Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Effectiveness Of Aerobic Exercise For Adults With Leukemia, Jalin Davis, Summer Hood, Alex Miller, Sam Stein, Kaylee Stem

Master of Occupational Therapy Student Critically Appraised Topics

We wanted to look at the most effective interventions for increasing strength and endurance in clients with Leukemia experiencing functional decline.

A Pilot Study On A Mindfulness Intervention For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Meredith Obaytek

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

This project explores the effects of a mindfulness intervention on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in an occupational therapy setting, as well as explores the attitudes of student occupational therapists on the treatment acceptability for mindfulness interventions in occupational therapy. This paper discusses the current research in mindfulness and explores how it may have an impact on children with ASD, and in particular, within the field of occupational therapy. This project was made up of two components and took place at James Madison University’s Inter-Professional Autism Clinic (IPAC) over the course of three weeks. The first component was an …

Occupational Therapy’S Role With Ventricular Assist Devices And The Promotion Of Travel Protocols, Natasha Chandra, Linda Suplicki

The VAD Journal

An option for individuals diagnosed with end-stage heart failure is to receive a ventricular assist device (VAD). In 2006, Shepherd and Wilding produced an article regarding occupational therapy’s role during the VAD process as they anticipated a growing need for this area of practice. Since that time, there continues to be a lack of supporting literature on occupational therapy’s important role with this population. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to explain an occupational therapist’s contribution on the VAD team, offer opportunities and interventions for enhancing quality of life for this unique population, and discuss an innovative travel protocol …

Treating Trauma: The Occupational Therapy Perspective, Matthew Althaver

Honors Projects

Holistic health trends are increasing in the field of healthcare. The current research examines holistic trends in trauma treatment. Furthermore, it specifically looks at what occupational therapists can do to treat trauma. Survey results provide insight into occupational therapists' views on holistic health and trauma treatment. Overall, therapists bought into the concept of holistic health. Specific characteristics, like the length of time practicing OT, had an effect on their holistic health views.

A Systematic Review Of Occupational Therapy Interventions In The Transition From Homelessness, Roxanne Isard Ms., Carrie Anne Marshall, Leonie Boland, Lee Ann Westover, Sharon A. Gutman

Occupational Therapy Publications

Background: Although systematic and scoping reviews have identified a range of interventions for persons experiencing homelessness, no known reviews have captured the range and quality of intervention studies aimed at supporting a transition from homelessness. Objectives: To capture the range and quality of occupational therapy intervention studies aimed at supporting a transition to housing following homelessness. Method: Using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines, we conducted a systematic review including a critical appraisal and narrative synthesis of experimental studies. Results: Eleven studies were included. Critical appraisal scores ranged from 33.3 to 88.9 of a possible score of 100 (Mdn = 62.5; …

Video Modeling And Occupational Engagement In Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Teresa Le, Brianna Rodrigues, Katherine Blankenship, Gabrielle Ann Tabije, Cassandra Marshall

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

Introduction

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) impacts a variety of occupations (Hong et al., 2016). Occupational therapy (OT) intervention is essential for promoting occupational engagement for individuals with ASD. One way in which occupational therapists can promote engagement is through assistive technology (AT). Video modeling (VM) is an evidence-based practice (EBP) for individuals with ASD that falls under the umbrella of AT (Franzone & Collet-Klingenberg, 2008). VM capitalizes on the visual learning strengths of individuals with ASD and minimizes the use of auditory processing, which is an area of relative weakness (Campbell et al., 2015). Motor planning tends to be an …

Social Participation In College Students With Chronic Pain, Megan Chamberlain, Megan Chinn, Jennifer Pineda, Camille Santiago, Jamie Spitzer, Patricia Tran

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

College students with chronic pain often experience difficulty engaging in social activities both on and off campus due to stigma, misconceptions, or social exclusions (Culp & Rojas-Guyler, 2014). To fully understand the barriers to social engagement, the researchers used a qualitative phenomenological approach and semi-structured interviews to explore the lived experiences of 15 college students with chronic pain (pain lasting more than six months). Four main themes were identified: the additional influence of personality on social participation; stigma and lack of understanding of chronic pain; the “domino effect” of pain impacting energy, sleep quality, and ability to function throughout the …

Interrelationship Between Sensory Modulation, Altered Interoceptive Awareness, And Anxiety And Impacts On Quality Of Life, Sara Laughter, Vanessa Mitchell, Natalie Nguyen, Christine Kim

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

OBJECTIVE: The negative impacts of sensory modulation disorder (SMD), anxiety, and altered interoceptive awareness (AIA) on daily occupations reinforced the need for the study of the relationship between sensory modulation, anxiety, and interoception in typical adults. Understanding the relationship between the three constructs is the first step in the ultimate goal of developing effective intervention and treatment measures.

METHODS: This cross-sectional, exploratory study analyzed the relationship between scores on four self-report measures in an online survey: State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Sensory Responsiveness Questionnaire (SRQ), and Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, Version 2 (MAIA-2). …

Ontime Self-Initiated Mobility, Katherine Sanders

OTD Capstone Projects

The project took place at Vanderbilt's Pediatric Rehabilitation, specifically in their pediatric seating and mobility clinic. The focus of the project was the Explorer Mini which is the first exploratory device for infants 12-36 months old. The research team created an literature-based introductory protocol on how to introduce the device to the child. My section specifically focused on the preparatory stage which is the very first stage and when the child explores the device before being put in it. I also created numerous handouts for the seating and mobility clinic along with reference cards for how to use the Explorer …

Exploring The World Of On Time Pediatric Power Mobility, Lauren Hanna

OTD Capstone Projects

Children with delayed or impaired self-initiated mobility are deprived of critical developmental learning experiences. All children deserve access to ON TIME mobility. The Explorer Mini is the first power mobility device in the world to provide ON TIME mobility to children 12-36 months.

Challenges Associated With Occupational Therapy In Nebraska, Delaney Simmonds

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

As part of a fast-growing field, occupational therapists (OTs) in Nebraska face many challenges. This project utilizes interviews with local OTs, analysis of scholarly articles, and online databases in order to understand the challenges faced by OTs and how they may be improved upon at both an individual and a state level. The three most common settings for occupational therapists to be placed for fieldwork assignments and for work post-graduation are hospitals, schools, and skilled nursing facilities (AOTA State Affairs Group 2017). Interviews were carried out with occupational therapists working in these three settings in order to examine the similarities …

Occupational Therapy Student Preparedness For Clinical Fieldwork, Jean A. Mccaffery

All Theses And Dissertations

Topic, Problem and Purpose: Experiential learning and occupational therapy student preparedness. Occupational therapy education programs must prepare occupational therapy students for practice. Traditional observational Level I Fieldwork presents challenges to achieve student-learning objectives and often places the burden of supervision on practicing therapist. The purpose of this study was to explore occupational therapy students’ perceptions of preparedness for Level II Fieldwork following participation in a skill-based experiential learning opportunity as an alternative to traditional observational Level I Fieldwork.

Research Question and Sub-Questions: What is the graduate occupational therapy student’s perception of preparedness for intensive Level II Fieldwork following a skill-based, …

Evaluation Of User Interface In Drive Focus® Application, Bailey Kiser, Paul S. Peritos, Noreen Hasan, Anjelica J. Collins

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

Technology is used in healthcare settings to aid clinicians in accessing client information, researching data, and enhancing communication with the client and other healthcare team members. In order for an app to best support client engagement, the app needs to have a well-developed user interface design There are four main aspects of user interface design, context, fidelity, accessibility, and consistency. The Drive Focus® application (app) is designed to identify how an individual recognizes, prioritizes, and reacts to information during real-world driving simulations. The Drive Focus® app has efficacy and feasibility, however, the user interface design has never been assessed. Therefore, …

Are All Instrumental Activities Of Daily Living Equal? A Pilot Study On The Performances Of Adults With Acquired Brain Injury, Crystal Lee, Samantha Schauer, Amy Tam, Yareli Vargas

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

Aim: To determine if a relationship exists among performances of different instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) in adults with acquired brain injury (ABI).

Methods: A two-group correlational design was used to examine the relationship among performances in cooking, medication management, and financial management in nine adults with ABI who returned to driving and nine adults with ABI who did not return to driving. The Executive Function Performance Test (EFPT) measured initiation, organization, sequencing, judgment and safety, and completion.

Translated Evidence-Based Mental Health Toolkit For Skilled Nursing Facilities, Natalie Crisostomo Barrales, Jan Martha Conducto, Cecelia Ly-Peh

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

More than 500,000 adults with a serious mental illness (SMI) receive long term care (LTC) in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) (Grabowski, Aschbrenner, Feng, & Mor, 2009). Residents who live in SNFs may experience limited access to meaningful occupations. The SNFs’ institutionalized structure may perpetuate a lack of autonomy and stigma for residents with a SMI (Sullivan & Williams, 2017). Occupational therapy (OT) services provided in a SNF are often limited to therapeutic exercises, therapeutic activities, and activities of daily living skills (Rafeedie, Metzler, & Lamb, 2018). OT practitioners are not utilizing mental health interventions. Although SNFs are not traditionally …

Physiological Responses & Coping Strategies Of Sensory Defensive Adults, Benjamin Cohen, Alexandria Donaldson, Jenny Park-Chan, Jessica Valenzuela

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to learn how adults cope with their sensory defensiveness (SD) and how physiological responses differ between adults who self-report as high SD versus low SD. Methods: In this continuation study participants (age 18-64; n=23) were categorized as low SD (control group; n=9) or high SD (experimental group; n=14) via their Adolescent Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) scores and Sensory Response Questionnaire (SRQ) scores (Brown, & Dunn, 2002 & Wilbarger, 2009). The last nine participants also completed the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ). All participants partook in the sensory challenge protocol which examined their electrodermal activity …

Impacts Of Assistive Technology Applications In Higher Education For Students With And Without Disabilities, Christine Jacob, Michelle Morello, Cayla Chapman, Grace Erhardt, Erin Camarena, Sara Delucchi, Bethany Young

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

Current trends in higher education include an increased enrollment of students who have a disability and a rising trend of technology use within the classroom. Assistive technology (AT) has been shown to enhance academic success and influence learning strategies. Furthermore, the combination of AT and individualized support has the potential to promote and enhance engagement in meaningful occupations, such as participation in school, for individuals with and without disabilities. However, the procurement of AT alone can often have less impact than AT combined with individualized support. Occupational therapists (OT) can play a significant role in HE providing training and individualized …

Creating Focused Occupational Therapy Interventions For Clients With Heart Failure In Skilled Nursing Facilities, In Hwa Chae, Camille Marcia Schilling, Elena Ruth Vaccaro

Occupational Therapy | MSOT Capstone Projects

The ultimate goal of the SNF is to help clients stabilize their medical conditions and attain their therapy goals so that they can return home (Orr, Boxer, Dolansky, Allen, & Forman, 2016). However, approximately 27% of heart failure (HF) clients are readmitted to the hospital after being discharged from the SNF (Allen et al., 2011). High readmission rates may be due to the cognitive (Dickson, Tkacs, and Riegel, 2007), psychosocial (Halliday, 2010), and lifestyle barriers (Maeda, Shen, Schwarz, Farrell, & Mallon, 2013) HF clients face. However, interventions in the SNF tend to emphasize activities of daily living (ADLs) and therapeutic …

Mental Health Assessments In Icu And Acute Care, Carolynn M. Keane, Megan Altom, Taylor Harrell, Erica Smith, Danielle Woodward

Master of Occupational Therapy Student Critically Appraised Topics

The purpose of our critically appraised topic is to provide a brief summary of assessments that may be relevant to the burn unit or ICU setting, including their validity, reliability, specificity, sensitivity, and limitations. We had a total of eight articles with the following study designs: Systematic Review (2 articles), Longitudinal Study (1 article), Comparative Analysis (1 article), Correlational Analysis (2 articles) and Methodological (2 articles). These articles looked at the reliability, validity, specificity, and sensitivity of the following assessments: Abbreviated Burn Specific Anxiety Scale (A-BSPAS), Beck Depression Inventory-II, Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experience (B-COPE), Concise Mental Health Checklist …

An Occupational Therapy Approach To Education For Foster Parents, Alexandra E. Judd

Student Capstone Papers

The focus of this project is to enhance current programming for foster parent pre-licensure education courses in San Diego, California. This capstone project focused on the preferred learning styles of foster parents and utilized adult learning theories to create suggestions to enhance the current pre-licensure class curriculum. Data collected during verbal interviews with foster parents helped guide the suggestions to enhance the current curriculum. Utilizing specific occupational therapy group strategies, occupational therapists can help enhance education for foster parents by increasing the saliency of the learning material. The increased saliency facilitates a deeper understanding of the material and increases the …

Giving Credence To The Experience Of X-Linked Hypophosphatemia In Adulthood: An Interprofessional Mixed-Methods Study, Melissa Hughes, Carolyn Macica, Catherine Meriano, Maya Doyle

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is a rare X-linked dominant metabolic bone disease, often diagnosed in childhood but causing increasing physical debilitation and pain in adulthood. Physical comorbidities of XLH in adulthood include pervasive and early-onset degenerative arthritis, mineralizing enthesophytes and osteophytes, osteomalacia and pseudofracture, dental abscesses, and hearing loss.

Methods: This mixed-methods analysis included physical findings, diagnostic imaging, occupational and physical therapy assessments, and semi-structured interviews by social work to understand the functional outcomes and lived experience of XLH in adulthood, through connections between qualitative data obtained by social work and occupational therapy with the quantitative findings from other disciplines. …

Developing Educational Resources To Support The Use Of The Hippotherapy Evaluation And Assessment Tool, Emily Peoples

Student Capstone Papers

The Hippotherapy Evaluation and Assessment Tool (HEAT) was created in 2011 with the goal of creating an assessment specific to this therapeutic intervention and effectively tracking client progress. Based on the current literature of client progress during hippotherapy intervention, four domains of scoring were created: Static Posture, Dynamic Motor Behavior, Sensory Processing, and Psychosocial/Behavioral. Over the years, many thesis studies have been conducted to confirm the reliability and validity of the HEAT. However, further dissemination was required as many therapists had not yet heard of the tool. A doctoral capstone project was completed in 2019-2020 to create a training program …

Occupational Therapy's Role In Matching Handlers And Assistance Dogs With Occupational Needs, Jyoti K. Tatla

Student Capstone Papers

In the past two decades, there has been an increase in the use of assistance dogs to improve health, function, and companionship (Walther et al., 2017). Although assistance dogs offer a variety of benefits for individuals with different needs, matching a person with a suitable dog is not always successful the first time. Optimal matches can be achieved by adding occupational therapy to strengthen the evaluation process.

The two major purposes of this project were: 1) to observe and assess the current matching process of assistance dog programs and 2) identifying occupational therapy’s role in aiding the evaluation process. This …

Improving Awareness And Access To Adaptive Sports, Alison S. Takagaki

Student Capstone Papers

Adaptive sports can be defined as a recreational activity that allows individuals to improve their overall quality of life through an occupation they enjoy (Aytur et al., 2018). Barriers to participation in adaptive sports programs include a lack of resources, limited programs identified, and difficulty in finding the best program to fit the athletes’ needs (Lape et al., 2018). Adaptive sports have been seen as a holistic rehabilitative care plan that helps to improve self-esteem, build self-identity, increase confidence, and provide higher life satisfaction (DiVincenzo, 2013). Occupational therapists can play a role in helping enhance participation in adaptive sports by …

Perceived Impact Of Non-Contact Boxing On Daily Life And Occupational Participation At Home Among Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Kristen E. Bignal

Student Capstone Papers

The aim of this project was to determine whether individuals with Parkinson's disease perceive an impact on their daily life and occupational participation at home secondary to participation in non-contact boxing.

Semi-structured open-ended interview questions were conducted with 17 participants (3 female) who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease for(i.e., self-care, home and health maintenance, sleep, intimacy, social and leisure interests, etc.) in the home environment. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed utilizing thematic analysis.

Data analysis derived three overarching themes including psychological benefits, sense of community, and framework to develop routines. Subsequent research exploring how non-contact boxing directly impacts specific …

Occupational Therapy's Role In Pain Management Using Virtual Reality, Johnathan Quach

Student Capstone Papers

Pain is a complex phenomenon that affects millions every day and is frequently associated with activity restriction and decreases in psycho-social health. Studies have shown that opioids alone cannot eliminate all the difficulties that are associated with chronic pain, demonstrating a dire need to consider safer and more effective alternatives. Furthermore, given the impact of chronic pain on an individual’s ability to perform valued activities, and therefore overall well-being and quality of life, occupational therapy must be considered an essential member of any pain management team. Thus, there may be potential benefits to reviewing the use of virtual reality (VR) …

Exploring Occupational Disruption In Newly Diagnosed Individuals With Cancer With Minor (Dependent) Children, Riley S. Harrold

Student Capstone Papers

Background: According to the American Cancer Society (2019), there were more than 1.7 million new cases of cancer in 2019 alone. Individuals are being diagnosed at a young age with 22.4% of cases occurring in individuals 22-55 years old and whom are childrearing age (Shah et al., 2017). There are an estimated 2.85 million children under the age of 18 who are living with a parent who has cancer (Shah et al., 2017). Newly diagnosed individuals face changes in daily life, the threat of possible death, and fear of dying (Compas et al., 1994). Changes in shared family roles …

Animal-Assisted Therapy And Quality Of Life In Patients With Dementia, Karissa D. Thomson

Student Capstone Papers

The aim of this quantitative study was to examine the effects animal-assisted therapy (AAT) had on people diagnosed with dementia living in a nursing home. The study aimed to examine the effects AAT had on depression, blood pressure, social interaction, and how these factors impact quality of life (QOL). The study was conducted once a week for one hour on Thursdays for 6 weeks. 7 participants were included in the study and further broken down into two groups based upon their level of cognition as measured by the Mini-Mental Status Examination. Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) and the World Health Organization …

Supporting The Role And Transition To Motherhood Through The Occupation Of Feeding, Bethanne N. Vidmar

Student Capstone Papers

The purpose of this capstone was to assess and explore the occupational needs of mothers who are feeding their infants in a variety of ways to then identify psychosocial and occupational barriers effecting women’s choices in feeding options for their infant through survey and interviews and opportunities for occupational therapists to become more involved in the occupation of breastfeeding.

Data analysis for this capstone project consisted of running a needs assessment in Santa Barbara County. The needs assessment consisted of written or online surveys and semi-structured in-depth interviews. Of the 95 women who filled out the hard-copy or online survey, …

Non-Pharmaceutical Methods For Pain Management: An Occupational Therapist’S Perspective On Chronic Pain, Alison L. Brown

Student Capstone Papers

Typically pharmaceuticals are the first intervention for chronic pain but in a world where there is an opioid crisis, and chronic pain rates rising, is there more to be done? A non-pharmaceutical approach to chronic pain management can be addressed through occupational therapy. Occupational therapists are specialized to handle these types of interventions. This capstone provides evidence to support the use of aquatic therapy, adaptive equipment, adaptive strategies, fitness-based programs, and ergonomics for a non-pharmaceutical approach in occupational therapy.