Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Implications Of A Multicomponent Sleep Program After Brain Injury: A Mixed Methods Study, Brandi M. Fulwider

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Decreased sleep can negatively affect mental and physical health and can significantly disrupt participation in daily occupations and leisure interests. Even though sleep is an area of occupation, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions for sleep. The purpose of this embedded mixed methods research study was to identify how disruptions in sleep affected daily occupational performance and to understand the effectiveness of occupational therapy- directed non-pharmacological sleep interventions for three participants in a community re-entry program for brain injury. This study utilized a single-subject research design during a 4- to 5-week multicomponent sleep program using …

Best Practice For Teaching Manual Therapy Techniques To Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Deana K. Jackson

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Abstract

Occupational therapy practitioners do not always know how to treat the painful shoulder and this may be due to a lack of education regarding manual therapy. This research project is designed to determine the best practice for teaching manual therapy techniques to occupational therapy providers by providing an in-service to teach new knowledge and skills regarding manual therapy to improve patient care by reducing client shoulder pain. Three types of learning styles were used which include: behaviorist theory, constructivism, and active learning strategies. The design was a two-tailed T test with a pretest/posttest to evaluate knowledge of the participants …

Promoting Writing Development In Preschoolers, Claudia M. Ortiz

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Providing extended opportunities for early writing and early literacy for preschool children into the lessons will enhance their writing skills. Purpose: The purpose of this capstone was to examine the effectiveness of providing a structured early writing plan to the preschool children to promote writing development and early literacy skills.

Theoretical Framework. The Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) guided this study. Methods. This quasi-experimental research measured the emerging writing and early literacy levels of a selected group of 12 preschool students. The Learning Without Tears (LWT) Pre-k Assessments, the Readiness & Writing, and the Language & Literacy were used …

The Occupational Therapy Examination And Practice Preparation (Otepp) Program: Development, Implementation And Evaluation Of An Educational Program For Internationally-Educated Occupational Therapists, Colleen E. Mcgrath

Occupational Therapy Publications

This paper provides a chronological overview of the development, implementation, and evaluation of an educational initiative aimed at ensuring internationally-educated occupational therapists are prepared to enter practice in their new country, Canada. The three major phases of the program’s 12-year evolution are described, to distill the key lessons learned at each phase. Data related to the demographics of participants, program content, results of the national examination, registration, and employment outcomes are included. An enhanced understanding of the transition experience of internationally educated occupational therapists provides a strong foundation from which to support internationally-educated colleagues and strengthen the occupational therapy profession.

Centering The Complexity Of Long-Term Unemployment: Lessons Learned From A Critical Occupational Science Inquiry, Rebecca Aldrich, Debbie Rudman, Na Eon(Esther) Park, Suzanne Huot

Occupational Therapy Publications

Inquiries that rely on temporal framings to demarcate long-term unemployment risk generating partial understandings and grounding unrealistic policy solutions. In contrast, this four-phase two-context study aimed to generate complex understandings of post-recession long-term unemployment in North America. Grounded in a critical occupational perspective, this collaborative ethnographic study also drew on street-level bureaucracy and governmentality perspectives to understand how social policies and discursive constructions shaped people’s everyday ‘doing’ within the arena of long-term unemployment. Across three phases, study methods included interviews with 15 organizational stakeholders who oversaw employment support services; interviews, participant observations, and focus groups with 18 people who provided …

Occupational Therapists As Street-Level Bureaucrats: Leveraging The Political Nature Of Everyday Practice., Rebecca M Aldrich, Debbie Rudman

Occupational Therapy Publications

BACKGROUND.: As front-line service providers who often work in systems regulated by governmental bodies, occupational therapists can be conceptualized as "street-level bureaucrats" ( Lipsky, 1980/2010 ) who effect and are affected by policy.

PURPOSE.: Drawing on understandings from a study of long-term unemployment, this article proposes that occupational therapists, as street-level bureaucrats, respond to inter-related policies and systems in ways that can perpetuate, resist, or transform opportunities for doing and being.

KEY ISSUES.: By highlighting practitioners' everyday negotiation of governmental, organizational, and professional power relations, the notion of street-level bureaucracy illuminates the political nature of practice as well as the …

Change The Environment; Change The Child, Theresa M. Sabo

MOT Student Capstones

Children that have been exposed in utero to illicit drug use by their mothers is a growing problem in society. These children enter the early childhood education system with biological changes to their brains that affect their ability to learn and engage effectively with others. They present with a wide variety of behaviors that they may or may not be able to control. Often these children are labeled as just not trying. An evidenced-based PowerPoint presentation named Change the Environment; Change the Child was developed to provide early childhood educators a better understanding of this population's needs and of interventions …

Occupational Therapy Perspectives On Creating A Sensory Friendly Event, Shana Mickel

MOT Student Capstones

Access to sensory friendly events is important for social development and participation for children and adults with sensory processing needs. The number of these events in local communities are limited. The disconnect between the number of accessible events and companies willing to host such events is exacerbated by limited resources and education available for non-medical companies. This project sought to determine the needs of a local hockey arena and manager and create a guideline that would assist in not only hosting an event but also educating staff to feel more empowered to be part of the planning and implementation aspect. …

An Educational Workshop Discussing Implementation Of Yoga Techniques In Occupational Therapy In An Acute Care Setting, Tatsiana Karcheuskaya

MOT Student Capstones

My project focused on benefits of incorporation of yoga elements to occupational therapy interventions in an acute care setting. My goal was to improve functional outcomes and perceptions of well-being for clients in an acute care. The objectives were to locate and analyze available evidence supporting incorporation of yoga breathing techniques and mindfulness to occupational therapy in acute care; educate occupational therapy practitioners working in an acute care on possibilities of utilizing yoga techniques during therapeutic interventions; to determine if provided information improved knowledge of the participants regarding the subject and if they felt comfortable utilizing suggested techniques with the …

Resilient Aging: Maximizing Functional Abilities Of Aging Adults, Casey M. Perkins

MOT Student Capstones

The Resilient Aging program aims to educate fitness trainers and other movement professionals who work with community-dwelling older adults in order to help them provide the best exercise programs for overall wellness. Training from the program includes education regarding a variety of restorative movements, stretching, positional transitions. proprioceptive training, balance, and strengthening exercise in multiple planes with a variety of loads to maximize the functional abilities, and resilience of the elderly participants, with outcomes aimed at improving the movement professionals" understanding of these topics. The program promotes the client participation in occupations by providing education to movement professionals regarding not …

Fieldwork Educator Preparedness: A Study Examining The Effect Of An Online Learning Module On The Perceived Preparedness Levels Of Fieldwork Educators, Breanna Chycinski

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research project was to compare how the implementation of a learning module, titled The Fieldwork Educator Competency Module altered the perceived level of preparedness of occupational therapy (OT) practitioners related to their role as a fieldwork educator (FWEd) for Level II OT students. A quantitative, pre-experimental, one group pretest-posttest research design was used. All components of the research took place in an online, virtual setting. Participants were OT practitioners who were eligible to be a Level II FWEd. Results indicate a positive change for at least one participant for each question of the survey. The largest …

The Impact Of Mobile Media On The Fine Motor Development Of Students Entering Into The Educational System, Bernadette H. Needham

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The prevalence of mobile technology has greatly increased in our society over the last ten years. As COVID-19 continues to impact our society, the long-term impact of mobile media continues to be a concern with the movement to remote learning. The purpose of this research is to examine the parent’s perspective of increased mobile media usage at a young age on the development of fine motor skills needed for participation in kindergarten. The literature that was reviewed indicates that currently no definitive understanding of the impact of increased mobile media is known. The research was guided through decision making based …

Occupational Therapy Support In The Kindergarten Classroom Through Rti Tier I Interventions: Kindergarten Teachers’ Perceptions Of Need, Robyn R. Scarlett

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Known for the protection it affords children with disabilities, the federal statute, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 2004, also provides Local Education Agencies (LEA) funding to support general education students that may be at risk of or are demonstrating difficulty within their educational programming. Response to Intervention (RtI) is one such framework commonly used in school districts around the country to provide multi-tiered support to at-need general education students to facilitate their successful participation in their academic programming. The purpose of this study was to learn what occupational-therapy performance skills kindergarten teachers saw as areas of concern in children …

The Impact Of Parent Education With Augmentative And Alternative Communication, Kirsta Von Hellens

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Communication is an essential part of who we are, as we participate in our occupational roles, even for those who utilize augmentative and alternative communication. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the impact of a parental training program, as parents utilized a communication device, in order to increase the number of opportunities for their child to engage with and participate with at home and in the community. This project utilized the Human Activity Assistive Technology and the Person, Environment, Occupation, and Performance model. A descriptive mixed methods case study with a sequential exploratory design was used in this …

Occupational Engagement In Adults Under Age 65 Living In Skilled Nursing Facilities (Oea-Snf), Rebecca A. King

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Background: Adults under age 65 living in skilled nursing facilities is a growing population and lack of occupational engagement in skilled nursing facilities is well documented. There is also a documented lack of training programs for skilled nursing facility staff to appropriately care for this population’s occupational needs. Occupational Therapists are uniquely qualified to educate and train skilled nursing facility staff in the occupational engagement needs of this group. Purpose: There is a lack of documented research regarding adults under age 65 living in skilled nursing facility and training programs for staff that care for this group. To …

Determining The Effect Of Target Education On Students’ Cultural Responsiveness And Performance During Standard Patient Interactions, Rebecca Mojica

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

There is limited available data about the level of cultural responsiveness skills in occupational therapy students. The purpose of this capstone project was to ascertain the impact of target specific training in cultural diversity on students’ perception of cultural responsiveness, and on their performance during simulated patient interactions. The overreaching framework for this capstone project was the conceptual model for culturally responsive care. This capstone project followed a one group pretest and post-test quasi-experimental design. Participants consisted of second-year students enrolled in an entry level master occupational therapy program at a large urban public university. The pre and post-test self-assessment …

The Impact Of Cooking Groups On One Individual's Transition To Independent Living, Alison Garcia

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The goal of occupational therapy in inpatient psychiatric settings is to develop independent living skills and restore normative life roles vital for leading a fulfilling life in the least restrictive environment. In one psychiatric hospital, cooking groups are an essential intervention and environment in which to develop these skills and roles. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to describe OT cooking group programing in one inpatient psychiatric setting, understand one client’s experience with cooking groups and illustrate how her participation in these groups led to a successful transition to independent living. This study was guided by the transformative …

Stakeholder Perceptions On Transitioned Foster Youth Work Outcomes: A Mixed Methods Study In San Antonio, Bonnie Inkel

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Purpose: This examination of stakeholder perceptions on transitioned foster youth work outcomes is a crucial step to identify service strengths and barriers, characteristics of successful/unsuccessful outcomes, and opportunities for occupational therapy collaboration in San Antonio, Texas.

Method: A mixed-methods approach identified perceptions from two groups of stakeholders. Group I included transitionedfoster youth ages 18–24, and group II involved public/private agency professionals working with youth. Small sample sizes prevented traditional statistical analysis, but the Excel VARA (variance) statistical function analyzed numerical spread combinations from collected data, thus providing quantitative analysis.

Results: Participants confirmed they had not completed a similar survey on …

Occupational Therapy’S Needs Assessment For Service Navigation For Children With Autism, Kristina Lauren Paula

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background. This capstone project brings to our attention the importance of occupational therapy’s role in meeting the continued needs of children with autism. As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) continues to increase, so does the disparity in the accessibility of services for children and their families. Therefore, it is imperative to facilitate a diagnostic process and identify the child’s specific needs, to implement early intervention strategies. The medical model of disability, an internationally recognized approach in diagnosing children withautism, views autism as a problem that individually belongs to the child. Although the current medical model is preferred by …

Effect Of Animal-Assisted Intervention On Graduate Students’ Perceptions Of Well-Being: Insights From Occupational Therapy, Christine Kivlen

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Problem Statement: There is a growing concern regarding college student well-being that requires a need for implementation of cost-effective interventions addressing the increasing number of students experiencing negative mental health symptoms. Studies from medical and educational settings suggested positive mental health benefits from animal assisted intervention (AAI). Researchers studying college students exposed to animals during periods of high academic stress demonstrated successful reductions in stress and anxiety; however, researchers have not examined a specific area of dosage, including the influence of recurring AAI (more than one session) in the graduatestudent population. Furthermore, researchers have failed to include each element of …