Other Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Empowerment Through Creating An Adaptive Sports And Recreation Program For Persons With Disabilities, Sarah Kadri, Angela Labrie Blackwell

Fall 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Adaptive sports and recreation (ASR) refers to recreational and competitive physical activities modified to be inclusive and accessible for persons with disabilities (PWD), adjusting equipment, rules, instruction, and environmental setup to support participation across a wide range of physical, cognitive, and sensory abilities. PWD often report feeling disempowered due to social stigma, inaccessible environments, and limited opportunities to make meaningful choices about leisure and community life. A lack of diverse and consistent ASR opportunities within communities collectively hinders participation and negatively impacts overall well-being. Utilizing the Person Environment Occupation Performance (PEOP) theoretical framework, this capstone project developed a 10-week swimming …

Peningkatan Keterampilan Makan Pada Anak Down Syndrome Melalui Terapi Okupasi Berbasis Sensory Integration: Studi Kasus, Reza Nur Arsyi, Tambunan Seselia Thresagloria, Muhammad Luthfi, Ayleen Alicia K, Hermito Gideon

Jurnal Fisioterapi Terapan Indonesia

Children with Down Syndrome (DS) frequently experience feeding difficulties due to hypotonia, sensory processing disorder, and oromotor impairments. This case study aimed to describe the clinical reasoning and effectiveness of a sensory integration (SI)-based occupational therapy intervention in improving feeding skills in a 10-year-old child with DS. The intervention consisted of 12 structured sessions focusing on postural stability, proprioceptive awareness, fine motor control, and oromotor coordination. Evaluation tools included Sensory Profile 2 and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). Post-intervention outcomes indicated significant improvement in spoon use, posture during mealtime, texture tolerance, and self-feeding independence. FIM scores improved from total assistance …

Occupational Therapy In Stroke: A Case Study Using The Bobath Frame Of Reference And Task Oriented Approach, Reza Nur Arsyi, Afifah Fadhilah Nursyam, Muhammad Luthfi, Hermito Gidion, Ayleen Alicia Kosasi, Erna Faryza Mohd Poot, Rosilah Wahab, Nur Atiqah Azman

Jurnal Fisioterapi Terapan Indonesia

Stroke is a sudden neurological disorder caused by vascular injury to the brain, leading to significant functional limitations. This case study examines the use of occupational therapy interventions, specifically the Bobath and Task Oriented approaches, for a 43-year-old male with left hemiparesis to enhance independence in motorcycling. The patient experienced various limitations, including vestibular function, range of motion, muscle tone and strength, postural control, and fine motor skills. Using the Ashworth scale and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) for assessment, occupational therapy interventions showed progress in several aspects, although the primary goal has not yet been fully achieved. This …

Health Club: The Pursuit For A Diverse Healthcare Team, Michelle Ariana Morales, Angela Labrie Blackwell, Erik Perez

Fall 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Currently, the ethnic and racial demographics of occupational therapy students do not reflect the US’ diverse populations due to a general lack of awareness about occupational therapy (OT) amongst diverse high school students (HSS). Many factors serve as common barriers amongst diverse, minority communities, limiting students’ exposure to and knowledge about health professions, such as OT. To address these barriers, Health Club is a six-week, high school afterschool program designed to raise awareness about healthcare professions where ethnically and racially diverse populations are commonly underrepresented. Health Club uses lessons consisting of fundamental healthcare knowledge to provide HSS with opportunities to …

A Manualized Occupational Therapy Module On Cognitive Defusion For People With Ptsd, Joshua Mimun, Steven M. Gerardi

Summer 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

CD has been identified as a treatment module that should be included in a manualized OT protocol for people with PTSD but had not yet been developed. Thus, the purpose of this capstone project is to create a manualized OT treatment module on CD for people with PTSD.

Dirfloortime: An Innovative Approach To Supporting Development Through Connection And Understanding, Jessica Townsend

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

Children with developmental delays and neurobehavioral disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), often have social, emotional, or behavioral delays. Children who are not reaching developmental milestones or are reaching them at a slower rate may need extra support and services to reach their full potential. An innovative approach to treatment of developmental delay commonly used among therapists is called DIRFloortime®. DIRFloortime® (also referred to as Floortime) is the application of the Developmental, Individual-Differences, & Relationship-Based (DIR) model in practice. The purpose of this capstone project was to explore Floortime as a holistic intervention …

Benefits Of Equine-Based Therapy For Individuals With Dementia, Lauren Fearn

Student Capstone Papers

Individuals living with dementia typically experience progressive, cognitive, and functional decline which limits their ability to communicate and fully perform activities (Pimouguet el al., 2019). Horses have been shown to benefit individuals with dementia by improving well-being, physical health, functional capacity, and social relationships (Fields et. al., 2019).

A 6-week OT-based virtual equine-assisted activities program was conducted to determine if participation in equine-assisted activities could improve the quality of life of individuals with dementia. Outcomes of the program resulted in improvements in mood, energy level, engagement, communication, memory, socialization, and overall quality of life.

Promoting Productive Aging Among Low-Income Older Adults, Sarah Matsuoka

Student Capstone Papers

Productive aging is a topic of great significance due to the increasing older adult population. Interfaith provides services to older adults in low-income housing to help support their abilities to remain more independent as they age. The purpose of the capstone was to gain understanding of marginalized older adults instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) performance issues. The preliminary objectives were to (1) establish an understanding of the needs of the older adults; (2) perform in-depth interviews for the needs assessment; (3) assess current resources available in North County San Diego; and (4) develop a program incorporating recommendations to increase …

Therapeutic Listening® - Quickshifts Support For Pediatric Intervention, Bryant Luong, Ann Malloy, Shannon Preto

Student Research Posters

Few empirical studies have been conducted to provide evidence for the effectiveness of Therapeutic Listening - Quickshifts (TL-Q). Anecdotally, TL-Q has produced consistent positive results for therapists and clients as a pediatric intervention. Therefore, it is imperative to research TL-Q’s efficacy, which may lead to its broader implementation. In this study, the researchers examined the effectiveness of TL-Q intervention for children with sensory processing difficulties to improve participation and function in 1) school performance, (2) self-regulation and arousal, (3) activities of daily living (ADLs), (4) social/emotional skills, and (5) sensorimotor skills. Over the course of an 8 week prospective study, …

Puzzleart Therapy: Connecting The Pieces In Search Of Answers, Jennifer Fortuna

Open Journal of Occupational Therapy: Occupation and the Artist

Alli Berman has been an artist, educator, author, and lecturer for more than 25 years. Her art can be found in private, corporate, and nonprofit collections around the world. Berman is the creator of PuzzleArt, a series of small abstract paintings that combine to form a modular puzzle. When a stroke impacted Berman’s quality of life, she turned to art for answers. Engagement in a meaningful activity, such as painting, provided her motivation and strength for continued physical and psychological healing. The PuzzleArt concept evolved from a simple exercise that helped Berman to fit all of the missing pieces back …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Primary Care, Priti Patel

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The Capstone Project is focused on communicating, influencing and educating other health care professionals regarding the role of occupational therapy in the future model of primary care delivery initiated by the adoption of the Affordable Care Act and the Triple Aim Initiative. Currently, primary care, the largest health care platform in United States, is not inclusive of occupational therapy services. Occupational therapists have the scope, knowledge and understanding to be part of the redesigned team model of primary care. Educating those currently working in primary care about adding occupational therapy services can have a significant impact on the profession of …