Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Evaluating The Effects Of Grasp Patterns And Grip Strength On Handwriting Skills, Jennifer Bebey, Ots, Kelsey Engelstad, Ots, Audrey Zapletal, Ms, Otr/L

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Background Information

• Handwriting is a critical and complex skill that school aged children acquire over time.
• When a child demonstrates handwriting difficulties, he or she may have challenges with:

Completing written school assignments in a timely fashion,

Taking notes,

Finishing homework,

Completing exams, especially short answer.

• 80% to 85% of occupational therapy referrals in schools are due to atypical grasp pattern, fine motor and handwriting concerns that affect a child’s educational performance.

Evidence-Based Health Literacy Training Program For Occupational Therapy Professionals : Program Development And Evaluation, Cheryl Miller-Scott

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This capstone project is a training program development and evaluation project. The purpose of the project was to develop, pilot, and evaluate an

evidence-based health literacy training program for occupational therapy professionals. Occupational therapy strives to be a science-driven profession, which provides client-centered care. Health literacy is a client-centered factor for which occupational therapy professionals require additional training to best serve their clients in all settings and across the lifespan. A review of health literacy literature was used in this project to develop the training program and offers a science-driven approach to this client-centered factor for occupational therapists to better …

Occupational Therapy For The Elderly, Heung Ian, Irene Chan

International Conference: Overcoming Challenges in Active Ageing

No abstract provided.

Icf-Based Functional Components And Contextual Factors As Correlates Of Perceived Quality Of Life For Youth With Chronic Conditions, Janette Mcdougall, Virginia Wright, David Dewit, Linda Miller

Occupational Therapy Publications

Purpose: To explore International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)-based functional components and contextual factors associated with perceived quality of life (QOL) for youth with chronic conditions from the perspective of youth and parents.

Method: Baseline data were obtained from a longitudinal study examining predictors of changes in perceived QOL for youth with chronic conditions. 439 youth aged 11–17 (and one of their parents) completed a questionnaire. Standardized tools were used to measure youth functioning, contextual factors and perceived QOL. Multivariate linear regression analyses, controlling for socio-demographic and health information, were conducted to explore correlations among youth functioning/contextual factors …

Development Of A Model Of Participation Of Community-Based, Discretionary Activities By People Who Use Wheelchairs, Anita Perr

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This cross-sectional research analyzed an existing data set of 302 wheelchair users to identify the psychosocial predictors of participation in community-based, discretionary activities. Two defining elements of participation were studied: the extent of participation and satisfaction with participation. Descriptive analyses of the participants' demographic information and portions of four assessments were completed first. Regression analyses were then used to systematically eliminate potential covariates until the significant psychosocial covariates of the extent of and satisfaction with participation were identified. Perceived control over one's life and perceived reintegration to social function were found to predict the extent of participation. Perceived control also …

Creativity In Transitions, Molly Bathje

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Professor Sandra Edwards, MA, OTR/L, FOATA, and professor emerita at Western Michigan University (WMU), provided the cover art for the winter 2014 issue of The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy. The oil painting, “Silent Witness, Cross Creek” was created over a period of two years. Professor Edwards has participated in many creative and artistic activities throughout her life, which have shaped her practice as an occupational therapist and her experience in life.

Pilot Interprofessional Education Program For Ot Student Pediatric Practice Readiness, Michelle A. Suarez, Heather K. Koole, Jerrold Jackson

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This mixed methods pilot study investigated the impact of an interprofessional education program on OT student readiness for collaboration with SLP students in a pediatric teaching-clinic practice setting. OT students were randomly assigned to either the treatment group, which received the interprofessional education experience, or the control group, which received the typical educational experience. Students completed pre and post surveys and journaled about the experience. Results pointed to a ceiling effect in the measurement scales in both the treatment and control groups due to positive attitudes at baseline. This positivity was also reflected in journal entries for the treatment group …

Beyond The Pencil: Expanding The Occupational Therapists’ Role In Helping Young Children To Develop Writing Skills, Hope K. Gerde, Tricia D. Foster, Lori E. Skibbe

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists (OTs) play an important role in early childhood classrooms as vital members of the educational team, particularly for young children’s writing development. Children’s emergent writing is a foundational literacy skill, which begins to develop well before they enter elementary school. However, early childhood classrooms are lacking in supports for early writing development. OTs are experts in guiding the development of early writing skills in young children and, therefore, should be considered as critical members of the early literacy curriculum team. This paper identifies the critical role emergent writing plays in early childhood literacy development and how to effectively …

Case Study: Caregiver Perception Of Pediatric Multidisciplinary Feeding Outpatient Clinic, Thomas F. Fisher, Anna Dusick

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

This study explores the perception of satisfaction of caregivers who attended a feeding clinic at a large pediatric hospital in the midwest. The clinic is designed for a multidisciplinary team to meet with the child and the caregiver. Thirty-five participants were involved in the study. Results indicated that most participants were satisfied with the clinic experience. However, there were areas of care not covered by the members of the feeding team, which indicates a need. It is suggested that this need could be filled by occupational therapists.

Indicators Of Simulated Driving Skills In Adolescents With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Sherrilene Classen, Miriam Monahan, Kiah Brown

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have an increased risk for committing traffic violations, and they are four times more likely than neurotypical peers to be crash involved, making them a potentially high risk group for driving. We used a two-group design to measure differences in demographics, clinical off-road tests, and fitness to drive abilities in a driving simulator with nine adolescents with ADHD (mean age = 15.00, SD ± 1.00) compared to 22 healthy controls (HC) (mean age = 14.32, SD ±..716), as evaluated by an Occupational Therapist Certified Driving Rehabilitation Specialist (OT-CDRS). Despite few demographic differences, the …

Choosing The Path Of Leadership In Occupational Therapy, Clark Patrick Heard

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Leadership is vital to the success and sustainability of any group, organization, or profession. Using a qualitative phenomenological methodology, consistent with interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study examines why occupational therapists choose the path of leadership. Data was collected through the completion of semistructured interviews with 10 occupational therapy leaders in Ontario, Canada. This collected data was transcribed verbatim and coded for themes by multiple coders. Several methods were employed to establish trustworthiness. Results identify that a desire to influence the profession or care delivery, a need for personal or career development, and a need for change motivate those occupational therapists …

State Of The Journal: The First Year, Diane Powers Dirette

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Test Of Ideational Praxis (Tip): Preliminary Findings And Interrater And Test–Retest Reliability With Preschoolers, Shelly J. Lane, Carol K. Ivey, Teresa A. May-Benson

Occupational Therapy Publications

Praxis is the ability of the brain to develop an idea for action and plan, organize, and execute unfamiliar motor actions. It enables purposeful interaction with people and things in the environment. Ideation is central to praxis but has been little researched. This study investigated the reliability of the Test of Ideational Praxis (TIP) and examined ideational praxis in typical preschoolers. TIP performance for 78 preschoolers ages 3, 4, and 5 yr was videotaped and scored by two trained raters. The TIP has strong interrater reliability, supporting earlier findings. Further, we documented test–retest stability over 2 wk. As a group, …

Evidence-Based Review Of Interventions For Medically At-Risk Older Drivers, Sherilenne Classen, Miriam Monahan, Beth Auten, Abraham Yarney

Collected Faculty Scholarship

OBJECTIVE. To conduct an evidence-based review of intervention studies of older drivers with medical conditions.

METHOD. We used the American Occupational Therapy Association’s classification criteria (Levels I–V, I 5 highest level of evidence) to identify driving interventions. We classified studies using letters to represent the strength of recommendations: A 5 strongly recommend the intervention; B 5 recommend intervention is provided routinely; C 5 weak evidence that the intervention can improve outcomes; D 5 recommend not to provide the intervention; I 5 insufficient evidence to recommend for or against the intervention.

RESULTS. For clients with stroke, we recommend a graded simulator …

Sensory Intervention To Improve Sleep Behaviors And Social Participation Of Children In Israel With Sensory Modulation Disorder, Geela Spira

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The aim of this study was to investigate a sensory intervention of moderate pressure touch on children with sensory modulation disorder on the outcomes of sleep behaviors and social participation. 50 children, aged 6-11 years, with both sensory modulation disorder and sleep difficulties were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group participants received three weeks of nightly massage by their parents. The parents filled out questionnaires reporting on sleep behaviors, sensory modulation, and social participation, as well as recording a sleep log, and determining goal attainment scaling goals. The questionnaires used were the Short …

Contextual Aspects Influencing Mothers' Placement Considerations For Their Children With Autism, Margaret E. Moffett Boyd

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

"Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Occupational Therapy Department, College of Health Care Sciences, Nova Southeastern University."

Abstract Background: In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognized autism as an urgent public health concern understanding families would need supports services at many levels. Parents are the most prominent caregivers of children with disabilities and inadequacy of support services often influences the placement outside of the home. Federal mandates require that states actively avoid placements based on costs, community connections, and least restrictive environments; however, unsustainable family life potentially …

Embracing And Enacting An ‘Occupational Imagination’: Occupational Science As Transformative, Debbie Rudman

Occupational Therapy Publications

This paper addresses the question of how occupational science can move forward in its development as a socially and politically engaged discipline. It is argued that a transformative approach to scholarship needs to be embraced, and that enacting such an approach requires a radical reconfiguration of the sensibility underpinning occupational science. After reviewing the key defining characteristics of a transformative paradigmatic approach, key insights regarding how to foster a radical sensibility in occupational science are drawn from C. Wright Mills (1959) conceptualization of ‘the sociological imagination’. Embracing an occupational imagination premised on these key insights would foster the transformative potential …

Utility Of An Occupational Therapy Driving Intervention For A Combat Veteran, Sherrilene Classen, Miriam Monahan, Maria Canonizado, Sandra Winter

Collected Faculty Scholarship

Many combat veterans are injured in motor vehicle crashes shortly after returning to civilian life, yet little evidence exists on effective driving interventions. In this single-subject design study, we compared clinical test results and driving errors in a returning combat veteran before and after an occupational therapy driving intervention. A certified driving rehabilitation specialist administered baseline clinical and simulated driving assessments; conducted three intervention sessions that discussed driving errors, retrained visual search skills, and invited commentary on driving; and administered a postintervention evaluation in conditions resembling those at baseline. Clinical test results were similar pre- and postintervention. Baseline versus postintervention …

Planning For The Future : A Grounded Theory Study Of Well Older Adults' Decision-Making Regarding Home Modifications, Kathleen Subasic

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this dissertation research was to understand the decision-making process that well older adults use when deciding whether to make a home modification. The researcher also sought to understand the views of well older adults concerning the use of home modification to prevent injury and declines in occupational performance. The researcher used the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model (Law et al., 1996) from occupational therapy and occupational science as the orienting framework.

A qualitative grounded theory approach based on that proposed by Strauss and Corbin (1998) was used to structure data collection and analysis. Participants were obtained using purposive and …

Measuring The Playfulness Of Children With Special Needs In Occupational Therapist Led, Caregiver-Included Community Playgroups, Sarah Fabrizi

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of community playgroups on the playfulness of children ages 15 months to 3 years with special needs. In addition to playfulness of the child, the sensitivity and responsiveness of the caregiver were examined. A quasi-experimental, pretest-and-posttest, repeated measures design was used to follow eight children and their caregivers receiving early intervention services and taking part in a community playgroup. The children and their caregivers were measured during a 4-week standard-of-care baseline, before and after an 8-week intervention period, and 4 week post-intervention. The Test of Playfulness (ToP) was utilized to …