Occupational Therapy Commons^™

Applying The Icf Framework To Study Changes In Quality-Of-Life For Youth With Chronic Conditions, Janette Mcdougall, Virginia Wright, Jonathan Schmidt, Linda Miller, Karen Lowry

Occupational Therapy Publications

Objective: The objective of this paper is to describe how the ICF framework was applied as the foundation for a longitudinal study of changes in quality-of-life (QoL) for youth with chronic conditions.

Method: This article will describe the study’s aims, methods, measures and data analysis techniques. It will point out how the ICF framework was used—and expanded upon—to provide a model for studying the impact of factors on changes in QoL for youth with chronic conditions. Further, it will describe the instruments that were chosen to measure the components of the ICF framework and the data analysis techniques that will …

Fact Sheet: Role Of Occupational Therapy, Shelia Longpre

Occupational Therapy Faculty Books and Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Driving As A Valued Instrumental Activity Of Daily Living, Anne E. Dickerson, Timothy Reistetter, Elin Schold Davis, Miriam Monahan

Collected Faculty Scholarship

The purpose of this translational research article is to illustrate how general practice occupational therapists have the skills and knowledge to address driving as a valued occupation using an algorithm based on the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (2nd ed.; American Occupational Therapy Association, 2008b). Evidence to support the model is offered by a research study. Participants were compared on their performance of complex instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and a behind-thewheel driving assessment. A significant relationship was found between the process skills from the performance assessment and whether the driver passed, failed, or needed restrictions as …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

An Occupation-Based Program For The Dual Diagnosis Of An Eating Disorder And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tessa Larson, Dana Rome

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this project was to develop an occupation-based occupational therapy program for the dual diagnosis of an eating disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder for use in an outpatient setting. A literature review was conducted to identify the challenges associated with the assessment and treatment of eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. The literature supports the need for occupation-based interventions, especially in the areas of self-care, meal planning and preparation, sleep and rest, leisure, and various life skills. Guided by the Model of Human Occupation in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, an occupation-based program guide was developed. The …

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 …