Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Incorporating Animal-Assisted Therapy (Aat) To Improve Handwriting Skills In Pediatric Occupational Therapy, Jessica M. Simon, Jessica Mchugh

Student Journal of Occupational Therapy

Within the field of occupational therapy, animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is becoming more widely recognized and utilized as a supplement to traditional therapeutic interventions. As this area is still an emerging area of practice within occupational therapy, research is necessary to better understand the effect of AAT on children’s progress toward various goals. The purpose of this research study was to analyze the effectiveness of using Animal-Assisted Therapy to improve children's performance with and engagement in handwriting activities in outpatient pediatric occupational therapy. This study utilized a Quasi-experimental design, assigning participants to two groups. One group participated in handwriting activities while …

Dance As A Sensory-Based Occupation To Improve Regulation Skills In A Pediatric Population, Anna Seedall

OT Student Capstones

Dance is integrated into every culture. There are several psychosocial, cognitive, and physical benefits to dancing. The sensory system is highly involved in dance. Further, many children have difficulties with sensory processing and regulation. There are finite programs outside of therapeutic services to address this gap in utilizing sensory strategies. Limited research has been conducted to determine if dance is an effective approach for improving sensory regulation. A 10-week program was designed for eight participants, ages 4 to 8 by an occupational therapy doctoral student. The program utilized the Alert Program®, breathing techniques, yoga positions, tactile input, proprioceptive input, and …

Nourish To Flourish: An Educational Program For Caregiver Involvement With Children Who Have Developmental Delay, Rhea Florez

OT Student Capstones

Caregivers of children with additional needs often experience high rates of burnout, stemming from limited time, lack of knowledge about child development and/or diagnoses, and elevated stress levels. This burnout can result in decreased caregiver follow-through on addressing a child’s needs or interventions in the home environment. This project aimed to bridge the gap between parents and increase their follow-through in the outpatient setting for children diagnosed with developmental delay and/or additional needs by providing a 10-week educational program. A mixed-methods approach was used with a pre-intervention and post-intervention using the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) to measure parental …

A Peer-Mediated Art Program For Secondary Education Students: An Occupation Based Approach, Kjersten B. Sievers

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

The purpose of this 14-week capstone project was to explore the impact of a peer-mediated art program on the social and occupational experiences of students with disabilities. This program was designed and implemented to promote inclusion of students with disabilities by providing an opportunity to interact with typically developing peers within their school-context. The 7-week peer-mediated art program was embedded into a startup peer-program at a high school. A total of 10 participants (4 from special education) were recruited to complete the study. Students met for three 45-minute sessions and one 90-minute session each week as part of the program’s …

How Psychological And Nonpharmacological Treatment Modalities Reduce The Disease Burden Of Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndromes In Pediatrics, Aalia Narvel, Sabrina Gmuca

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The prevalence of pediatric chronic musculoskeletal pain ranges from 8.5% to 40%.¹ This literature review examined the treatment of amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome (AMPS), which is a general term that represents a spectrum of pain disorders for patients who may not satisfy specific diagnostic criteria.² Specifically, sources were analyzed to compare the efficacy of individual components in the nonpharmacological, interdisciplinary treatment of AMPS against pain medications. These components included cognitive behavioral psychotherapy (CBT), physical therapy (PT), as well as occupational therapy (OT). There is limited information that assesses these components individually, but there is ample evidence that when …

Animal-Assisted Therapy In An Outpatient Pediatric Occupational Therapy Setting, Peyton N. Stolle

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

The use of animals to assist in the healthcare industry has been around for some time now, however, only recently have those in the occupational therapy industry begun looking at the effects that it would have on patients within their scope of practice. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has various uses, and recent studies have shown that the use of dogs within a healthcare setting can greatly increase patient motivation and well-being. However, prior literature shows that there are limited studies on the effects of AAT in a pediatric occupational therapy (OT) setting, specifically an outpatient setting. My capstone project aimed to …

Occupational Therapy Services In Pediatric Mental Health, Hallie Jerome

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Children and youth experiencing mental health concerns often have limited or decreased engagement in meaningful occupations. Additionally, children and youth who experience mental health concerns at an early age are more likely to experience negative health outcomes such as poor occupational engagement, academic achievement, adverse childhood experiences (ACES), maltreatment/abuse/neglect, family and peer conflict/rejection, low self-esteem, early substance use, and many others impacting their overall health and well-being. My capstone project aimed to administer occupation-based interventions in a pediatric mental health program while I advance my skills working with an interdisciplinary team. The literature and needs assessment indicated a need for …

Pediatric Trauma-Informed Care And Implications For Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Quaneka Hoskin-Chase

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Occupational therapy practitioners are provided a wealth of knowledge through school and professional fieldwork experiences to understand and skillfully address the needs of children who have been exposed to trauma. Therapists are competently prepared to provide holistic and client-centered care that is dedicated to meaningful and volitional engagement (Lynch et al., 2021). However, many therapists still lack the confidence and awareness of their role related to trauma-informed care in the pediatric environment (Piller, 2022). Trauma compromises each domain of occupation (Lynch et al., 2021). As early intervention specialists, the lack of responsiveness to children’s trauma can have devastating and enduring …

Addressing The Physical Demands Of Caregiving Or Children With Disabilities In Nicaragua: A Quality Improvement Collaboration With Fne International, Grace Price

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Many caregivers of children with disabilities experience chronic pain and related symptoms of cumulative physical trauma. This type of phenomenon is particularly prevalent in developing, low-income countries where environmental accommodations may not be as accessible. A quality improvement program, was conducted as a doctoral capstone project to create resources addressing the physical needs of caregivers of children with disabilities in Nicaragua. Program participants included teachers at a school for children with disabilities and special needs in Nicaragua. The primary project deliverable consisted of conducting an in-person workshop to train the teachers with evidence-based methods for preventing chronic pain and other …

A Guide For Supplemental Education On Seating And Positioning For Parents And Caregivers Of Individuals With Cerebral Palsy, Grace Johnson, Mary Jan Greer, Franchesca Cox

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

An educational program that educates caregivers and families on the importance of proper seating and positioning during play, feeding, bone development and growth, speech, reaching, toy manipulation, handwriting and interacting with peers.

Occupational Impact Of Caregivers In Pediatric Palliative Care, Lezlye Ramos, Karen Park, Jazminne O. Arteaga

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this study is to understand the occupational impact for caregivers who had a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition who had received pediatric palliative care. A lack of understanding of occupational therapy’s role in end-of-life care ultimately underutilizes and under-prepares occupational therapists to work in this practice area. Becoming a medical family caregiver, neglecting personal needs and desires becomes a norm having a in-direct effect on physical and psychological health and well-being. Findings from this study suggest that it is reasonable to infer that occupational participation among caregivers is influenced by finding time for self and …

Occupational Impacts Of Seizures, Stephanie Nailon, Karen Park, Kelly Rodenkirch

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

This research looks at the occupational impacts of seizure disorders on the adolescent population. The research study explores how their condition impacts the adolescent and family unit. The research was gathered from multiple perspectives to gain an in-depth understanding to best aid occupational therapists and health care professionals to gain a deeper understanding of areas to address when working with this population.

Colors Of Connection: A Manual For Cultivating Social And Emotional Skills In Children With Disabilities Through Creative Arts, Allie Hertaus, Angela Labrie Blackwell Phd, Otr, Haleigh Freeman Otd, Otr/L

Spring 2024 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Children with disabilities (CWD) are experiencing occupational deprivation due to limited involvement in extracurricular activities. This deprivation impedes their development of social-emotional skills. In attempt to mitigate this deprivation, the OTD student created and implemented Colors of Connection, a creative arts based, social and emotional learning program into an already existing after school program for CWD.

Occupational Therapy Using Hippotherapy For Children With Developmental Disabilities, Ainsley Ellen Dillon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the impact of incorporating equine movement (hippotherapy) as a treatment tool in occupational therapy (OT) sessions for children with developmental disabilities. This study posed research questions relating to the impact of this treatment tool in OT practice on mobility and daily activity skills within the population of interest. A non-randomized controlled trial with pretest-posttest design was utilized to explore the research questions. Sixteen subjects enrolled in this study by convenience sampling and participated in six weeks of 45-minute OT sessions incorporating equine movement (intervention group, n = 8) or six weeks …

Inclusive Sports Environments: Youth Gymnastics Coaches’ Perceptions On Promoting Inclusivity For Autistic Athletes, Alec D. Sheaffer

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Despite the positive physical, psychological, and social benefits of sports, children with disabilities participate in sports at a lower rate than their typically developing peers. Partnerships between occupational therapists and youth sports providers can facilitate inclusive sports environments that enable equitable access to sports for all children.

Purpose: The purpose of the Capstone Project was to explore youth gymnastics coaches’ perceptions on inclusive sports participation following an educational module.

Theoretical Framework. The occupational justice framework (Townsend & Wilcock, 2004) guided the development of the project through the view that equitable participation in preferred occupations is an individual right.

Methods. …

Investigating The Use Of Serious Games For Cancer Control Among Children And Adolescents: Scoping Review, Sunghak Kim, Ebling Library, Olufunmilola Abraham

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

Background: Effective health care services that meet the diverse needs of children and adolescents with cancer are required to alleviate their physical, psychological, and social challenges and improve their quality of life. Previous studies showed that serious games help promote people’s health. However, the potential for serious games to be used for successful cancer control for children and adolescents has received less attention.

Objective: This scoping review aimed to map the use of serious games in cancer prevention and cancer care for children and adolescents, and provide future directions for serious games’ development and implementation within the context of cancer …

Empowering And Educating Parents To Implement A Home Intervention: Effects On Preschool Children's Engagement In Hands-On Constructive Play, Michelle Boulanger Thompson, Yaoying Xu, Chin-Chih Chen, Kathleen Rudasill

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Constructive play is a creative process-oriented activity that promotes children’s engaged learning through building and designing with materials. This study investigated a parent-implemented intervention to promote active engagement in constructive play for preschool-aged children at risk for developmental delay. This study utilized a single-subject multiple-baseline across-participants design with four participants. Visual analysis of the data identified a functional relation between the temporal, physical, and social–emotional environmental support provided by the parents and the children’s active engagement in constructive play. Parents reported the intervention as meaningful to their lives, indicating strong social validity. These findings highlight the importance of centering and …

Trends In Length Of Stay: Experience From A Tertiary Care Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit In Saudi Arabia., Sami Ullah, Ahmad Zaheer Qureshi, Waqas Sami, Amara Ilyas, Sherif Samir Abdelmaksoud Tantawy, Sarah Samir Abdulakarim Alqatari, Hasan Shacfe, Colleen Ann Wunderlich

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Background: Pediatric rehabilitation units offer unique challenges due to complex rehabilitation needs of children based on their age group and diagnosis. Length of stay (LOS) is an indirect measure of hospital cost and efficiency of a clinical service and it is important to determine the factors affecting LOS in hospitalized children undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. Methods: Record of 350 children (males: 222, female: 128) who underwent inpatient pediatric rehabilitation program at King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh Saudi Arabia during 2011 to 2018 were reviewed. Diagnoses were categorized into cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, non-traumatic brain injury and others. …

Educating On The Impact Of Gravitational Insecurity In Children With Sensory Processing Disorder, Amber Pierce, Lisa Griggs-Stapleton, Elizabeth Mcbride

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Gravitational insecurity impacts 15-21% of children with sensory processing disorder, yet little to no research is available on the topic. Therefore, a program was created to provide education to therapists and therapy students in order to better provide education on the topic to others.

Supporting Motor, Cognitive, And Psychosocial Functions For Children And Youth With Acquired Brain Injury: A Scoping Review, Quandra Shanks, Angela Labrie Blackwell

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Acquired brain injury (ABI) refers to an injury to the brain that is not hereditary, congenital, degenerative, or induced by birth trauma (Brain Injury Association [BIA], 2023). ABI is an umbrella term for all brain injuries, typically classified as traumatic (e.g., sports injury, fall) or non-traumatic (e.g., stroke, infection) (Wales et al., 2021). It is considered one of the leading causes of death and disability for individuals of all ages (Riccardi & Lundine, 2022). The BIA (2023) reports that ages 0-4 and 15-19 are at greater risk for brain injury. The severity of ABI among pediatrics is more severe than …

Modified Vs. Standard Sternal Precautions, Alex Rome Mot/S, Katie Morris Mot/S, Payton Johnston Mot/S, Cheyenne Franklin Mot/S, Rachel Jeneff Mot/S, Hannah Tackett Mot/S

Master of Occupational Therapy Student Critically Appraised Topics

The poster examines standard and modified sternal precautions in pediatrics following a median sternotomy and the impact on developmental outcomes. The question our poster aims to answer includes, do modified sternal precautions improve developmental outcomes in children who underwent (median) sternotomy in a hospital setting compared to those with traditional sternal precautions? Through searching databases, the authors were able to gather articles providing evidence and information regarding modified vs. standard sternal precautions. Through the research, the authors concluded that there is further research needed on this topic in pediatric populations with the recommendation to proceed using caution due to no …

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 …

Interdisciplinary Approaches To Pediatric Aquatic-Based And Land-Based Therapy, Danielle E. Scheck

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

With various injuries, diseases, and conditions continuing to grow and expand with our rising population size, so does the need for therapeutic intervention. To assist in the rehabilitation process, aquatic therapy may be used by multiple healthcare professionals to best benefit their clients through the aquatic medium's unique hydrodynamic and hydrostatic qualities. The aquatic medium is particularly beneficial to the pediatric population as water is usually naturally motivating and "fun." Occupational and physical therapists are among the professionals qualified to perform "aquatic-based" therapy in addition to or in place of more traditional "land-based" therapy. This project aims to expand on …

Kids And Canines: Pawsitively Impacting Occupational Therapy Outcomes, Jessica M. Simon

Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Within the scope of pediatric occupational therapy, Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a new and emerging area of practice that has shown to have a positive impact in its use with pediatric clients specifically. AAT is formally defined as, “a form of therapy that includes the presence of and/or interaction with an animal to facilitate progress toward some therapeutic goal” (Hardy & Weston, 2020, p. 197). Through the completion of this Capstone, the student aimed to develop in-depth clinical practice skills related to using AAT within pediatric occupational therapy, develop professional leadership skills, and contribute meaningful research regarding the benefits of …

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 …

The Efficacy Of An Educational Toolkit To Enhance Knowledge Of Pediatric Reflux Management Among Occupational Therapists, Kelly Cullerton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This manuscript describes a quality improvement project completed by a student in the University of Nevada Las Vegas Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program. The project tests the efficacy of an educational toolkit for occupational therapists staffed at an acute care hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, to increase their perceived knowledge of and ability to educate families on conservative management techniques for pediatric reflux management. Results indicate that the toolkit demonstrated efficacy in achieving this objective. The toolkit provided useful staff education and parent handouts for the occupational therapists to utilize in patient care as appropriate. This project’s ultimate aim was to …

Effect Of Using A Daily Bladder Diary To Decrease Frequency Of Nocturnal Enuresis In Children, Julianne Vesely

MOT Student Capstones

Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners are skilled in identifying meaningful and purposeful activities to use and facilitate a client's independence in working towards their goals. A goal in which OT practitioners can work with pediatric clients towards is increasing bladder continence, especially at night. Children who have difficulty with bladder incontinence at night, also called nocturnal enuresis (NE), may demonstrate poor social skills and social participation, and decreased sensory registration. Occupational therapy practitioners can work with clients to increase independence towards bladder continence through focused intervention on sensory integration, social skills training, and the use of a daily bladder input/output diary …

Identification And Treatment Of Tongue And Lip Ties: Occupational Therapy's Role As It Relates To Oral Motor Function In The Pediatric Population, Anna Hoyt, Chelsea Stone, Rachel Walker

MOT Student Capstones

Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners have a valuable role in the treatment of tongue and lip ties. The literature revealed that tongue and lip ties are associated with feeding difficulties in infants and children. Common challenges identified are difficulty with latching, reflux, poor weight gain, gagging, choking, difficulty with managing different textures, misalignment of teeth, social difficulty, and frustration for the child and parent. Additionally, surgical correction for tongue and lip ties is controversial because there are no clear guidelines for treatment. Standardized, functional oral motor assessments for diagnosing and treating tongue and lip ties are limited. Research states the most …

Improving Children's Mental Health Through Outdoor Recreation, Hannah Presot

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

This capstone focused on using outdoor recreation to improve mental health in the pediatric population. In partnership with the Center for LifeSkills, a modified curriculum manual and caregiver handouts were developed to enhance the development of positive metal health among the children who participate in the program.

Disability Awareness And Inclusion To Prevent Acts Of Bullying, Paige Simons

Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student Capstone Posters

This capstone was completed at Logan Christian School in Southern Ohio specifically focused on reducing bullying with students with disabilities. Activities encouraging all students, teachers and administrators to become aware and accepting of childhood diagnoses - to minimize acts of bullying and to see abilities before disabilities!