Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Circles Of Connection: Finding Social Connectedness And Meaning Within Group Process, Julianna F. Bratsberg, Aundrea Marcella Roberts, Susan R. Untiedt

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Social participation is an area of occupation that can increase and enhance an individual’s participation in life. This is particularly true in senior housing communities where common issues of aging and adjustment can be addressed while reducing feelings of social isolation. The purpose of this demonstration project was to provide a venue where older adults living at The Redwoods, a senior housing community in Mill Valley, California, could share and develop meaningful strategies for living, and ultimately foster a sense of connectedness, which would affect quality of life. The project’s goals were to create and implement a series of process …

Bridging The Gap For First Generation Students (Bg4fgs): An Occupation-Based Peer Mentoring Program At Dominican University Of California, Victoria Danielle Rivera, Marion De Celis Sarte, Alison Jean Wiggam

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Attending college is a major milestone in the lives of students. The transition to college can be a challenging process for new students, particularly first-generation students, impacting their ability to meet the more rigorous academic demands and to integrate socially into the campus community (Prospero & Vohra-Gupta, 2007; Ramos-Sanchez & Nichols, 2007). To ease the transition to college, peer mentoring programs can assist new college students by offering guidance, one-on-one and group sessions, providing information about campus life and resources, and referring them to support services (Ferrari, 2004; Lennox & Leonard, 2007). The project developers collaborated with Dominican University of …

An Analysis Of Occupational Therapists’ Listening Behaviors During Treatment Sessions, Steven Joseph Devilbiss, Andreanna Marie Rodriquez, Maria Tolentino

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Background and purpose. Given the importance of listening in establishing a therapeutic relationship between healthcare providers and clients, there is a lack of research investigating the listening behaviors occupational therapists (OTs) use in clinical settings. The purpose of this study was to analyze what verbal and nonverbal listening behaviors OTs employ in clinical treatment sessions.

Subjects. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to recruit five OTs and five clients working with those OTs.

Methods. An observational study was used to investigate the verbal and nonverbal listening behaviors OTs employed during the first five minutes of each clinical treatment session. Each …

Computer-Based Cognitive Retraining For Individuals With Chronic Acquired Brain Injury: A Pilot Study, Stephanie Camille Gella, Joshua Victor Ramos, Julie Anne Robertson, Lucia Diana Ulloa

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer-based cognitive retraining program, the Parrot Software, on improving cognitive deficits in memory and attention in individuals with a chronic acquired brain injury (ABI).

Research Design: This study utilized a quantitative quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design.

Participants: Eleven adults over 18 years of age who sustained a chronic ABI two or more years prior to participation in the study and demonstrated deficits in memory and attention were included. Only individuals with ABI due to traumatic brain injury, hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident, or ischemic cerebrovascular accident were included.

Method …

Frett: Fall Risk Evaluation Tool For Traumatic Brain Injury A Master’S Thesis Project, Heidi Ann Mertle, Kiley Elizabeth Richter, Louis A. Scirica

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The goal of this thesis project was to develop an evidence-based multi-factorial assessment that appropriately measures fall risk in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The thesis team created an assessment they named FRETT (Fall Risk Evaluation Tool for Traumatic Brain Injury) that evaluates significant risk factors for falling in the TBI population through a variety of assessment tools. Methods included both portions of currently published assessments and original assessments developed by the thesis team. A manual was also developed with detailed instructions on how to perform and score FRETT. The target population for this project included the occupational therapists, …

Fotonovelas: A Parent Resource And Education Guide For Underserved Hispanic Families With Autism In Marin County, Tiffany Chi, Monica Christina Guzman Critchfield, Isaac Xuliang Stahlhut

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

The current estimated prevalence of autism in the United States is 1 out of 88 children, up from 2006 when the estimated prevalence of autism was 1 out of 110 (Centers for Disease and Prevention, 2012). Increasing numbers are a major concern because there is a greater need for services for individuals with autism. According to Kidsdata (2010), approximately 5.7% of Marin County of California’s population of children has a diagnosis of autism. The Hispanic community forms the largest minority group in Marin County, consisting of 15.5% of the population (US Census Bureau, 2010). This community was the target underserved …

Task Analysis For A Food Processing Facility: A Social Enterprise For Persons From Underemployed Populations, Louise Bobbitt, Jeremy Darrimon, Jessi Saaty

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Social enterprises aim to be agents of recovery for consumers of mental health services but lack knowledge of how to accurately identify workplace supports, accommodations, and modifications that are appropriate for their clients. Graduate occupational therapy students were contacted to assist with an activity analysis at a food processing facility that serves persons with mental illnesses. Occupational therapy is well suited to assist with task analysis and consult on work environments for persons with mental illnesses. In three sessions over five months a task-oriented analysis of work tasks at a food processing facility that employed people with mental illnesses was …

Positioning Techniques To Reduce The Occurrence Of Dequervain’S Tendonitis In Nursing Mothers, Alison Virzi

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

DeQuervain's tendonitis is an inflammation of two tendons: the extensor pollicis brevis and the abductor pollicis longus as they cross in the first dorsal compartment of the wrist. Symptoms include pain, swelling along the radial aspect of the wrist, and a decrease in thumb motion. A positive Finkelstein's test at examination is seen. Frequently it is caused by repetitively gripping, lifting, and positioning the wrist in flexion, ulnar deviation with thumb extension. It is a common diagnosis in women, referred to as "washerwoman's syndrome". It is also common for new mothers to experience due to the demands their wrists are …