Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Health And Wellness Using Occupations To Explore Internal Motivators For Change, Shayal Ram, Susan Macdermott, Becki Cohill, Karen Park

Fall 2020 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of this capstone project was to create an occupation-based program that could be integrated into the lifestyle patterns of adults to potentially assist reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The number of Americans living with AD is expected to grow up to 16 million by 2050 (Smallfield & Heckenlaible, 2017). The risk for developing the disease could be reduced through lifestyle modifications (Hussenoeder & Riedel-Heller, 2018). Using occupation as a means for health promotion and disease prevention is an emerging area for occupational therapy practice (AOTA, 2014). This capstone sought to increase awareness of internal motivators that …

Rasch Analysis Of Repeated Measures, Trudy Mallinson

Health, Human Function, and Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Repeated measures are common in rehabilitation studies where patients are scored on assessments at both admission and discharge. Yet repeated measures produce dependencies among responses. This paper presents an alternative approach that avoid dependencies in the data.

Resources For Assisting Elderly Individuals With Insomnia: An Occupational Therapy Perspective, Michelle Linn Anderson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this scholarly project is to provide a resource manual for elderly individuals, and those providing care to elderly people, to assist the individual in relieving symptoms of insomnia. Insomnia affects elderly individuals worldwide. Studies document that approximately 50% of individuals in the United States over the age of 65 are noted to have either clinically diagnosed or self-diagnosed insomnia (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2007). As the population worldwide continues to age, it is important that occupational therapists, elderly individuals, family members and care providers be aware of the impact that symptoms of insomnia may …

Lifestyle Redesign®: Current Applications In An Outpatient Clinic, Camille Dieterle, Karen Mccarthy, Susan Mcnulty, Chantelle Rice

Collected Faculty Scholarship

The purpose of this presentation is to provide examples of OT practice in order to broaden the scope of practice to include prevention and wellness treatment and to empower OT’s to incorporate these types of services into their practice settings.

Promoting Occupational Therapy In Virtual Environments: Project-Based Learning In Second Life®, Susan Toth-Cohen, Phd, Otr/L, Veronica Souter, Ots, Elizabeth Vanderlaan, Ots, Kaitlin Rodriguez, Ots

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Description of project

Occupational therapy students from Jefferson School of Health Professions in Philadelphia planned and implemented interactive exhibits within the virtual world of Second Life®. The educational exhibits were provided through an ongoing project designed to promote occupational therapy, provide immersive experiences on health and wellness for persons in Second Life® and promote collaboration between project personnel and others with an interest in health and wellness. Exhibits focused on home and playground adaptations, mental health and productive aging and were based on current research evidence and best practices. Students also participated in events in which they promoted occupational therapy …

Development Of A Fidelity Measure For Research On The Effectiveness Of The Ayres Sensory Integration Intervention., L Diane Parham, Susanne Smith Roley, Teresa A. May-Benson, Jane Koomar, Barbara Brett-Green, Janice P Burke, Ellen S. Cohn, Zoe Mailloux, Lucy J. Miller, Roseann C. Schaaf

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: We developed a reliable and valid fidelity measure for use in research on Ayres Sensory Integration (ASI) intervention.

METHOD: We designed a fidelity instrument to measure structural and process aspects of ASI intervention. Because scoring of process involves subjectivity, we conducted a series of reliability and validity studies on the process section. Raters were trained to score therapist strategies observed in video recordings of adult-child dyads. We examined content validity through expert ratings.

RESULTS: Reliability of the process section was strong for total fidelity score (ICC = .99, Cronbach's alpha = .99) and acceptable for most items. Total score …

Adolescents’ Lived Experiences During Treatment Of Cancer And Impact On Social Participation, Gary Grimaldi

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This phenomenological study was designed to understand the lived experience of adolescents being treating for cancer and the impact of their lived experience on engagement in occupations and social participation. Participants in this study included four young adolescents 17-19 years of ages attending school on a part-time basis. They were on active treatment protocols for cancer and enjoyed participating in sports or other activities with friends. In-depth structured interviews with questions to illuminate the impact of cancer treatment on social participation were completed and audio recorded. Data analysis was completed utilizing a phenomenological reduction method to determine emerging themes and …

Applying The Icf Framework To Study Changes In Quality-Of-Life For Youth With Chronic Conditions, Janette Mcdougall, Virginia Wright, Jonathan Schmidt, Linda Miller, Karen Lowry

Occupational Therapy Publications

Objective: The objective of this paper is to describe how the ICF framework was applied as the foundation for a longitudinal study of changes in quality-of-life (QoL) for youth with chronic conditions.

Method: This article will describe the study’s aims, methods, measures and data analysis techniques. It will point out how the ICF framework was used—and expanded upon—to provide a model for studying the impact of factors on changes in QoL for youth with chronic conditions. Further, it will describe the instruments that were chosen to measure the components of the ICF framework and the data analysis techniques that will …

Fact Sheet: Role Of Occupational Therapy, Shelia Longpre

Occupational Therapy Faculty Books and Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Driving As A Valued Instrumental Activity Of Daily Living, Anne E. Dickerson, Timothy Reistetter, Elin Schold Davis, Miriam Monahan

Collected Faculty Scholarship

The purpose of this translational research article is to illustrate how general practice occupational therapists have the skills and knowledge to address driving as a valued occupation using an algorithm based on the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (2nd ed.; American Occupational Therapy Association, 2008b). Evidence to support the model is offered by a research study. Participants were compared on their performance of complex instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and a behind-thewheel driving assessment. A significant relationship was found between the process skills from the performance assessment and whether the driver passed, failed, or needed restrictions as …

A Research Study To Explore Casper College Undergraduate Education Majors' Perceptions Of Educational Curriculum Concerning Occupational Therapy's Role In The Public School System, Jenny Lok, Mike Seabeck

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge concerning OT roles in the school district setting that undergraduate education majors are receiving at Casper College.

Methodology: Data was collected from 57 participants through the use of a survey to identify pre-service teachers’ perception of occupational therapy and the education they have received in their coursework.

Results of this study indicate that undergraduate education majors at Casper College are receiving less than optimal instruction on the role of OT in school-based practice. Overall 91% of students polled indicated that they had not received education on OT …

Bariatric Surgery And The Impacts On Occupations: A Qualitative Study, Emily Schlosser, Annie Van Erem

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of individuals who had undergone bariatric surgery and the impact weight loss has on occupations.

Methodology: A comprehensive literature review was conducted on the affects of obesity, bariatric surgery and the impacts on occupational performance. Based on the findings of the literature review, a qualitative research study using a phenomenological approach was completed. The Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) served as a guide in developing the interview questions and data analysis process. Four female participants who have undergone bariatric surgery were recruited using a purposive sampling method. The …

Improving Community Participation Of The Inactive Elderly: Preferred Learning Style-Based Interventions, Catherine Bailey

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Occupational therapists believe social engagement is vital to the health and well-being of the older adult. Social isolation has been linked to loss of physical, cognitive and emotional health. Elders at risk of social isolation are not specifically addressed by community health programs due to lack of knowledge and resources. Social isolation and loss of meaningful activity are significant precursors to rapid decline in the health and well-being of elderly people living in their communities.

Literature indicates that use of personal learning style preferences to problem solve improves success in occupation. Older adults often lack awareness of their personal learning …

The Upside To Down Syndrome: An Educational Manual For Parents, Brittany Larson, Seth Luoma

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Parents of children with Down syndrome want their child to be as successful as other children in areas of development, specifically play. Play is crucial to a child's development as it assists with the progression through childhood developmental stages. This can help lay a foundation for learning daily life skills such as dressing, feeding, and social interaction. For children with Down syndrome, performing daily living tasks may be more difficult as fine and gross motor skills are affected by low-tone, cognition level, and coordination. Providing children with a variety of play activities to build both fine and gross motor skills …

Correlating The Developmental Test Of Visual Perception -2 (Dtvp And The Test Of Visual Perceptual Skills - Revised (Tvps-R) As Assesssment Tools For Learners With Learning Difficulties, Janet Richmond, K Holland

Research outputs 2011

Learners are often referred to occupational therapists to assess their visual perceptual functioning. It is, therefore, imperative that the occupational therapists use the best assessment tools to obtain accurate and reliable results that lead to effective intervention which will be noticeable in the classroom functioning of these learners. A study was therefore conducted which correlated the results of the Developmental Test of Visual Perception (second edition) (DTVP-2) and the Test of Visual Perceptual Skills Revised (TVPS-R) in a cohort of 173 learners from Grade 1 to Grade 4 (children aged 6 years to 11 years). The learners attend a remedial …

The Occupational Therapy Handbook For Parents (Othp), Kristen Rosenbeck

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Children spend 60% of their day completing fine motor activities (Feder, 2007; Mackay, 2010). Therefore, it is essential that young children be exposed to a variety of fine motor activities in school and home settings to promote fine motor development. Often times parents are willing to help their children develop these skills, however, they do not feel they have the resources to do this.

The Occupational Therapy Handbook for Parents (OTHP) was designed by an occupational therapist to provide consistent parent education regarding children's fine motor skills. A literature review was completed to define typical fine motor development, best practices …

Psychosocial Assessment In Orthopedic Evaluations: A Clinical Tool For Occupational Therapists, Sara M. Sipple

Occupational Therapy Capstones

"When 1 touch a human hand, 1 touch heaven. " - Malebranche

Holistic, occupation-based treatment in a hand therapy setting is associated with enhanced patient outcomes (Chan & Spencer, 2004), yet it is easy for occupational therapists working in hand and upper extremity orthopedic settings to become fixated on the pathology and anatomy of medical diagnoses and inadvertently ignore psychosocial and contextual influences on rehabilitation. Although there is research that identifies how physical disease may lead to psychosocial role changes, there is a paucity of literature that addresses how hand and upper extremity injuries affect these roles (Schier & Chan, …

Promoting Fine Motor And Visual-Motor Skill Development In Preschool Age Children, Patty Soldner

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Fine motor skills are important in childhood development (Beilei, Lui, Qu & vonHofsten, 2002; Rosenblum, Weiss & Parush, 2003 as cited in Jackman & Stagnitti, 2007). These skills become critical when a child reaches school age when the child is expected to perform fine motor tasks such as cutting, coloring, and writing as part of his or her daily routine. Research has shown that there is a high rate of fine motor difficulties in school-age children in the United States (Hammerschmidt & Sudsawad, 2004 as cited in Jackman & Stagnitti, 2007). Caregivers of preschool age children often seek the assistance …

Living With A Spinal Cord Injury: A Workshop For Parenting And Play, Ana Sobolik, Laura Gunderson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Individuals with newly acquired spinal cord injuries (SCI) may experience fears of inadequacy with their ability to be parents. This is a problem due to the fact that the average age of individuals who acquire SCIs is between 16 and 30, the prime child bearing years (Martin, Hamilton, Sutton, Ventura, Mathews, & Osterman, 2010; Mathews & Hamilton, 2009). There is a lack of literature to address these fears by supporting and developing parenting skills for individuals with SCIs. The purpose of this scholarly project is to address the fears of individuals with SCIs and their abilities with parenting occupations, as …

Seven Dimensions Of Wellness In Athletes With Upper Extremity Orthopedic Injuries: A Manual For Occupational Therapists, Ashley S. Chan, Micah J. Davids

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Increased attention has been placed on sports and athletes within the United States cultural. The latest reports of the noted sports economist Andrew Zimbalist estimated that the annual revenue of only 4 North American sports amounts to approximately $15 billion (Markovits, 2010). Athletes with upper extremity orthopedic injuries have traditionally been treated by occupational hand therapists (Hanson, Nabavi, & Yuen, 2000) however; research does not adequately address their needs outside of physical injury and musculoskeletal gain. Evidence is lacking within the profession of occupational therapy that encompasses the athlete as an occupational being. An occupational being is a person who …

Antecedent Techniques Used To Regulate Aggressive Behavior In Patients With Brain Injuries: A Teaching Module, Elizabeth A. Freidel, Megan J. Larson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

An estimated 1.7 million individuals sustain a brain injury each year (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2010). Some behaviors associated with brain injuries include: decreased academic performance, severe aggression, self-injurious behavior, and suicidal and homicidal ideation (Finfgeld-Connet, 2009; Pace, Dunn, Luiselli, Cochran, & Skowron, 2005). The aforementioned behaviors pose a risk to the well-being of patients, therapists, healthcare providers and caregivers. The purpose of this scholarly project was to explore current methods used to minimize dangerous behavioral clients and ultimately provide a teaching module of antecedent techniques - a form of intervention used in order to reduce a behavior …

A Comparative Analysis Of Tractor Seating For Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury Using A Pressure Mapping System, William Kennington, Veronica Boeser

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: Research is limited in addressing the many factors and variables associated with enabling farmers/ranchers with disabilities and health impairments to sit within and operate dynamic agricultural equipment safely, comfortably, and without integument and musculoskeletal injury. As an initial foray into investigating this problem, an independent study project by graduate students in an occupational therapy program compared the seated pressure distribution of two people with paraplegia. Six testing conditions were completed while participants were seated upon two different tractor seats under static conditions.

Methodology: Using a quantitative cross-over design, two adult subjects with paraplegia meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited …

An Occupation-Based Program For The Dual Diagnosis Of An Eating Disorder And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tessa Larson, Dana Rome

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this project was to develop an occupation-based occupational therapy program for the dual diagnosis of an eating disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder for use in an outpatient setting. A literature review was conducted to identify the challenges associated with the assessment and treatment of eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. The literature supports the need for occupation-based interventions, especially in the areas of self-care, meal planning and preparation, sleep and rest, leisure, and various life skills. Guided by the Model of Human Occupation in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, an occupation-based program guide was developed. The …

Enabling Personal Occupation Through Sensory Interventions, Caroline Mattson, Gretchen Prohofsky

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Individuals with developmental disabilities and/or mental illness are predisposed to having a co-occurring sensory processing disorder. Many adults and children with sensory processing disorder have never been assessed or treated. Consequences of untreated sensory processing disorder include decreased ability to engage in meaningful occupations or healthy relationships, leading to lowered self-esteem and perception regarding quality of life. A literature review defines sensory processing, sensory processing disorders, consequences of sensory processing disorder dysfunction, sensory processing disorder co-morbidity, sensory processing disorders in individuals with mental illness and/or developmental disabilities, interventions for sensory processing disorders, the role of occupational therapy, deficiencies in knowledge, …

Children With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Guide To Therapeutic And Pharmacological Treatments, Rebecca Mcomie

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is becoming a more common diagnosis with young children and babies (PAGER, 2010). GERD is often misdiagnosed and there is no single test available to determine its presence (Eisen, 2001). The term reflux can be confusing and used to mean different things to different people. Often reflux is linked to colic in babies or may be considered a "normal" part of being a baby. But when a sequalae of symptoms arise in an infant, gastroesophageal reflux becomes a serious issue that needs to be addressed through a variety of interventions and sources (Sondheimer, 2006 ).

In …

Strategies To Promote Oral Motor Skills And Progression Of Foods For Infants And Young Children With Feeding Concerns, Heather Davis, Anne Winter

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Eating is a primary occupation for individuals from birth through adulthood. However, some infants and young children experience difficulty and frustration as they begin to eat and transition to foods with texture. Field, Garland, and Williams (2003) determined that up to 80% of children with developmental disabilities experienced problems with feeding. There is a need for providing education and support for the families of these children (White-Traut & Norr, 2009). Pilkington (2006) conveyed that supporting and building the parent's capacity for caring for their child resulted in enhanced outcomes for the infant or child. Current resources may not be parent-friendly …

Implementing The Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment Model In Occupational Therapy, Amber Jessen, Nicole Nelson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this project was to develop a resource manual for occupational therapists to guide treatment planning for persons with a co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder, according to the stages and components of the Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT) Model.

A comprehensive literature review of the issues facing persons with co-occurring disorders, the IDDT model, and the role of occupational therapy for persons with co-occurring disorders was conducted. The literature supported the effectiveness of the IDDT model, and indicated justification for occupational therapy’s implementation of the IDDT model.

A resource manual was developed to support occupational therapists’ …

An Afterschool Toolkit For Implementing Occupation-Based Activities, Kelsey Miller, Kayla Petersen

Occupational Therapy Capstones

"Each day in America, millions of kids go home to an empty house after school" (Afterschool Alliance, 2009, p.1). The Afterschool Alliance (2009) indicates that based on a 2009 survey of30,000 families, there are more children unsupervised each afternoon in the U.S. and the demand for afterschool programming is higher than ever. In the United States, 30% of middle school students and 4% of elementary aged children are responsible for taking care of themselves and only 15% currently participate in an afterschool program (Afterschool Alliance, 2009, pg. 4). Students are at particular risk during these hours, millions are unsupervised each …

Smart Grant Writing Project, Shannon L. Flegel

Occupational Therapy Capstones

“The estimated cost burden to the Minnesota K-12 system due to children entering kindergarten unprepared for school success is about $113 million annually” (Chase, Coffee-Borden, Anton, Morre, and Valorose, 2008, pg. 1). These delays in school readiness can lead to continued achievement gaps throughout a child’s academic career (Gonzali-Lee and Mueller, 2010). One way to decrease that achievement gap is through offering innovative early intervention programming to increase readiness skills before kindergarten. Hand in Hand Preschool, located in Northfield, MN is a preschool that is continuously looking for ways to increase all students’ readiness skills. One such program that increases …

Adolescents With Disabilities: The Development Of Life Skills Through Occupational Therapy, Diane Magnuson, Courtney Mohler

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to create a workshop for occupational therapists (OTs) who work with adolescents as they transition from high school to adulthood focusing on life skill development.

Methodology: An Internet search was completed to determine the current role of OT in the transition process and the needs of adolescents as they transition to adulthood. Information was obtained from the following databases: PubMed, PsychInfo, SCOPUS, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Resources included professional journals, scholarly text books, and government websites. The literature review also included information on the Ecology of …