Disability Studies Commons^™

Enhancing Physician Perspectives Of Skilled Occupational Therapy Services For Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Valerie S. Trinidad

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

This Capstone Project, with a focus in research, sought to identify a relationship between self-reported functional performance and participation restriction as described by satisfaction with one’s execution or participation in a described occupation. A correlational study design was employed under the mentorship of Dr. Thomas Decker, EdD, OTD, OTR/L who oversaw all IRB processes, documentation, study development and deployment, as well as co-authored and provided mentorship for creation of a publishable manuscript of this project. The established Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) and the newer Keele Assessment of Participation (KAP) were the two outcome measures of focus for surveying …

Attitudes Of The Colleges Of Education Students Towards Individuals With Mobility Disabilities In Jordan, Khalid Mohammed Al Jundiu

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

This descriptive study aimed to survey the attitudes of students at the College of Education towards individuals with motor disabilities in Jordan, in order to benefit from it in knowing the extent of the need for programs to change negative attitudes towards individuals with disabilities. The population of the current study consists of all Jordanian public universities for the first semester of the academic year 2020/2021. The study sample consisted of (712) male and female students. It was randomly selected from seven public universities Jordan. The researcher built a scale to achieve the aims of the study. The researcher used …

Mothers’ Reflections On Cat Ownership For A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder During Covid-19, Saskia Keville, Sophia De Vita, Amanda K. Ludlow

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Animal- assisted interventions are increasingly used as a complementary therapy in clinical practice to support people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with promising outcomes compared to traditional therapies. Less is understood about the therapeutic benefits of more accessible and affordable small pet ownership for families with a child with ASD, alongside the pets’ welfare living in these homes. This study explored the experiences of cat ownership for young people with ASD from the perspective of their mothers during a time of transition generated by COVID-19. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six mothers and transcripts analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three …

Influences On The Attachment Style Of Deaf Adults With Hearing Parents, Ellen Schaefer-Salins

JADARA

The current study explored variables that could contribute to the development of a secure or insecure attachment style of 15 deaf adults between the ages of 30 and 50 with hearing parents. There is a paucity of information on the relationship of deaf adults to their hearing parent and how that relationship may influence attachment. For the current study, quantitative methods were used to explore both childhood and adulthood variables, such as type of communication used with parents, type and level of schooling, and current attachment style. Variables also studied include age, gender, race, birth order, marital status, the hearing …

Drama Therapy Interventions That Support Students With Asd During Covid-19, Olivia Reyes

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that began in December 2019, many people experienced traumatic losses, environmental stressors, and overall daily challenges. One of the populations most at risk during this time were those with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Those with mental health illness and developmental differences are experiencing the pandemic in different ways. Individuals with ASD tend to have both developmental differences and mental health challenges that motivate individuals to seek medicinal and therapeutic help, along with other services to support their daily needs. This literature review addresses the negative and positive impacts COVID-19 has had on the …

Trauma Healing With The Neurosequential Model Of Therapy And Bal-A-Vis-X, Becky Johnston

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Stigma related to childhood trauma is shifting with the help of advancements in the understanding of neurobiology and interventions that are proving to be effective for healing. There are immense costs and consequences for survivors of childhood trauma and their loved ones that were not so long ago considered irrelevant and the notion that kids bounce back from adversity was previously popular in the psychological community (Perry & Szalavitz, 2017). The broad strokes of Dr. Bruce Perry’s clinical intervention model, The Neurosequential Model of Therapy (NMT) describes a trauma-sensitive, sequential approach to changing the stress response within mental health counseling. …

Analyzing The Validity Of Self-Reports Of Emotional Responding Using An Electronic Device, Tiffany E. Shiflet

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The assessment of internal behaviors such as thoughts, feelings, or physiological symptoms not seen by the naked eye are often assessed with indirect measures such as self-reports and questionnaires given the lack of accessibility and observations by outside observers. The self-management of human behaviors, including internal events, carries socially valid implications for an individual’s quality of life, including children and individuals with neurological, developmental, and intellectual disabilities. This study aimed to address the following question: are there valid measurement procedures (e.g., collecting data on physiological responses) to analyze the correspondence between self-reports of emotional states and observable and measurable overt …

Assessing Need And Acceptability Of A Youth Mentoring Intervention For Adolescents With Autism By Adults With Autism, Kai Y. Gunty, Lindsey Weiler, Angela Keyzers, Rebekah Hudock

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Background: Adult mentors can positively influence development, yet youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have too little access to adult mentors who can provide role modeling, guidance, and support. Furthermore, neurotypical adult mentors (i.e., adult mentors without ASD) may not understand the day-to-day realities that youth with ASD face and the social world they navigate. Therefore, it is possible that adults with ASD may be particularly well-suited as mentors for youth with ASD.

Method: Six semi-structured focus groups of four to seven people each explored the need for a mentoring program to bridge the gap between the supports youth with …

Counseling Experiences In Physically Disabled Individuals, Leah Schulze

Honors Projects

This pilot study covers the effects that counseling has on the physically disabled community. 5 individuals were interviewed on a mid-sized college campus about their experiences.

Consideration Of Sex And Gender In Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Disorders From A Global Perspective, Michelle M. Mielke, Neelum T. Aggarwal, Clara Vila-Castelar, Puja Agarwal, Eider M. Arenaza-Urquijo, Benjamin Brett, Anna Brugulat-Serrat, Lyndsey E. Dubose, Willem S. Eikelboom, Jason Flatt, Nancy S. Foldi, Sanne Franzen, Paola Gilsanz, Wei Li, Alison J. Mcmanus, Debora Melo Van Lent, Sadaf Arefi Milan, Elizabeth C. Shaaban, Shana D. Stites, Erin Sundermann, Vidyani Suryadevara, Jean-Francoise Trani, Arlener D. Turner, Jet M. J. Vonk, Yakeel T. Quiroz, Ganesh M. Babulal

Social and Behavioral Health Faculty Research

Sex or gender differences in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) differ by world region, suggesting that there are potentially modifiable risk factors for intervention. However, few epidemiological or clinical ADRD studies examine sex differences; even fewer evaluate gender in the context of ADRD risk. The goals of this perspective are to: (1) provide definitions of gender, biologic sex, and sexual orientation, and the limitations of examining these as binary variables; (2) provide an overview of what is known with regard to sex and gender differences in the risk, prevention, and diagnosis of ADRD; and (3) discuss …

Strengthening Adolescents With Anxiety Through Drama Therapy, Jeremy M. Moeller

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Strengthening Adolescents with Anxiety Through Drama Therapy

Jeremy Moeller

In recent years the issues associated with social anxiety have become increasingly common in adolescents. With these issues becoming more common it is important that they continue to be nurtured and helped. With so many forms of therapy though it may be hard for someone to find a practice that suits them. That is where drama therapy comes in. Drama therapy is a fairly new practice that helps these adolescents to become more expressive and engaging in their everyday lives, decrease their social anxieties, and build a new sense of confidence …

Reformation Within The Nation: Adapting The Nordic Rehabilitation And Reintegration Model To Positively Recondition The United States Criminal Justice System, Jessica Cornell

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

An analytical and statistical based comparison of criminal sentencing, incarceration, rehabilitation and reintegration in the United States of America to those of the five countries which follows those of the Nordic Criminal Justice System.

It Won’T Be Easy, Allison Arkush

School of Art, Art History, and Design: Theses and Student Creative Work

Interdisciplinary artist Allison Arkush engages a wide range of materials, modalities, and research in her practice. In It Won’t Be Easy, Arkush places and piles her multimedia sculptures throughout the gallery to create installations that overlap ­with her writing and poetry, sometimes layering in (or extending out to) audio and video components. This approach facilitates the probing exploration of prevailing value systems through a flattening of hierarchies among and between humans, the other-than-human, and the inanimate—though no less lively. Her work meditates on and ‘vendiagrams’ things forsaken and sacred, the traumatic and nostalgic. The exhibition title acknowledges that the …

Medical Norm Of Psychiatric Misdiagnoses In Rare Disease Patients, Rachel Han

Publications and Research

Spring 2022 ENG 120 Student Final Research Paper on the medical norm of psychiatric misdiagnosis throughout the diagnostic journeys of rare disease patients. The idea of a norm was taken from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Tedx Talk "The Danger of a Single Story". Paper discusses prevalence, harmful effects, and origin of this medical norm. Includes discussion of statistical data quoted relating to prevalence of rare diseases as well as anecdotal evidence of the severe ramifications of this norm. Discussion of how medically unexplained symptoms such as mysterious chronic pain often lead to the phenomenon of the psychogenic inference. Origins of this …

Executive Function In The Classroom, Dr. Kaylin Coody Coody

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Do you have students in your classroom who have difficulty with working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility? These are indicators of struggling with executive function. This session will cover the brain-implications and concrete strategies to work with students at all grade levels.

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 …

Disability And Health In African Americans: Population Research And Implications For Occupational Therapy Community-Based Practice, Emily Schulz, Debarchana Ghosh, Eddie M. Clark, Beverly R. Williams, Randi Williams, Lijing Ma, Crystal L. Park, Cheryl L. Knott

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Population-based research and community-based interventions are integral to occupational therapy’s scope of practice, yet they are underdeveloped in actual implementation. Therefore, this paper focuses on some health challenges facing the African American population, guided by the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance Model.

Method: Using data from an observational cross-sectional nationwide telephone survey of African American adults, we examined differences between African Americans who are receiving disability payments (RDP) and those who are employed full time (FTE) on several physical health behaviors and psychosocial health indicators. We further compared the differences between African Americans RDP versus those FTE on those physical health …

Quality Of Life For Deafblind Individuals: Comparing The Effect Of Living With And Without Support Service Providers, Sheridan K. Whitworth, Jaime Wilson

JADARA

The current study examines the quality of life for DeafBlind individuals who have support service providers (SSPs) compared to those who do not have SSPs. A measure of quality of life (KIDSCREEN Survey, 2004) was administered to 56 DeafBlind individuals (N=58), ages 18 years and older. Half of the individuals (n = 28) participated in the group with SSPs, and the other half participated in the group without SSPs. Results from the quantitative survey indicate that DeafBlind individuals with SSPs have consistently higher positive responses than those without SSPs.

Influence Of Social Expectations On Muscle Dysmorphia In College-Age Males Studying Exercise Science, Quinten Garver

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation between the risk of an individual developing MD and the presence of unrealistic social expectations. The research question is “How do unrealistic social expectations influence the development of muscle dysmorphia in college-age males studying exercise science?”. METHODS: An electronic survey was distributed to all exercise science students at The University of Akron. This survey was targeted exclusively at male students; any responses received by females were not analyzed. The survey consisted of 20 questions that were aimed at determining the individual’s risk of developing muscle dysmorphia and determining how likely the individual is to have …

Social Media Use, Acculturation, And Self-Esteem Of Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing Adults, Taylor A. Paglieri, Caroline Kobek Pezzarossi Ph.D, Deborah Schooler

JADARA

Social networking sites (SNSs) have become increasingly popular in modern society; however, research into the impacts of SNS use on Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (D/HH) individuals is lacking. Through an online survey completed by 217 D/HH adults, we examined the demographic predictors of SNS use and how frequent SNS use relates to self-esteem. Deaf acculturation, age, attending a mainstream school with support services, and education level were significant predictors of SNS use for D/HH adults. Furthermore, D/HH adults with increased Deaf acculturation and frequent SNS use reported higher self-esteem.

The Effect Of Intellectual Disability On The Perception Of The Validity Of Confessions, Audree Carner

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that false confessions are more likely to occur in certain vulnerable populations, one of those being individuals with intellectual disabilities. The aim of the current study was to gain insight into the current knowledge and attitudes the layperson has about the possibility of an individual with an intellectual disability falsely confessing. Data were collected from 180 participants and after exclusion criteria were implemented, 94 participants were included in the current sample. It was hypothesized that participants would more often rate suspects as guilty and be more confident in their verdict if the suspect did not have an intellectual …

Behavioral Intervention For Eating And Exercise Challenges In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Kristen G. Gibson

Psychology Doctoral Specialization Projects

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disability characterized by deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors relied on for social interactions, deficits in developing, maintaining, and understanding relationships, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of interest and behavior, and sensitivity to certain sensory inputs. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder are at an increased risk for multiple medical health concerns when compared to typically developing individuals, including overweight and obesity. Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern in the U.S. While many efforts have been made to prevent childhood obesity, few have been designed to align with …

The Effects Of Pyramidal Training Of Behavioral Skills Training On Staff Interactions With Students With Developmental Disabilities, Mallory Eoff

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Well-trained staff are critical for quality care in human service settings, but training requires resources that are often unavailable or restricted. This results in staff with inadequate training and worse outcomes for those in their care. Behavioral Skills Training (BST) is an effective training strategy with empirical support. The current study implemented a pyramidal training procedure with BST to train staff to increase staff use of positive interactions and behavior-specific praise statements when working with children with developmental disabilities in a public-school setting. Instruction, modeling, practice, and feedback were used to teach lead classroom teachers and their paraprofessionals how to …

Parent Reports Of Executive Functions In Students With Learning Disability, Jane Roitsch, Annemarie L. Horn, Lisa Morin

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

This study examines the results of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-2) (Gioia et al., 2015) reported by parents of children with Specific Learning Disability (LD) and/or other comorbid disabilities. LD is most notably associated with comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Alloway & Stein, 2014; Westby &Watson, 2004; Willcutt et al., 2013). A total of 43 parents completed the BRIEF-2 rating scale. Findings suggest children with LD and ADHD display greater challenges with inhibition, working memory, planning, along with greater challenges in organization and metacognition. Parents of children with LD reported their children have greater levels of …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Self-Compassion Training With Disability Support Staff, Jessica M. Venegoni

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The current study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of self-compassion training with disability support staff concurrently completing their college education for career advancement. The intervention was guided by a combined Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Self-Compassion training framework. The ACT Matrix was utilized within the study prior to intervention to determine values within self-compassion and to identify three behaviors to target within the weekly self-compassion training, and daily behavior report (Polk and Schoendorf, 2014). During the intervention phase, daily reported self-compassion behaviors and weekly reported self-compassion scores were collected (Neff, 2003a; Belisle et al., 2022), as well as their …

Not A Good Fit For The Job: An Intersectional Study Of Occupational Stereotypes In The Field Of Technology, Jesus Jose Martinez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Occupational stereotypes are preconceived notions about specific occupations, the people in those occupations, or one’s fit with an occupation (Lipton et al., 1991). Previous studies of occupational stereotyping have been useful to understand the impact of single demographic characteristics (e.g., gender; King et al., 2006) and multiple demographic characteristics (i.e., race-gender interaction; Bertrand & Mullainathan, 2004) on hiring preferences. A set of three studies were conducted to expand the field’s understanding of fit with occupational stereotypes as a mechanism of discrimination toward multiple combinations of social groups in the technology field.

The goal of the first study was to establish …

Good Trouble: Disrupting The Disproportionality Of Black Boys In Special Education Due To Misdiagnosed And Unaddressed Trauma, Montrell Pryor

DSW Capstone Projects

Black boys experience a myriad of trauma as they navigate through society under the gaze of white patriarchy and archetypes. Whether engaging in trauma or witnessing it, it impacts Black boys tremendously, particularly in the educational setting. What typically looks like misbehavior in the classroom can be symptoms of unaddressed and untreated trauma that have been triggered and exacerbated in the school setting. As a result, this phenomenon contributes to the disproportionality of Black boys in special education and adds to the expansion of the school-to-prison pipeline.

This capstone provides a thorough examination of the literature in the form of …

Rehabilitation Counselor Competency When Working With Sci And Physical Disabilities, Denise M. Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to address the gap in knowledge of the perceived competency of rehabilitation counselors when working with patients with a spinal cord injury (SCI) and/or a physical disability. The factors that influence the mental health needs of person with SCI and the understanding of how rehabilitation counselors view their competency levels with supporting this population were explored. Selection criteria included licensed or certified rehabilitation counselors actively providing care for persons with SCI and/or a physical disability applying a theoretical framework. A qualitative descriptive phenomenological approach was used to address the central research question …

When A Seat At The Table Is Not Enough: A Participatory Action Research Study On Collaborative Partnerships In Ontario Developmental Services Organizations, Kaylagh Vanwyck

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Historically, Ontario’s developmental services (DS) has evolved largely guided by the knowledge and direction of non-disabled service providers and government. However, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities promotes the participation of people labeled with disabilities in decision-making processes about the programs and policies that impact their lives. Existing theories and literature reveal the importance of collaborative partnerships where power is shared with service users through participatory decision-making, shared leadership, and opportunities to participate with influence. Four self-advocates labeled with developmental disabilities collaborated as co-researchers in this participatory action research study to explore what model of collaborative …

“The System Is Not Set Up For Individuals With Fasd”: Lived And Caregiver Perspectives Regarding Current And Ideal Housing Supports For Canadian Adults With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Siann Gault

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Past work has demonstrated adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) often require lifelong support with daily life activities. However, very little is understood regarding daily living supports for adults with FASD, and current research has heavily relied on proxy-reports rather than lived experiences. To promote self-determination in the provision of support for adults with FASD, the current study highlights both the perspectives of Canadian adults with FASD living in a variety of arrangements as well as caregivers who support adults with FASD to examine: 1) current ways adults with FASD are supported with daily life activities, and 2) ideal …