Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Occupational Therapy Feeding And Eating Manual For Parents Of Children With Oral Motor Deficits, Jessica Kovacevich, Genevieve Ziegler

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Having a child with feeding and eating difficulties can be a very stressful event for parents, and the process of occupational therapy assessment and treatment may also be stressful and confusing for the parents. Most parents are not familiar with feeding and eating difficulties in children, and many parents do not know where to find the information that they need to learn about their child’s diagnosis. After an initial review of literature, it was found that parents of children with special needs have few resources for eating and feeding strategies and approaches for oral motor deficits. It was also found …

Tendon Injury Rehabilitation: A Manual Of Algorithm Protocols For Therapists, Joni Armstrong

Occupational Therapy Capstones

In the field of hand therapy there are a variety of protocols for treatment of patients with tendon injury. Review other literature indicates that most of these protocols have a good anatomical and physiological basis, which then requires the application of clinical experience to decide which protocols to use when treating patients with hand injury. Experienced hand therapists tend to make observations and adapt protocols accordingly to provide patients with good therapy treatment and therefore achieve excellent treatment outcomes. However, therapists that do not see hand patients on a regular basis and do not have a consult base will tend …

The Use Of A Sensory Integration Program For Children With Behavioral And Attention Deficits, Janel Evanson, Brenna Pitsch

Occupational Therapy Capstones

One of the challenges facing occupational therapy practitioners today is incorporating treatment approaches into psychosocial and school environments that address the needs of children who have difficulties maintaining an optimal level of arousal, who have a decreased attention span, who are non-engaged and have maladaptive behaviors and impulsivity, and who may have anger management difficulties. These characteristics may coexist with the diagnosis of a sensory integrative dysfunction. As a result, the authors anticipate an increasing demand for the implementation of sensory integration programming in a psychosocial or school setting. An extensive literature review was completed to gain a full understanding …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Secondary Prevention Of Transient Ischemic Attacks, Alan Hodenfield, Amy Shulstad

Occupational Therapy Capstones

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a condition in which an individual experiences an "episode of temporary and focal neurological dysfunction of rapid onset, caused by cerebral circulatory failure and lasting no more than 24 hours" (Shah, Cooper & Lyons, 1992, p. 358-359). Even though a TIA is temporary and leaves no permanent effects, it's far from an irrelevant event. About one in three people who have a TIA eventually have a stroke, with about half occurring during the year after the TIA (Mayo, 2006). A TIA can serve as both a warning and an opportunity: a warning of an …

Life After War: An Occupational Therapy Resource Guide For Returning Soldiers With Prosthetics, Monica Lemoine, Andrea Longtin

Occupational Therapy Capstones

There are a growing number of U.S. military soldiers medically discharged due to injuries sustained while on active duty. A number of these injuries result in limb amputation. The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop an evidence-based resource guide for a population of soldiers returning from war having an amputation and utilizing a prosthetic.

An extensive literature review was conducted in order to develop the occupational therapy role for this population. Three main areas of concern were identified: 1) a lack of information related to prosthetic use during instrumental activities of daily living, 2) limited information regarding reintegration …

Occupational Therapy Assistant Mental Health Case-Based Learning Activities, Cassie Hilts

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTA) need to be skilled in clinical reasoning and able to apply principles, theories and approaches to functional problems (Neistadt, 1998; Royeen,1995; VanLeit, Crowe and Waterman, 2001). Occupational therapy assistant educational standards require that students be able to apply models of occupational performance and theories of occupation (Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, 2008). Research has shown that learners actively engaged in the learning process have increased satisfaction with their education (Robinson, 1994) and perform better on exams (Lord, 1997; Wilden, Crowther, Gubanich and Cannon, 2002). Scaffa and Wooster (2004) found self directed learning can significantly facilitate …

Caregiver Activity Guide To Promote Occupational Function In Individuals With Alzheimer's Disease, Lacey Konickson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

No abstract provided.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Education Module For Entry-Level Occupational Therapists, Bonnie Hoff

Occupational Therapy Capstones

According to the American Heart Association (2007) statistics, it is estimated that 79,400.000 American adults have one or more types of cardiovascular disease, or one in every three people. It is estimated that 37,500.000 are over the age of 65 years. (AHA, 2007). Heart disease and stroke are the first and third leading cause of death for both men and women in America and accounts for 40% for all deaths, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2005). Approximately one individual will die from heart disease every thirty-three seconds (CDC, 2005).

According to the CDC (2005), a …

Get Involved: A Program For Kindergarten Students, Parents, & Teachers To Promote The Development Of Motor Skills For Daily School Occupations, Sarah Neall

Occupational Therapy Capstones

In the educational setting today, children are asked to acquire advanced academic skills at a faster pace and earlier age. Children entering the first years of school exhibit variances in their physical maturity levels, which affects both fine and gross motor skills and their performance in daily school occupations. Frequently, young children are unable to keep up with their kindergarten curriculum. Currently, the programs available to work on motor development in kindergarten age students focus solely on pre-writing skills and handwriting instruction. These programs lack information on motor skill development, home program activities, and specific occupations that kindergarten students are …

Occupational Therapy: Meeting The Needs Of Individuals Diagnosed With Cancer, Kim Jones, Lonnie Music

Occupational Therapy Capstones

When an individual is diagnosed with cancer, he or she can experience their physical and emotional well-being threatened by fear, isolation, anxiety, depression, fatigue, disfigurement, and pain often resulting in a diminished quality of life (Rosenbaum, Gautier, Fobair, Neri, Festi, Hawn, et al. 2004). Dealing with cancer can result in the loss of independence in basic daily routines and occupations such as: dressing, cooking, taking care of the home, eating/feeding oneself, etc. While all of these challenges can diminish quality of life, they can also be minimized by ancillary intervention services such as occupational therapy (OT).

The problem is that …

Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines For Complementary And Alternative Medicine In Occupational Therapy, Kristin Murch, Angela Olson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) within the scope of occupational therapy has the potential to add to the holistic treatment of clients with a wide range of disability or dysfunction. It has been suggested that a variety of complementary and alternative methods may be appropriate to use as an adjunctive treatment by occupational therapists with proper training and consideration of various client needs (Giese, 2005). A comprehensive literature review was conducted regarding the use of CAM with populations commonly seen by occupational therapists. Myofascial release, guided imagery, meditation, and yoga were determined to be most prevalent in the literature concerning …

Alzheimer's Toolbox: A Caregiver's Guide, Kristen Eastwood, Gerry Smith

Occupational Therapy Capstones

“Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in North America and Europe” and “accounts for sixty percent of all irreversible dementia cases” (Moore, 2003, p. 50,126). Along with the 4.5 million Americans who suffer from Alzheimer’s, there are also the caregivers who are suffering alongside their loved one. The stress of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can be overwhelming. This affects the quality of life for those with Alzheimer’s and the health of the caregiver.

A comprehensive literature review was conducted to explore and identify effective techniques and interventions, pertinent to both the caregiver and patient's …

Train-The-Trainer Office Ergonomics Program, Aaron Schenck

Occupational Therapy Capstones

It may be a common perception in the general public that the daily tasks carried out in an office environment are not typically considered physical demanding. Office tasks, such as typing, filling out forms and filing paperwork typically do not require a significant amount of force. Work tasks associated within an office environment, especially computer use, can increase stress on the soft tissues of the body, such as muscles, tendons and nerves over time (Department of Labor, 2005). This can result in what is called musculoskeletal disorders (MSD),s.

The negative impact of MSDs affects employers through decreased work attendance, productivity …

The Development Of A Sensory Integration Room For Individuals With Developmental Disabilities, Christine Foy, Samantha Schepers

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Current literature has identified that there is an increasing population of individuals experiencing sensory integration dysfunction. The current literature tends to focus on the use of sensory integration therapy for the use of treating sensory integration dysfunction with children. There has been a gap in the research on the effectiveness on the use of sensory integration therapy in adults experiencing sensory integration dysfunction.

An extensive review of current literature regarding sensory integration dysfunction and the use of sensory integration therapy was conducted and through this information a sensory room protocol was developed. This sensory room protocol includes: guidelines for use, …

Addressing The Iadl Of Driving, R Brandon. Yancey

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Driving is an integral part of daily life. Discontinuing driving due to decreasing function can have serious effects on a person's life. Occupational therapists work to enhance or maintain a persons independence when they are faced with illness, disease or natural declines associated with aging. Driving is listed as an Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (IADL) by the American Occupational Therapy Association (2002). Occupational therapists have special training and skills which assist them to understand the person from a holistic perspective. The decision to discontinue driving should be made after careful consideration of the many aspects of cognitive, visual-perceptual, and …

Birth To Three Early Intervention Parent Handbook, Sarah C. Nicholas

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate family-centered advocacy in early intervention, specifically the development of a parent handbook for families of young children who are eligible to receive early intervention services in Wyoming. Early intervention programs provide services for children with disabilities ages birth to three and their families under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004), Part C. The resource handbook was designed for parents and community partners so that they may better understand and utilize early intervention in the community where they reside. The parent handbook was designed to be as a written reference of …

Early Childhood Fine Motor Assessment, Naomi Kapaun

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The development of hand function is ongoing from infancy through adulthood. Hand function is especially important in the early years as a child prepares for school. As with all skills, the level of hand function can range from "excellent" to "average" to "clumsy" or "immature." Stability, strength, and endurance are key components of adequate hand skill development. These components are often areas of weakness in today's society of technology and passive activities. Creating an assessment designed specifically for the identification of skill acquisition, as it pertains to hand function and fine motor development, in the early childhood years will assist …

Stress And Anxiety In Adhd: Links To Sensory Over-Responsivity, Stacey E. Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations

Sensory Modulation Dysfunction (SMD) is characterized by an inability to consistently and accurately grade responses to sensory information. SMD, and specifically sensory over-responsivity (SOR), has been correlated with stress and anxiety in some developmentally delayed populations and has been associated with structures and functions of the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Recent attention has been given to HPA functioning in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with a majority of studies identifying blunted or diminished cortisol patterns. In contrast, elevated cortisol has been associated with anxiety and anxious behaviors in both animal and human studies. The purpose of this study …