Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Study Of Mikey, Gabrielle Lober

Honors Theses

This paper describes Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) including diagnostic criteria, suspected causes, prevalence, comorbidities, and influences on client factors. A hypothetical case study is presented to give readers an illustration of what someone with ASD might look like. Possible treatment based on evidence and selected frame of references will be given for the hypothetical client. This paper is not all inclusive of the role of occupational therapy in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder, but gives an illustrative example.

Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices Are A Moral Imperative For Occupational Therapy, Aaron R. Dallman, Kathryn L. Williams, Lauren Villa

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The term neurodiversity encompasses neurological differences such as clinical labels of autism, learning disabilities, synesthesia, hyperactivity disorders, and more. Proponents of the neurodiversity movement argue that current therapeutic and medical practices often attempt to “normalize” behaviors and ways of participation that originate from these differences in neurology and contribute to an individual’s sense of identity. This paper argues that an ethical and morally just occupational therapy practice should affirm neurodivergent ways of being, and that occupational therapists must be active agents of change by listening to and collaborating with their neurodiverse clientele. We focus the discussion on our work with …

Understanding Ayres' Sensory Integration, Susanne Smith Roley, Zoe Mailloux, Heather Miller-Kuhaneck, Tara J. Glennon

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants rely on knowledge and skills to guide their intervention planning as they help clients who are experiencing difficulties with engaging in occupation. Sensory integration theory, with its rich history grounded in the science of human growth and development, offers occupational therapy practitioners specific intervention strategies to remediate the underlying sensory issues that affect functional performance.

This article articulates the core principles of sensory integration as originally developed by Dr. A. Jean Ayres, explains the rationale for developing a trademark specifically linked to these core principles, and identifies the impact that this trademark can have …

An Occupational Therapists' Guide To Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Kelsey Hewitt, Stephanie White

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare polyneuropathy that affects 2,720 people per year in the United States (NIH, The National Women’s Health Centre, 2004). Guillain-Barre syndrome has a rapid onset that causes the patient to lose sensation and muscle strength within 48-72 hours. This project provides a resource for occupational therapists treating Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) to access information regarding the etiology, incidence/prognosis, assessments, and course of medical treatment. The Occupational Adaptation model serves as a foundation for treatment of the product-a guide for occupational therapy intervention. Interventions are organized to be compatible with the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (American Occupational …

Batok: The Exploration Of Indigenous Filipino Tattooing As A Collective Occupation, Ana Cabalquinto, Carmela Dizon, Chelsea Ramirez, Mai Santiago

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

Batok (also known as Fatek/Burik/Tatak/Batek/Patik) is an indigenous Filipino tattooing practice where the practitioner marks the skin by hand-tapping the ink using bone/wood implements. Previous research on tattooing has explored an occupational science perspective on Western tattooing and its engagement and implication on the individual - recognizing its practice to be considered as an occupation (Kay & Brewis, 2017). Framed in theories of Collective Occupation (Ramugondo & Kronenberg, 2015), Doing, Being, Becoming (Wilcock, 2002), and Belonging (Hitch et al., 2014) the research explores how batok as a collective occupation affects the experiences of Filipino communities. Three individual Filipino people with …

The Biopsychosocial Model: Application To Occupational Therapy Practice, Keith Gentry, Karen Snyder, Beth Barstow, Jordan Hamson-Utley

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Despite the call for the profession to embrace a more integrated and holistic approach to practice, therapists may be faced with practical challenges, including issues relating to client caseloads, productivity demands, scheduling, entrenched practices, limitations on service imposed by payer sources, and staffing and budgetary restraints, to name but a few. Due to these limitations, current occupational therapy practice may be predisposed to adopt a more reductive approach to the evaluation and treatment of symptoms, underlying biological pathologies, and resulting impairments and disabilities. Therefore, psychological and social factors may be neglected, resulting in an unbalanced, fragmented, and incomplete approach to …

The Dynamic Use Of The Kawa Model: A Scoping Review, Jayme L. Ober, Rebecca S. Newbury, Jennifer E. Lape

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: The Kawa model, a framework to guide culturally relevant occupational therapy, has gained recognition and become more widely used in practice. Research on the model thus far, while still relatively sparse, provides guidance for the model’s use, including its strengths and facets that require further exploration to support its use and effectiveness in dynamic ways.

Method: A scoping review was completed to gather, organize, appraise, and synthesize the current research evidence on use of the model.

Results: Findings support the Kawa model’s culturally flexible application and its capacity to garner client-centered qualitative information, as well as …

An Occupational Therapy Guidebook For Individuals With Substance Use Disorder, Cassidy B. Ardoin

Student Capstone Papers

Individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) experience barriers and challenges that impact their daily occupational performance, engagement, well-being, and quality of life. In addition to disrupting and distorting an individual’s unique occupational outcomes, SUDs can limit, replace, and dictate an individual’s daily meaningful activities, habits, routines, and skills that support healthy occupational engagement. Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners have a unique and valuable role in SUDs treatment as they are equipped to identify these barriers and implement strategies for supportive skill development or restoration. Based on the literature review conducted, OT practitioners do not have an OT practice guideline, protocol, or …

Applying The Model Of Human Occupation During The Pandemic Stay-At-Home Order, Tiffany T. Lin, Gail Fisher

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Interoception Toolkit: A Resource For Occupational Therapy Practitioners To Use With Children And Their Families, Heidi Lynn Janssen

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: Interoception refers to one’s ability to sense the internal condition of the body, including sensory messages from body parts and internal organs (Craig, 2002). In the past 30 years, scientists and researchers have discovered a powerful connection between interoceptive appraisal skills and self-regulation, emotional identification, emotional regulation, social skills, and nearly every task in daily life (Mahler, 2017). The purpose of this project is to provide practitioners with an educational platform that describes the sensorimotor skill of interoception applied throughout the occupational therapy process.

Methods: The development of this product was initiated with a thorough review of literature to …