practice, OT students, and healthcare professionals involved in SLE care. It also advocates for OT's role in comprehensive care for SLE patients to assist in disease/lifestyle management and improved quality of life.

Incorporating An Occupational Therapy Perspective In A Pediatric Early Developmental Clinic, Olivia Mahoney

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

The Participation And Exploration Of Play For Children In Foster Care, Isabella J. Relph, Jazminne Orozco Arteaga

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project, The Participation and Exploration of Play for Children in Foster Care, was completed by a Doctor of Occupational Therapy candidate at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Project objectives develop an understanding of the occupational therapy involvement in foster care and how to improve current advocacy and educational efforts related to play. A literature review of play participation, engagement, and exploration was conducted in conjunction with analysis of environmental barriers, generalized background information on children in foster care, and the role of occupational therapy for children in foster care. Play is essential for the pediatric …

Restoring Identity For The Homeless: Exploring Occupational Therapy Services For Unhoused Populations, Christina E. Geistfeld

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Individuals experiencing homelessness face many occupational and social barriers that limit the ability to participate in meaningful daily living activities, impacting the overall identity of individuals within this population. Occupational therapy services have been explored but there is a continued need to expand and advocate for the effect of occupational therapy in meeting the population’s needs and ultimately aim to reduce homelessness rates. This capstone project sought to explore service delivery for individuals at the Stephen Center in Omaha, Nebraska who are experiencing homelessness, providing increased advocacy efforts along with continuing to explore clinical skill development to best serve the …

Development And Usefulness Of An Advocacy Toolkit To Promote Systems-Level Advocacy Among Occupational Therapy Students In Nevada, Mary Angela Mendoza Terencio

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Advocating at the systems level to influence legislation and regulation can protect, promote, and progress the occupational therapy profession. This quality improvement project aimed to create and evaluate an advocacy toolkit for professional students in Nevada. The toolkit was developed under the guidance of a team of advocacy experts and leaders. Twenty-five students were recruited through convenience sampling to evaluate the toolkit. Data was collected through a one-group pretest-posttest qualitative improvement design to capture changes in awareness of Nevada-specific regulatory and legislative information, attitudes toward advocacy efforts, and the toolkit’s usability. Comparisons between the pre- and post-toolkit surveys were analyzed …

Disability Advocacy In Fashion Design, Erin Higinbotham, Susan Macdermott Otd, Otr/L

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Originally marketed towards older adults followed by children, adaptive fashion greatly impacts the everyday independence of all disabled people. Utilizing the Person-Environment-Occupation model and understanding the relationship between the disabled community, clothing, and occupational participation and again with the fashion company, the designer, and their fulfillment of a need or gap in accessibility lead to the purpose of this capstone of identifying occupational therapy’s role in designing ready-to-wear adaptive clothing through understanding and bridging the gaps in fashion education for designers. To address this, advocacy in education and educational materials were created to fill this gap and promote accessibility and …

Life Skills Guide For Supported Recovery For Individuals With Mental Health Conditions & Their Support Systems, Natalie Metzger

OTD Capstone Projects

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Davidson County provides educational courses, support groups, and advocacy for individuals with mental health conditions and their support systems. This semester long project included advocacy for occupational therapy’s role in the mental health community, involvement in legislative events, and creation of a comprehensive recovery life skills guide for individuals who have been discharged from psychiatric hospitals. Specifically, this guide assisted them in directed recovery within the home and increased their participation in foundational skills.

Advocacy For Accessible Air Travel, Alexandra Bruce, Lydia Kite, Zeida Gutierrez

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Problem: Passengers with disabilities decreased participation in air travel due to anxiety fear of injury, and damage to their assistive technology devices limits their ability to participate in occupations where air travel is used.

Purpose To highlight a need for occupational therapy (OT) collaboration with airlines and related stakeholders; and to advocate for more accessible air travel within the airline industry that can lead to a more safe experience for air travelers with disabilities.

The Importance Of A Self-Determination Integrated Transition-To-Work Program For Young Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: A Program Development Plan, Carissa Bellino

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

This capstone experience was completed at Beyond the Challenge, an adult day program for young adults with Down Syndrome. The goal was advocating for the need to address "soft skills" for successful employment. The final outcomes was the development and implementation of an 8-week program promoting self-determination skills through work-related activities.

Mental Health Promotion In Occupational Therapy, Taylor Frazee

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

The capstone project was completed at Cleveland State University to assist the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program with the creation of learning experiences for its students so they may effectively advocate and promote the mental health of clients served. It identified barriers in practice, gathered evidence to support the use of mental health promotion in practice, and created resources to enhance students’ abilities to advocate for OT’s scope of practice in mental health.

Inclusive Postsecondary Education For Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities, Allyson Fedor

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

This capstone facilitated the development of the RISE Program at Cleveland State University, a certificate program for young adults with intellectual disabilities- including academic coursework, opportunities for employment, independent living, social participation, and self-determination. Activities focused on the peer mentorship program and supports for student wellness, residence life, and campus engagement.

‘Can You See What I See?’: An Art Project Promoting Living Well With Dementia, Jennifer K. Fortuna

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Caroline Hyland, an illustrator and former occupational therapist based in Dublin, Ireland, provided the cover art for the Winter 2023 edition of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy (OJOT). “Can You See What I See?” is an acrylic painting on black textured paper. The piece was inspired by Caroline’s grandmother Kathleen Duhig, her love of flowers, and the song “The Dutchman.” Kathleen and three of her sisters lived with dementia. This painting, and several others, are featured in a book Caroline wrote to support living well with dementia. By combining her artistic talents and training as an occupational therapist, Caroline …

Experiential Education In Advocacy For Occupational Therapy Students: Didactic Approaches And Learning Outcomes, Aaron Bonsall, Rebecca L. Wolf, Abe Saffer

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Advocacy is a foundational value in occupational therapy, but uniformity in teaching and learning advocacy is lacking. This paper proposes and reports on the implementation of an advocacy course based on experiential education. The objective of the study was to evaluate student learning after an advocacy course with an experiential education component using an open-ended survey design. Participants were occupational therapy doctoral students, and the setting was a course taught in a health sciences university. Students voluntarily completed a four-item anonymous survey after participating in an experiential advocacy course. Written responses were coded into themes using an inductive approach. The …

Multicultural And Social Justice Counseling Within The Scope Of Rehabilitation Counseling, Jeong Han Kim, Kayi Ntinda, Christopher Townsend, Kenneth Thomas, Dong Hun Lee, Cameron Ortega, Hee Jung Yu

School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

Historically, people with disabilities are a marginalized cultural group in that their lived world is less well represented in mainstream services. The rehabilitation counseling profession has the goal to prioritize and empower people with disabilities for thriving in their personal and community lives. However, cultures exist within social systems often characterized by inequities, obliging a need to go beyond multicultural counseling to address social injustices that would occur to populations with historical disadvantages such as people with disabilities. The present study discusses the multicultural counseling movement and its impact in the field of rehabilitation counseling. The study first introduces the …

Exploring The Knowledge And Perception Of The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Concussion Management In An Interdisciplinary Sports Medicine Center, Courtney J. Leiter

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

The purpose of this project was to identify the need for occupational therapists (OTs) in the management of sport-related concussion symptoms and work to educate and advocate for the field to be included as a part of an interdisciplinary concussion care team. The primary focus was to determine support for the use of interdisciplinary educational (IPE) demonstrations to educate health care professionals and graduate students on the scope and services OTs can offer within concussion care. A pre-post survey was utilized to evaluate the agreement levels on the use of an IPE demonstration to increase knowledge and perception of the …

Understanding Advocacy For Promoting Occupational Engagement Among Individuals With Disabilities, Rebecca L. Benson

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Advocacy can greatly affect many individuals throughout the community in their ability to engage in occupations. Individuals’ with disabilities engagement in daily activities (occupations) is greatly affected by their diagnosis whether it be physical, psychological, or developmental. This population experiences disadvantages due to many barriers in society including physical, sensual, visual, and cognitive barriers as well as societal attitudes, and absence of policy and implementation. These disadvantages are not always recognized or known by the general public despite the number of individuals who are impacted. The lack of knowledge creates a need for advocacy, education, and training of the community …

Expanding The Role Of Occupational Therapy For Oncology Patients: A Focus On Tumor- And Blood-Based Cancers, Erika N. Clark

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Tumor and blood-based cancer diagnosis rates are increasing rapidly in the United States. To improve survivorship, treatment practices are constantly evolving, however, patients are often left to face the consequences of survival. With decreased range of motion, strength, and ability to participate in desired activities, patients may experience a decrease in overall quality of life. Through a holistic lens, occupational therapists are well suited to address the diverse needs of cancer patients through the duration of their cancer treatments. Unfortunately, occupational therapy remains a widely underutilized service for this population. This capstone experience worked to address this gap by expanding …

Promoting Inclusive Play And Social Skills Development In Sioux Falls And Harrisburg, South Dakota, Madison C. Snelling

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

A lack of inclusive play opportunities hinders children's development and participation in a meaningful occupation. The purpose of this 14-week capstone experience was to advocate for inclusive playgrounds and play spaces in daycares, community recreation centers, and community playgrounds in addition to gaining further clinical skills in pediatrics providing home-based occupational therapy services and social skills interventions. Methods included caseload management, developing and facilitating social skills groups for children 4-5 years, and completing evaluations of current play spaces in Sioux Falls and Harrisburg, S.D.

Early Intervention Occupational Therapy Program Development Abroad, Hattie Fleming, Karen Park

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This program aimed to address the disparity in access to early intervention (EI) occupational therapy (OT) services which exists in certain communities abroad. This project worked with The Inspiration Center (TIC) in Belize, a community identified through needs assessment as having limited access to OT services, to expand current programming to include EI OT services, to increase understanding of the role of OT, to advocate for the OT profession within Belize, and to increase access to EI services for families with children with disability and/or developmental delay within the country. An emphasis was placed on caregiver coaching and culturally responsive …

Advocating For Occupational Therapy In The Pediatric Primary Care Setting, Margaret Bauer

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This project explored the experiences of caregivers interacting within the pediatric primary care setting in order to determine a need for occupational therapy to help support acquisition of child developmental milestones, screening for developmental delays, and implementation of health behaviors into family routines. An IRB research study was conducted to survey primary caregivers of children across the country to ascertain their experiences and knowledge of OT, ease of health behavior implementation, and comfortably discussing child development with their pediatrician's. A needs assessment survey was distributed at a San Diego pediatric primary care clinic, and a program was developed to support …

Situated Cognition And Self-Directed Learning: Pedagogical Approaches To Developing Skills In Advocacy, Kathleen Eglseder, Sonia Lawson, Reanna Beatty

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Advocacy for clients and the profession are important aspects of occupational therapy practice. Accreditation requirements for educational programs demand students are taught about advocacy. However, effective methods of teaching advocacy to future occupational therapy practitioners have not been widely studied. This article aims to highlight the use of situated cognition and self-directed learning in developing advocacy skills among occupational therapy students. Pre and post-test scores of the Advocacy Competencies Self-Assessment Survey obtained from 39 students were examined for changes in perception of personal advocacy skills and beliefs associated with a required advocacy course. Statistically significant improvement was noted across all …

An Educational Resource For Young Adults With Disabilities, Their Caregivers, And Clinicians In The Driver Learning Environment, Destinee Logan, Missy Bell, Angela Labrie Blackwell

Summer 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Driving and community mobility are essential occupations for growing independence and identity. Young adults who are transitioning into adulthood have a desire to engage in their community, and it is at this time that an interest in driving begins. Driving is a complex occupation that requires in-depth education and experience to safely participate in.

Learning to drive can be challenging, especially for a person with a disability. Young adults with disabilities confront several community concerns that limit their ability to participate in the meaningful activity of driving. Those with disabilities often rely on their support systems to help guide their …