Occupational Therapy Commons^™

School To Post-School Transition Programs For Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: A Systematic Review, And; The Meaning Of Well-Being From The Perspective Of Young Adults With Down Syndrome, Melissa Scott

Theses : Honours

OBJECTIVE: To review the effectiveness of school to post-school transition programs for young adults with intellectual disability and their impact on community participation, friendships and quality of life. METHODS: Electronic searches of six databases and manual searches of reference lists were conducted to obtain evidence of programs supporting the transition of young adults with intellectual disability from school to post-school. Transition programs or services and postsecondary education programs targeted at increasing participation and peer interaction were included. Two reviewers undertook data extraction and quality assessment. A systematic review was possible. RESULTS: All eight articles reviewed, with a total of 573 …

Vocational Training Programs, Transition Programs And Work Experience Placements For Employment Of Young Adults With Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review & A Description Of Employment Patterns And Day Occupations Of Young Adults With Intellectual Disability Residing In Queensland, Sophia Davidson

Theses : Honours

OBJECTIVE: To review the research examining the effectiveness of vocational training programs, transition programs and work experience placements and describe their impact on work and employment attainment and maintenance for young adults with intellectual disability. METHOD: Electronic searches of six data bases and manual searches of references lists locating all available evidence of programs and interventions to assist young adults with intellectual disability to find paid employment. Interventions described as vocational training, work placements and experience and transition programs aimed at securing employment were included. Two reviewers undertook data extraction and quality assessment and a systematic review was possible. RESULTS: …

The Impact Of Online Social Participation On Social Capital And Mental Health Outcomes Of Young Adults: A Systematic Review & Participation And Quality Of Life Of Young Adults Living In Western Australia: Research Report, Robyn Earl

Theses : Honours

Introduction: The widespread acceptance and availability of the Internet and subsequent advent of social networking sites, is believed, in part, to be responsible for the reduction of face-to-face interaction, particularly among young adults. This has lead to suggestions that while virtual participation may enhance our ability to communicate with others; it may in fact come at the detriment of wellbeing. Depression is one of the leading causes of mental illness for young people, with social isolation and exclusion being identified as key risk factors for depression among this group. The aim of this review was to systematically review available research …

Misuse Of Prescription Medication In The Elderly Population And The Impact It Has On Their Functional Occupations, Amber Larson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

One of Occupational Therapists' primary responsibilities is to assist clientele at becoming as independent as possible. In order to be successfully independent an individual needs to be able to perform ADLs and IADLs (functional occupations) and have a basic understanding of problematic issues that may affect their abilities to perform these functional occupations. Misusing prescription medication is one way is which functional occupations can be negatively impacted. Specifically, prescription medication misuse is one of the primary issues that may impact elderly individuals' abilities to function independently. Even though this is an issue that needs to be addressed, research into the …

Occupational Therapy Intervention For Patients With Spinal Cord Injury, Cheryl A. Nickerson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Spinal cord injuries are complex and debilitating, affecting every aspect of a patient's life. This causes a general reduction in personal independence and social participation (Pillastrini et al., 2008). In order to provide effective and appropriate care, the interdisciplinary team must have extensive knowledge of the diagnosis and potential problems that the spinal cord patient may encounter. The purpose of this study was to identify successful interventions for an effective occupational therapy approach and to develop an education manual for use in the rehabilitation setting in order for entry-level therapists to develop competency.

Based on information found in the literature …

A Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy Protocol For Children With Acquired Brain Injuries, Amber Bath, Kortni Heckart

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Acquired brain injury (ABI) includes any non-traumatic brain injuries such as stroke, cerebral palsy, and brain diseases such as cancer (Book, 2005). A child who sustains an acquired brain injury may experience profound impairments in motor performance, and significant deficits in sensory awareness and responsiveness, secondary to hemiplegia. (Taub et al., 2007, Taub, Ramey, DeLuca & Echols, 2004). Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) is a intervention developed by Dr. Edward Taub for the secondary condition of hemiplegia affecting the adult stroke population. This intervention has also produced positive results in studies conducted with children (Taub et al., 2007). An extensive …

An Occupational Therapy Community-Based Self-Esteem Program For Adolescents Who Have Experienced Burn Injuries, Karla Beck, Kathryn Miller

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Self-esteem is a problem that adolescent burn survivors deal with on a daily basis. Yet, there is limited research regarding adolescent burns and the psychosocial aspect within their daily occupations. The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop and provide occupational therapists with interventions and outcome measures to utilize in a Self-Esteem Program for implementation in both inpatient and outpatient settings. This program focuses on helping adolescents to regain their self-esteem and confidence when returning back to their communities. Burns have an emotional and behavioral effect on children/adolescents, causing anxiety, pain, distorted self-image, and depression (Pardo, Garcia, Marrero, & …

A Research Study To Explore Casper College Undergraduate Education Majors' Perceptions Of Educational Curriculum Concerning Occupational Therapy's Role In The Public School System, Jenny Lok, Mike Seabeck

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge concerning OT roles in the school district setting that undergraduate education majors are receiving at Casper College.

Methodology: Data was collected from 57 participants through the use of a survey to identify pre-service teachers’ perception of occupational therapy and the education they have received in their coursework.

Results of this study indicate that undergraduate education majors at Casper College are receiving less than optimal instruction on the role of OT in school-based practice. Overall 91% of students polled indicated that they had not received education on OT …

Adolescents With Disabilities: The Development Of Life Skills Through Occupational Therapy, Diane Magnuson, Courtney Mohler

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to create a workshop for occupational therapists (OTs) who work with adolescents as they transition from high school to adulthood focusing on life skill development.

Methodology: An Internet search was completed to determine the current role of OT in the transition process and the needs of adolescents as they transition to adulthood. Information was obtained from the following databases: PubMed, PsychInfo, SCOPUS, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). Resources included professional journals, scholarly text books, and government websites. The literature review also included information on the Ecology of …

The Role Of Occupational Therapists In The Neonatal Intensive Care Units, Sarah Mathieu, Gwendalyn Mollerud

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this research is to explore the role of occupational therapy (OT) within neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). There has been limited research pertaining to the current overall role of OTs in the NICU. In order to explain/demonstrate the multifaceted role of OTs within the NICU, a survey was created and, using a stratified random sample, distributed to 90 NICUs in hospitals throughout the United States (U.S.).

A non-experimental exploratory survey research design was used to gather and analyze information from respondents. A survey was created by the researchers based on a thorough literature review of the topic …

Children With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Guide To Therapeutic And Pharmacological Treatments, Rebecca Mcomie

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is becoming a more common diagnosis with young children and babies (PAGER, 2010). GERD is often misdiagnosed and there is no single test available to determine its presence (Eisen, 2001). The term reflux can be confusing and used to mean different things to different people. Often reflux is linked to colic in babies or may be considered a "normal" part of being a baby. But when a sequalae of symptoms arise in an infant, gastroesophageal reflux becomes a serious issue that needs to be addressed through a variety of interventions and sources (Sondheimer, 2006 ).

In …

Enabling Personal Occupation Through Sensory Interventions, Caroline Mattson, Gretchen Prohofsky

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Individuals with developmental disabilities and/or mental illness are predisposed to having a co-occurring sensory processing disorder. Many adults and children with sensory processing disorder have never been assessed or treated. Consequences of untreated sensory processing disorder include decreased ability to engage in meaningful occupations or healthy relationships, leading to lowered self-esteem and perception regarding quality of life. A literature review defines sensory processing, sensory processing disorders, consequences of sensory processing disorder dysfunction, sensory processing disorder co-morbidity, sensory processing disorders in individuals with mental illness and/or developmental disabilities, interventions for sensory processing disorders, the role of occupational therapy, deficiencies in knowledge, …

The Occupational Therapy Handbook For Parents (Othp), Kristen Rosenbeck

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Children spend 60% of their day completing fine motor activities (Feder, 2007; Mackay, 2010). Therefore, it is essential that young children be exposed to a variety of fine motor activities in school and home settings to promote fine motor development. Often times parents are willing to help their children develop these skills, however, they do not feel they have the resources to do this.

The Occupational Therapy Handbook for Parents (OTHP) was designed by an occupational therapist to provide consistent parent education regarding children's fine motor skills. A literature review was completed to define typical fine motor development, best practices …

Psychosocial Assessment In Orthopedic Evaluations: A Clinical Tool For Occupational Therapists, Sara M. Sipple

Occupational Therapy Capstones

"When 1 touch a human hand, 1 touch heaven. " - Malebranche

Holistic, occupation-based treatment in a hand therapy setting is associated with enhanced patient outcomes (Chan & Spencer, 2004), yet it is easy for occupational therapists working in hand and upper extremity orthopedic settings to become fixated on the pathology and anatomy of medical diagnoses and inadvertently ignore psychosocial and contextual influences on rehabilitation. Although there is research that identifies how physical disease may lead to psychosocial role changes, there is a paucity of literature that addresses how hand and upper extremity injuries affect these roles (Schier & Chan, …

Promoting Fine Motor And Visual-Motor Skill Development In Preschool Age Children, Patty Soldner

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Fine motor skills are important in childhood development (Beilei, Lui, Qu & vonHofsten, 2002; Rosenblum, Weiss & Parush, 2003 as cited in Jackman & Stagnitti, 2007). These skills become critical when a child reaches school age when the child is expected to perform fine motor tasks such as cutting, coloring, and writing as part of his or her daily routine. Research has shown that there is a high rate of fine motor difficulties in school-age children in the United States (Hammerschmidt & Sudsawad, 2004 as cited in Jackman & Stagnitti, 2007). Caregivers of preschool age children often seek the assistance …

Living With A Spinal Cord Injury: A Workshop For Parenting And Play, Ana Sobolik, Laura Gunderson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Individuals with newly acquired spinal cord injuries (SCI) may experience fears of inadequacy with their ability to be parents. This is a problem due to the fact that the average age of individuals who acquire SCIs is between 16 and 30, the prime child bearing years (Martin, Hamilton, Sutton, Ventura, Mathews, & Osterman, 2010; Mathews & Hamilton, 2009). There is a lack of literature to address these fears by supporting and developing parenting skills for individuals with SCIs. The purpose of this scholarly project is to address the fears of individuals with SCIs and their abilities with parenting occupations, as …

Bariatric Surgery And The Impacts On Occupations: A Qualitative Study, Emily Schlosser, Annie Van Erem

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of individuals who had undergone bariatric surgery and the impact weight loss has on occupations.

Methodology: A comprehensive literature review was conducted on the affects of obesity, bariatric surgery and the impacts on occupational performance. Based on the findings of the literature review, a qualitative research study using a phenomenological approach was completed. The Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) served as a guide in developing the interview questions and data analysis process. Four female participants who have undergone bariatric surgery were recruited using a purposive sampling method. The …

Seven Dimensions Of Wellness In Athletes With Upper Extremity Orthopedic Injuries: A Manual For Occupational Therapists, Ashley S. Chan, Micah J. Davids

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Increased attention has been placed on sports and athletes within the United States cultural. The latest reports of the noted sports economist Andrew Zimbalist estimated that the annual revenue of only 4 North American sports amounts to approximately $15 billion (Markovits, 2010). Athletes with upper extremity orthopedic injuries have traditionally been treated by occupational hand therapists (Hanson, Nabavi, & Yuen, 2000) however; research does not adequately address their needs outside of physical injury and musculoskeletal gain. Evidence is lacking within the profession of occupational therapy that encompasses the athlete as an occupational being. An occupational being is a person who …

Antecedent Techniques Used To Regulate Aggressive Behavior In Patients With Brain Injuries: A Teaching Module, Elizabeth A. Freidel, Megan J. Larson

Occupational Therapy Capstones

An estimated 1.7 million individuals sustain a brain injury each year (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 2010). Some behaviors associated with brain injuries include: decreased academic performance, severe aggression, self-injurious behavior, and suicidal and homicidal ideation (Finfgeld-Connet, 2009; Pace, Dunn, Luiselli, Cochran, & Skowron, 2005). The aforementioned behaviors pose a risk to the well-being of patients, therapists, healthcare providers and caregivers. The purpose of this scholarly project was to explore current methods used to minimize dangerous behavioral clients and ultimately provide a teaching module of antecedent techniques - a form of intervention used in order to reduce a behavior …

A Comparative Analysis Of Tractor Seating For Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury Using A Pressure Mapping System, William Kennington, Veronica Boeser

Occupational Therapy Capstones

Purpose: Research is limited in addressing the many factors and variables associated with enabling farmers/ranchers with disabilities and health impairments to sit within and operate dynamic agricultural equipment safely, comfortably, and without integument and musculoskeletal injury. As an initial foray into investigating this problem, an independent study project by graduate students in an occupational therapy program compared the seated pressure distribution of two people with paraplegia. Six testing conditions were completed while participants were seated upon two different tractor seats under static conditions.

Methodology: Using a quantitative cross-over design, two adult subjects with paraplegia meeting the inclusion criteria were recruited …