Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

The Decline Of Physical Activity With Age In School-Aged Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Single-Center Cross-Sectional Observational Study, Jinuk Lee, Min-Hwa Suk, Soojin Yoo, Jeong-Yi Kwon

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications

Maintaining physical activity is important for children with cerebral palsy (CP). This study examined whether age predicted habitual physical activity (HPA) or cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in school-aged children with CP and clarified the relationship between HPA and CRF. We utilized cross-sectional data from 39 children with CP (18 girls and 21 boys; mean age 7.44 years; mean body weight 24.76 kg; mean body mass index 15.97 kg/m2; hemiplegic or diplegic CP). The participants wore an accelerometer (ActiGraph) for five days to measure HPA, physical activity energy expenditure (kcal/kg/d), sedentary physical activity (%SPA), light physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (%MVPA), and …

The Correlation Between The Season Of Birth And Early Child Development In Healthy Children: Evidence From The Midwestern Region Of The United States: A Pilot Study, Elizabeth G. Bodensteiner

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose: Research has been conducted in countries like Japan and China assessing the impact of various factors on gross motor development. One variable that has been researched and discussed within studies in other countries is the relationship between gross motor development and birth season. This study aimed to address the impact of birth season on gross motor development, specifically within the Midwestern region of the United States. There is limited research regarding this topic within the Midwestern region of the United States.

Materials and Methods: Parents of 114 children completed self-reports on their children’s gross and …

Measuring Outcomes Of Occupational Therapy Facilitated In Natural Settings With Young Children, Amie Smith, Deepak Dale, Brinda Saini, Zoe Peters, Amanda Laccone

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

To date, there is limited evidence to support the effectiveness of Occupational Therapy (OT) services delivered outside in nature. This study explored the benefits of OT intervention in Natural Settings (NS) for children by examining development in the areas of self-regulation, social skills, sensory processing, confidence, and motor skills. A quantitative, quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was used in this study. Researchers partnered with a local outpatient OT clinic that offers an 8-week outdoor program. Seven children and their parents were recruited and participated in the study. A modified version of the COPM and two BOT-2 subtests, along with a novel log …

Trauma-Informed Care Professional Development For K-12 Educators From An Occupational Therapy Perspective, Sarah Farrance

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

According to SAMHSA, more than 66% of children report that they have experienced at least one traumatic event by the age of 16. The focus of this capstone project was create a trauma-informed care professional development program to equip K-12 educators in traditional school settings so that they can address trauma in their students appropriately and successfully. This was done through understanding, working with, and implementing the Every Moment Counts mental health promotion initiative with the students at Bridges Learning Center in Akron Public Schools.

Homeschool Educators’ Perspectives About Student Needs Within Occupational Therapy Scope Of Practice: A Pilot Study, Susan L. Iliff, Mary T. Hill, Rose White, Aubrey Alexander

Pediatrics Research and Scholarship

Homeschool educators (n = 31) were recruited to complete an electronic survey describing their perspectives. Findings indicated that many students had medical/academic needs, and accessed additional services such as occupational therapy (OT). Data analysis of open-ended questions revealed common categories: (a) curricula met or did not meet student needs (b) participants had experience-based, general or no knowledge of OT and (c) most felt homeschooling was a positive experience and expressed that limited resources were available. Further research is warranted to investigate available resources, specific needs, and how to best support students who homeschool.

Measuring Outcomes Of Occupational Therapy Facilitated In Natural Settings With Young Children, Amie Smith, Zoe Peters, Brinda Saini, Deepak Dale, Amanda Laccone

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Student Research Posters

To date, there is limited evidence to support the effectiveness of Occupational Therapy (OT) services delivered outside in nature. This study explored the benefits of OT intervention in Natural Settings (NS) for children by examining development in the areas of self-regulation, social skills, sensory processing, confidence, and motor skills. A quantitative, quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was used in this study. Researchers partnered with a local outpatient OT clinic that offers an 8-week outdoor program. Seven children and their parents were recruited and participated in the study. A modified version of the COPM and two BOT-2 subtests, along with a novel log …

Effective Occupational Therapy Interventions To Decrease Picky Eating In Children: A Systematic Review, Savannah L. Jacobsen, Josie Cox, Alli Bos, Cherokee Ferguson, Stacey Smallfield, Molly Whitlow

Student Systematized Reviews: Occupational Therapy

PURPOSE: Picky eating is related to the lack of consumption in food variety by children when shown different foods (Wolstenholme et al., 2020). A 2015 study reported that almost half of children experience a period of picky eating at some point during early childhood, including almost 15% of children for whom picky eating does not resolve by age 6 (Cardona et al., 2015). The purpose of this systematic review is to identify interventions within the scope of occupational therapy that increase food acceptance in children under the age of seven years who demonstrate picky eating characteristics and who have no …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of The Mover Program For Treating Attention Deficit In Children (Mover: Movement Opportunities Through Vestibular Engagement Rhythm), Lindsay B. Williams, Camille Skubik-Peplaski

Student Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of participation in a movement- to music program on the attention span of elementary school-aged children who have attention deficits. The hypothesis was that participants would demonstrate improved attention on the Test of Sustained Selective Attention (TOSSA) (Kovacs, 2015).

Methods: This quantitative study involved nine children who participated in four movement-to-music sessions with a staggered stop over a period of six weeks. The study incorporated a single group pre-test/post-test design, and a non-parametric Sign Test was utilized to analyze data from the TOSSA subcategories of concentration, detection, …

Incorporating Trust-Based Relational Intervention In Occupational Therapy To Address Mental Health Needs Of Elementary Students, Maci K. Stouffer

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Background. The rate of children experiencing mental health issues is increasing exponentially. Many mental health conditions could be successfully treated in childhood, yet they are overlooked, with only half of the diagnosed cases treated and many others undiagnosed. Youth spend much of their day in school. Therefore, their mental health must be addressed within this setting. Purpose. This capstone project aimed to develop and implement a trauma-informed, occupation-based intervention program for elementary students. Equipping students with self-regulation skills, teaching appropriate calming strategies, and providing opportunities to practice the main components of building healthy relationships. The school staff was educated on …

Let Food Be Thy Medicine: The Role Of Whole Food Consumption And Mental Wellness In Children, Bianca A. Allen

MOT Student Capstones

Mental Health is one of the most neglected areas of health in the U.S healthcare system, yet there continues to be an alarming rate of individuals diagnosed with mental health disorders. This group of affected individuals includes the presence of children with 3 out of 4 children predicted to experience behavior problems and mood fluctuations before the age of 17. To 3 combat mental illness, psychotropic medications are prescribed at a startling rate with children as young as 2 being placed on mental health prescriptions. Although psychotropic medications have positive outcomes on mental illness, long terms use of this class …

Comparison Of Computer-Based And Therapeutic Activity Interventions For Improving Visual Motor Abilities Of Preschoolers With Autism: A Randomized Control Study, Supawadee C. Lee

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer-based and a traditional activity/practice-based intervention for improving the visual motor abilities of children with autism.

Methods: A group, pre-post, experimental design was used with randomization of subjects to four intervention conditions: a computer-based training, a therapeutic practice intervention, the combination of a computer-based training and therapeutic practice intervention, and a martial arts exercise. A sample of 34 preschool children with autism and visual motor integration deficits between 3 and 5 years of age were recruited. The Wide Range Assessment of Visual Motor Abilities was administered …

Sensory Preference And Learning Preference In Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder And Dyslexia, Jennifer Gomez, Hope Mccarroll, Lisa Griggs-Stapleton

Spring 2022 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Is there a connection between a child’s sensory preferences and their learning preference? Sensory processing disorders are a heavily researched topic in current literature and many children with sensory differences present with learning disabilities, but research is lacking concerning any connection between sensory processing and learning. This research study examines children’s sensory preferences and learning preferences and denotes trends between these two variables. 15 participants were recruited from the Accommodated Learning Academy in Grapevine, Texas, a private school for students 1st-12th grade with learning delays. The sample of 15 participants consisted of 12 females and 3 males, aged 11-15 years …

Identifying An Association Between Sensory Processing And Food Sensitivities, Taylor Tonks

OT Student Capstones

Introduction: Feeding difficulties are quite common in children and can lead to a multitude of poor health outcomes. Children with sensory processing difficulties can present with feeding difficulties. The relationship between sensory processing and feeding difficulties in children has been previously researched. However, most of the existing research focuses on children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: The purpose of the present study was to identify the association between sensory processing and food sensitivities in children of varying diagnoses using retrospective data. In the study, the researcher included 47 children who presented to an outpatient pediatric clinic for a feeding …

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

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

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

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

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

Is Exercise Effective In Improving The Cognitive And Behavioral Executive Functions In Children Diagnosed With Adhd?, Cara Scatena

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine “Is exercise effective in improving the cognitive and behavioral functions in children diagnosed with ADHD?”

Study Design: A systematic review of three randomized control trials (RCTs). All three of these studies were published between 2011 and 2016.

Data Sources: All three of the RCTs were found using PubMed. All of the studies were published in English in peer-reviewed journals and selected based on their relevance to the clinical question.

Outcome Measured: The outcome measured in these studies is the measurable improvement in executive functions related to the effects of …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Health Promotion For Youths Facing Chronic Conditions, Megan A. Moret, Megan A. Moret

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

This 17-week capstone project was completed at The Parker Place and virtually managed throughout the entirety of the experience. The Parker Place is a pediatric endocrinology and lifestyle management facility located in Annapolis, Maryland. Completing a virtual capstone project did not hinder the progress and outcomes of this experience. The Healthy Habits program was developed at this site to implement an occupational therapy role to supplement the served population’s health and wellness goals. Communication and client visits took place through passcode-protected video call sessions, phone calls, a HIPAA-compliant texting system, and email. Dr. Elizabeth Parker was the mentor for this …

Effects Of Dance/Movement Therapy On Pediatric Oncology Patients, Kaitlin Callorina

Nursing | Senior Theses

Pediatric nursing specializes in caring for patients from birth through adolescence; therefore, pediatric nursing can be spiritually challenging but rewarding. This thesis will explore the questions:

• Does dance/movement therapy have the potential to improve the quality of life for children who are diagnosed with cancer?
• How does dance/movement therapy change the quality of life in pediatric cancer patients throughout their diagnosis and treatment?

To aid in answering these questions, this thesis will examine various research articles related to dance/movement therapy and other creative arts therapy as complementary medicine and integrating the activity into nursing care. Children who are diagnosed and …

Cognitive Orientation To Daily Occupational Performance (Co-Op): 1-Week Group Intervention With Children Referred For Motor Coordination Difficulties, Rose Martini, Jacinthe Savard

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) intervention delivered in a group format in a 1-week summer day camp program for children referred for motor coordination difficulties. Transfer of learned skills to self-selected tasks not addressed in the group intervention was also explored.

Method: A quasi-experimental one group pretest-posttest design with a 1-month follow-up was used. Changes in nine children’s self-selected occupational performance goals, as well as their sense of self-efficacy for these goals, were determined using nonparametric statistics.

Results: Findings indicate a significant …

Long-Term Outcomes In Children With Acute Flaccid Myelitis, Megan D. Henley, Lindie Hill, Sydney Inman, Molly Grace King, Sam Lopez, Carley Mahaffey

Master of Occupational Therapy Student Critically Appraised Topics

The purpose of our critically appraised topic is to combine the best evidence regarding the long-term outcomes in children with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) regarding posture and movement, gross and fine motor control, and activities of daily living (ADL) performance. The final portfolio contains eight articles. The study designs of these articles include a retrospective cohort study, two retrospective non-randomized studies without a control group, a retrospective review, a nationwide follow-up questionnaire analysis study, a case report, a case series, and a multiple quantitative case study. All studies related directly to our evidence-based PICO question and were used to determine …

Icf Linking Of Patient-Reported Therapy Goals For Children With Acquired Upper Extremity Impairment, Jenny M. Dorich, Roger Cornwall, Timothy L. Uhl

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Patient reported outcome measures are used to evaluate hand therapy outcomes. Yet, limited evidence is available regarding the outcomes children desire from hand therapy.

PURPOSE: To determine the desired treatment outcomes of children with acquired upper extremity impairments.

STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive case series METHODS: Two raters independently applied International Classification of Function, Disability and Health (ICF) linking rules to the Canadian Occupational Performance goals of 151 children, age 6-18, receiving occupational therapy for acquired upper extremity impairments. Prevalence of the linked ICF codes was examined using frequency distributions. Kappa and the proportion of positive agreement assessed inter-rater agreement of …

A Cross-Content Validation: Sosi-M & Bot-Sf, Eleanor Brewer, Emily Yuen, Alyssa Asuncion, Taylor Hanson, Mariella Villanueva

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

This thesis paper examines a new assessment, Structured Observations of Sensory Integration- Motor (SOSI-M), and it’s concurrent validity against the well-validated Bruininks- Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency Second Edition (BOT-2). This research study answers the question of “Do the scores from SOSI-M correlate with scores from the BOT-2 in a sample of children 5 to 14 years of age?”. The participants for this study are school-aged children between the ages of five to fourteen years old, all genders, English-speaking, ambulate without assistance or use of orthotic devices, and have motor and sensory abilities sufficient in order to complete both motor …

Expressive Arts In Occupational Therapy: Children Traumatized From Opioid-Addicted Caregivers, Laura Maclean

MOT Student Capstones

Occupational therapy has been associated with expressive arts and the act of healing the body and mind since the inception of the profession. Children use expressive arts to self-express, explore, and enhance the development of the brain and body. Children that have experienced trauma may have trouble recognizing and expressing emotions, thus react with negative behaviors, poor social skills, and learning challenges. Trauma may occur in children from caregivers' behaviors due to opioid addiction. The use of expressive arts through occupational therapy's holistic perspective provides traumatized children with a guide to recognize and express emotions, increase attention, and improve social …

Let’S Dance: Exploring The Physical, Psychological, And Social Effects Of Dance In Children, Alexis Sunderlage

Senior Theses

Movement and dance have a lot of positive health benefits, physically, psychologically, and socially. Children love to intrinsically move and creating a structured dance program is one way to gain the benefits of dance. The purpose of this study is to explore the physical, psychological, and social effects of dance in children while gaining insights that could be applied to the setting of occupational and physical pediatric therapies. This was done by conducting a literature review and exploring how children react to learning and following dance videos in a classroom setting by evaluating ability, engagement, and enjoyment by creating Let’s …

Examining Criteria For Defining Persistent Post-Concussion Symptoms In Children And Adolescents, Grant L. Iverson, Justin E. Karr, Bruce Maxwell, Ross Zafonte, Paul D. Berkner, Nathan E. Cook

Psychology Faculty Publications

Researchers operationalize persistent post-concussion symptoms in children and adolescents using varied definitions. Many pre-existing conditions, personal characteristics, and current health issues can affect symptom endorsement rates in the absence of, or in combination with, a recent concussion, and the use of varied definitions can lead to differences in conclusions about persistent symptoms and recovery across studies. This study examined how endorsement rates varied by 14 different operational definitions of persistent post-concussion symptoms for uninjured boys and girls with and without pre-existing or current health problems. This cross-sectional study included a large sample (age range: 11–18) of girls (n = …

A Case Study Of Children's Programming In Transitional Housing, Crystal L. Coffman

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Female-headed households with children makeup nearly 30% of the homeless population, and are challenged to become self-sufficient while embodying multiple roles with inadequate supports (Bassuk, 2010; Crncec, 2008; Fisher, 2000; Schultz-Krohn & Tyminski, 2018). While there is growing literature to support the social-cultural and occupational needs of adults in this population, few programs and research efforts have explored the life skill and developmental needs of children (Fleary et al., 2019).

Purpose: The purpose and objectives of this capstone project were to examine the planning, execution, follow-up, and contextual adaptation of the programs provided to children and youth at a …

Exploring Accessibility And Social Inclusion For Children With Hearing Impairments In Residential Camps Through The Occupational Therapy Lens, Tiffany Coles

Student Capstone Papers

Children are encouraged to engage in various play, leisure, and social participation activities to enhance the development of life skills, independence, and social skills. A common leisure and social participation activity for children aged 6 to 18-years-old is to attend residential camp. Residential camps provide children a structured opportunity to engage in leisure activities while learning to become independent and self-confident when socializing and making new friends. Attending camp can be a fun and engaging environment to help accelerate growth in key developmental outcomes, such as positive identity, social skills, physical skills, positive values, and spirituality.

Within the residential camp …

Development Of A Universal Design Playroom For Children With Visual Impairments, Alejandra Sanchez, Angela Blackwell, Gina Benevente

Fall 2020 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This project aims to create a safe and inclusive playroom for children 0-4-year-old with visual impairment (VI), and to promote the development in social interaction, motor, and process (thinking) skills. With the use of play, children with VI can improve their developmental skills by their interaction with peers and the environment which will improve their well-being. The Person-Environment-Occupation- Performance Model was used to find dysfunction in the constructs that would limit the performance in play for children with VI. The project renovated the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SALBVI) playroom to accommodate the needs of the …

Interactive Sonification To Assist Children With Autism During Motor Therapeutic Interventions, Franceli L. Cibrian, Judith Ley-Flores, Joseph W. Newbold, Aneesha Singh, Nadia Bianchi-Berthouze, Monica Tentori

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Interactive sonification is an effective tool used to guide individuals when practicing movements. Little research has shown the use of interactive sonification in supporting motor therapeutic interventions for children with autism who exhibit motor impairments. The goal of this research is to study if children with autism understand the use of interactive sonification during motor therapeutic interventions, its potential impact of interactive sonification in the development of motor skills in children with autism, and the feasibility of using it in specialized schools for children with autism. We conducted two deployment studies in Mexico using Go-with-the-Flow, a framework to sonify movements …

Measures Of Pediatric Function And Physical Activity In Arthritis, Anna E. Greer, Maura D. Iversen

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Physical function can be assessed through physical examination with the use of performance-based measures and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Each form of assessment provides a unique contribution to the understanding of the impact of rheumatologic conditions on the patient. PROMs of physical function (PF) are an important component of the assessment of children with arthritis and have been included in the recommended core set of measures for childhood arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions. These measures provide the child’s or parent’s perspective of function within the context of daily living. Measures of PF include both generic measures, which are designed for use …

Dressing Skills For Children With Cerebral Palsy [Research Plan], Diane Mellin, Jenna Oberg, Amber Torgerson, Charlene Yuson

San Marcos, Summer 2020

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common physical dysfunction in children. Because there is damage to their cortex and corticospinal tracts, children who have cerebral palsy have difficulty in precise grasping and fine motor control, affecting their activities of daily living and quality of life (Ouyang et al., 2020).

The purpose of this study will be to develop an OT intervention using threading techniques that will help children with cerebral palsy dress independently without using adaptive clothing. This study will utilize a quasi-experimental design with the subjects as their own control. Pre- and post-tests will be administered for each child …