Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Exploring Occupational Therapy’S Role In Supporting Health And Wellness In The Transition To Motherhood, Katelynn A. Lillibridge, Karen Park, Susan Macdermott

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The transition to motherhood [matrescence] is a time of major life changes. All aspects of a new mother’s life are impacted during matrescence as she assumes her new role, identity, responsibilities, and learns the occupational skills of mothering. During this time, health, wellness, and occupational balance may all be impacted. This is a sensitive time for mothers with potential implications for both short and long-term health. Using an occupation-based approach can be a way to provide comprehensive support and care to mothers during this period to promote health and wellness, enhance occupational engagement, and support meaningful co-occupations. Currently …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Emergency And Disaster Preparation For The Population Of Physically Disabled Individuals, Aldin Cerillo, Susan Macdermott, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Emergencies and disasters may occur anywhere in the world, with no population immune to their effects. Vulnerable populations, including individuals with physical disabilities, are more at risk and lose the ability to maintain crucial occupations in the event of an emergency or disaster (Rutkow et al., 2015). Currently occupational therapy services have a strong presence in post emergency situations, in a recovery capacity. Despite Safety and Emergency Maintenance being an Instrumental Activity of Daily Living, a gap exists in the literature regarding what occupational therapists may do when engaging in emergency and disaster preparation with individuals who have a physical …

Occupational Therapy & Black Women’S Hair: An Educational Course, Rajaé Jones, Susan Macdermott

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The first portion of this project involved conducting original research to answer the question: What is the current knowledge, attitudes, and application of haircare (grooming & styling) as an intervention in occupational therapy? There is currently a lack in occupational therapy-based literature that addresses the occupation.

The dissimilarities amongst client and the plethora of occupations they engage in are multidimensional. Values attached to occupations often depend on cultural and sociopolitical factors (Wilcock & Townsend, 2019). OTs are currently lacking knowledge regarding the cultural importance of hairstyling within different communities and the impact on occupational identity.

Most people outside of the …

Addressing Food Insecurity Among College Students: A Life Skills Program, Lizbeth Mapa, Karen Park, Susan Macdermott, Becki Cohill

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Food insecurity, or the “limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate, safe foods, or inability to acquire personally acceptable food in socially acceptable ways,” is becoming a prevalent problem. College students are one of the susceptible groups to food insecurity, impacting many aspects of a student’s daily life. At present, there is limited OT-based programming that addresses the multiple internal and external factors of food insecurity in college students.

Purpose: The purpose of this capstone project was to develop a life skills program for college students experiencing food insecurity. The program aimed to address internal and external …

Exploring The Impact Of Infertility On Women, Leslie Trinh, Susan Macdermott, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: In the United States, approximately 16% of couples, or roughly five million individuals, are diagnosed with infertility (Collins, 2019). The literature demonstrates that the experience of infertility limits the ability to participate in daily occupations and fulfill occupational roles. The goal of this study was to gain a better understanding of how occupations and roles are impacted by the experience of infertility and use that information to determine whether there is a potential role for occupational therapy in providing care to this population.

Methods: This study took a qualitative approach using interviews and photo elicitation to gain a deeper …

The Impact Of Culture On Family-Centered Care, Summer Akbar, Susan Macdermott, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Consistent caregiver involvement in therapy services is a necessity for an increase in therapeutic outcomes for children and caregiver confidence. A caregiver’s cultural background plays a significant role in choices made on behalf of their child and the amount of caregiver engagement that is involved in their child’s therapy services. When cultural factors and needs are unacknowledged or unmet by therapists, this can lead to a decrease in motivation for caregivers and their children to participate in therapeutic interventions. Due to the essential need for a caregiver to be involved in their child’s pediatric therapy services, pediatric OTs must learn …

Exploring Occupational Therapy’S Role In Sports-Related Concussions, Rajvi Patel, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Concussions or mild traumatic brain injuries are caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or body causing the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth inside the skull (CDC, 2019). Concussions are one of the most common sports injuries reported in the pediatric population (Browne & Lam, 2006). According to the Center for Disease Control, from 2010-2016, a yearly average of 283,000 children, aged 17 and younger, checked into an emergency department for a sports recreation related concussion (CDC, 2019).

Purpose: The purpose of this program is to better understand occupational therapy’s …

Ot’S Role In Older Adult Transitions To Assisted Living, Michelle Chavez, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: The transition of moving to an assisted living facility as an older adult can be accompanied by many physical and psychological challenges affecting adjustment to such a facility. Occupational therapists assist clients as they prepare for and cope with major life transitions, however this role is most often seen in childhood and early adulthood transitions. Occupational therapists are skilled at facilitating the re-establishment of roles, habits, routines, and rituals and are knowledgeable in how the environment serves as a major influence on this. Because of this, it would be ideal for occupational therapists to have a role in facilitating …

Advocating For Occupational Therapy’S Presence In Chronic Pain Programs, Taylor Borin, Susan Macdermott, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: The purpose of this project is to advocate for occupational therapy’s presence in chronic pain programs. In a chronic pain setting occupational therapy currently focuses on enabling individuals to achieve satisfying performance in activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) despite pain and fatigue (Hill, 2016). Treatment interventions focus on activity management, problem solving, activity adaptation, planning/pacing, stress management, relaxation training, and coping skills training (Hill, 2016). Occupational therapy can provide individuals with chronic pain a more diverse and unique perspective on pain management. They can utilize their consideration of psychosocial factors and occupation …

Evaluation Of College And Career Readiness Class Efficacy For Students With Learning Differences, Karen M. Travis, Karen Park, Susan Macdermott

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

A significant percentage of first year students in post-secondary education (PSE) do not persist through their first year and high schools continue to seek new ways of supporting students’ college and career readiness (CCR). Studies show lack of persistence derives not only from academic deficits but in non-academic skill deficits such as self-determination and executive function skills. Public school CCR programs have had limited resources to address these non-academic challenges to their students’ success whereas private high schools have significantly lower student to counselor ratio and many provide enhanced CCR programming. One small private school has provided a new semester …

An Online Educational Resource On Adaptive Sports For People With Spinal Cord Injuries, Rachel Morgan, Steven M. Gerardi

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

A spinal cord injury (SCI) has a serious impact on an individual’s participation in everyday life activities, leading to a high risk of a sedentary life-style. There is a paucity of research pertaining to adaptive sport participation post-injury and the role of occupational therapy (OT). Additionally, there are limited resources available that inform people with SCI on the benefits of adapted sports or where to go to engage in them. As such, this paper describes the development of a doctoral capstone project to address this need. The purpose of this capstone project was to create an educational web page that …

Transition Program To Postsecondary Education For Students With Traumatic Brain Injury, Eung Gyeong Park, Susan Macdermott, Becki Cohill, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a condition that occurs due to an external blow to the skull that damages the brain (Carulli et al., 2018). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2.5 million TBI have been reported each year. Many students with TBI face physical, cognitive, environmental, and social challenges in their transition to post-secondary education (Bedell et al., 2017). Individuals with TBI experience social and behavioral changes that interfere with their participation as they face difficulties initiating, regulating their social behaviors, and experiencing increased introversion (Bedell et al., 2017). Physical challenges include fatigue, headaches, sleep disturbances, …

Go Baby Go! Facilitating Play And Social Participation With Blind & Visually Impaired Children, Kennedy Wischmeyer, Angela Blackwell, Gina Benevente

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

ABSTRACT NEEDED

An Exploration Of Dating As An Occupation For Autistic Adults, Maryam Binaei, Susan Macdermott

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Despite the presence and popularity of dating cultures in the media, the occupation of dating is highly complex and still prematurely understood through research. Recent research has found autistic adults to experience increased variety in their gender and sexual identity as well as challenges to achieving dating goals. A doctoral capstone project was completed to explore current approaches to resources and programs to address their dating needs, as well as understand their experiences in more depth. A needs assessment was carried out through an occupational therapist working with autistic adults in a day program. The need’s assessment revealed that autistic …

An Occupation-Based Program For Formerly Incarcerated Youth And Staff In An Employment Re-Integration Program, Heather Fierros, Angela Blackwell, Leslie Khan-Farooqi

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

One of the most vulnerable and growing populations within the United States (U.S.) are youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Each day, approximately 60,000 youth are currently incarcerated in the U.S., signifying a necessary demand for community re-entry success. Having been incarcerated makes it more challenging for youth to attend school, obtain a license, find public housing, and attain public benefits. Furthermore, because of the effects following being a part of the juvenile justice system, the youth exemplify a lack of social interaction skills, hindered relationship patterns, altered values and beliefs. These underdeveloped skills and patterns interfere with the …

An Educational Website To Foster The Participation Of Summer Campers With Disabilities, Abby Vander Laan, Steven M. Gerardi

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

ABSTRACT NEEDED

Providing Care To People With Dementia: An Educational Workshop, Hannah Hardeman, Steven M. Gerardi, Emily Frank

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Informal (family) caregivers providing care to loved ones experiencing symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease navigate multiple challenges. Caregivers observe and respond to changes in their loved ones related to physical, emotional and social skills. While providing care to their loved ones, caregivers must be aware of their own needs and the importance of maintaining a balance between the responsibilities of being a caregiver and the responsibilities in other areas of their life. Maintenance of positive emotional and physical health is crucial to providing effective and safe care. Identification of methods to promote the positive health of informal caregivers becomes …

Staff Perceptions On Organizational Change And Its Impact On Occupational Participation In Institutional Settings, Shelby Pearce, Susan Macdermott, Karen Park

Fall 2021 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

Background: Organizational change, primarily in institutional settings, is necessary to prevent institutionalization as well as to reach the goals of the organizations. To support these goals, institutional settings, such as correctional facilities, often use restrictive measures including occupational deprivation. As a profession, occupational therapy recognizes the importance of occupational participation for all persons in society, however there is a gap in knowledge on the importance of how to promote and/or educate other entities on successful change management in different institutional settings.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand how organizational culture impacts occupational participation in institutional settings and …

Occupational Therapy’S Role In Health Promotion For Youths Facing Chronic Conditions, Megan A. Moret, Megan A. Moret

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

This 17-week capstone project was completed at The Parker Place and virtually managed throughout the entirety of the experience. The Parker Place is a pediatric endocrinology and lifestyle management facility located in Annapolis, Maryland. Completing a virtual capstone project did not hinder the progress and outcomes of this experience. The Healthy Habits program was developed at this site to implement an occupational therapy role to supplement the served population’s health and wellness goals. Communication and client visits took place through passcode-protected video call sessions, phone calls, a HIPAA-compliant texting system, and email. Dr. Elizabeth Parker was the mentor for this …

Social Skills Groups For School-Age Children With Autism, Samantha Aybar

Department of Occupational Therapy Entry-Level Capstone Projects

The present capstone project and experience aimed to develop and implement a 12-week program of social skills peer groups for school-aged children with autism at an outpatient pediatric therapy clinic. The program consisted of weekly peer group sessions targeting a range of social skill topics, such as emotional regulation, conversation skills, and collaborative play. The small group format provided an opportunity for participants to practice skills, learn from others, and obtain feedback on their performance within a supportive environment. A family-centered approach was utilized through providing parent resources, at-home activities, and a parent workshop to better support children’s social skill …