Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

The Student Perspective On Role-Emerging Fieldwork Placements In Occupational Therapy: A Review Of The Literature, Mathew Lau, Michael Ravenek

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Role-emerging fieldwork placements are increasingly being used in entry-level occupational therapy programs. However, published reviews have yet to focus on synthesizing the experiences and perspectives of students. This review aims to identify the opportunities, challenges, and future directions of role-emerging fieldwork placements based on the student perspective. A literature review using scoping review methods was conducted, including an electronic database search, hand-searching of journals, and citation tracking. Descriptive and thematic analyses of the articles were performed. Thirty articles were identified through the literature search. Themes that emerged related to opportunities were professional and personal development, independence and autonomy, client-centeredness, and …

Challenging The Status Quo: Infusing Non-Western Ideas Into Occupational Therapy Education And Practice, Wanda J. Mahoney, Anne F. Kiraly-Alvarez

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The authors of this Topics in Education article, who are both occupational therapy educators, reflect on challenging concepts related to decolonizing occupational therapy education, an idea they first encountered at the 2018 World Federation of Occupational Therapists Congress. They acknowledge that Western views heavily influence the occupational therapy concepts they teach to their students. The downside of approaching occupational therapy education and practice primarily from a Western worldview is that occupational therapy students and practitioners may perpetuate societal inequities through their practices and are not well-prepared to address the occupational needs of individuals and communities around the world. This article …

Gardening As A Meaningful Occupation In Initial Stroke Rehabilitation: An Occupational Therapist Perspective, Grete Patil, Mona Asbjørnslett, Kristin Aurlien, Nina Levin

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Initial rehabilitation after stroke is demanding for patients whose primary aim is to regain their functions. The literature indicates that gardening may provide medical rehabilitation opportunities and health resources. This study explored occupational therapists’ own observations and descriptions on how participation in a gardening group may support inpatients’ initial rehabilitation following acute stroke.

Methods: The authors analyzed notes written by occupational therapists during a 6 month-period that reflected their observations and descriptions after sessions with a gardening group. The therapists were trained in stroke rehabilitation and offered two sessions with gardening groups per week. The sessions were …

The Use Of Cognitive Strategies Among People With Schizophrenia: A Randomized Comparative Study, Alona Kaizerman-Dinerman, Naomi Josman, David Roe

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

Establishing Similarities And Differences Among The Self-Reported Academic Integrity Of Australian Occupational Therapy Undergraduate And Graduate-Entry Master’S Students, Ted Brown, Helen Bourke-Taylor, Stephen Isbel, Louise Gustafsson, Carol Mckinstry, Alexandra Logan, Jamie Etherington

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Research into the prevalence of dishonest academic behaviors suggests that such behaviors may be extensive in higher education. This study investigated the academic integrity of Australian occupational therapy students and compared the perspectives of undergraduate (UG) and graduate-entry master’s (GEMs) students.

Method: Students from five Australian universities (701; response rate 35%; 72.5% female) completed five standardized scales: (a) Academic Dishonesty Scale; (b) Academic Dishonesty in the Classroom Setting Scale; (c) Academic Dishonesty in the Clinical/Practice Education Setting Scale; (d) Academic Dishonesty Tendency Scale; and (e) Perceived Academic Sources of Stress. One-way analyses of variance were conducted to …

Practical Actions Shaped By The Internal Structures Of Occupational Therapists’ Professional Identities, Risa Takashima, Kazuko Saeki

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: This study aims to consider the internal structures of the professional identities that occupational therapists construct in clinical settings and to explore the differences of practices resulting from these structures.

Methods: In completion of this study, a qualitative methodology based on a grounded theory approach was employed. Semi-structured, individual interviews were conducted with 30 practicing occupational therapists in Japan. First, the internal structures in the participants’ professional identities were identified and typified. Second, the participants’ actions in their practices were analyzed.

Results: We identified three types of internal structures of professional identities. One type focused on …

The Impact Of Cognitive Functioning On Daily Occupations For People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Qualitative Study, Aoife Mc Auliffe, Sinéad M. Hynes

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Cognitive rehabilitation research in multiple sclerosis is ever-developing, but the impact of cognitive difficulties, seen in 40% to 80% of people, on daily occupations is not well known. The aim of this study is to explore the needs of people with MS who have self-reported cognitive deficits.

Methods: An exploratory qualitative descriptive research design was used. Data was collected through semi-structured telephone interviews with the participants. Recordings were transcribed and analyzed thematically.

Results: Seven participants were recruited (mean age 47). Three themes were developed through associations found in the data. “Neglected symptom” reported the participants’ frustrations …

Serving High-Risk Youth In Context: Perspectives From Hong Kong, Chi-Kwan Shea, Nancy Jackson, Christine Haworth

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: High-risk youth are often defined in occupational therapy terminology as adolescents and young adults who experience personal, contextual, or environmental barriers to effective participation in healthy, age-appropriate occupations. Without assistance for participation, these youth may acquiesce to daily routines of unhealthy risk-taking or isolation, failing to achieve developmental milestones needed for successful transition to adulthood. There are known therapeutic services targeting this population, but occupational therapy involvements have been sparsely documented.

Method: Having been affiliated with a community-based occupational therapy program serving high-risk youth for many years in the US, the principal investigator of the study used …

Life After Losing An Adult Child To A Drug Overdose: A Kawa Perspective, Aaron Weis, Julie D. Kugel, Heather Javaherian-Dysinger, Jessica Nicole De Brun

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Limited research is available to occupational therapy practitioners focusing on parents’ abilities to cope with the loss of an adult child to a drug overdose. We examined the unique experiences of grieving parents from a Kawa model perspective to identify potential implications for occupational therapy.

Methods: We used a qualitative approach in which 11 participants completed Kawa drawings and participated in semi-structured interviews.

Results: Following a Kawa model analysis themes emerged: volatile nature of flow, support from inner circle and connection with outer circle, lonely islands, personal attributes of positivity and economics, and enhancing my river’s flow.

Conclusion: The …

Global Perspectives On Occupational Therapy Practice And Education, Suzanne Martin, Amy Wagenfeld

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status And White Matter Microstructure In Pre-Reading Children: A Longitudinal Investigation, Ola Ozernov-Palchik, Elizabeth S. Norton, Yingying Wang, Sara D. Beach, Jennifer Zuk, Maryanne Wolf, John D.E. Gabrieli, Nadine Gaab

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Reading is a learned skill crucial for educational attainment. Children from families of lower socioeconomic status (SES) tend to have poorer reading performance and this gap widens across years of schooling. Reading relies on the orchestration of multiple neural systems integrated via specific white-matter pathways, but there is limited understanding about whether these pathways relate differentially to reading performance depending on SES background. Kindergarten white-matter FA and second-grade reading outcomes were investigated in an SES-diverse sample of 125 children. The three left-hemisphere white-matter tracts most associated with reading, and their right-hemisphere homologs, were examined: arcuate fasciculus (AF), superior longitudinal fasciculus …

Longitudinal Changes In Physical Caregiving For Parents Of Children With Cerebral Palsy., Mohammed S Alghamdi, Lisa A Chiarello, Robert J Palisano, Sarah W Mccoy, Margo Orlin, Ehab M Abd-Elkafy

Physical Therapy Publications

Aims: To determine changes in physical caregiving for parents of children with cerebral palsy (CP) over a two-year period based on children’s gross motor function level and age.

Methods: 153 parents of children with CP rated their physical caregiving using the Ease of Caregiving for Children three times over two years. Parents and assessors classified children’s gross motor function using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS). Physical caregiving was compared at three test times among parents of children grouped by GMFCS level (I, II–III, and IV–V) and age (1.7–5.9 and 6–11 years) using a three-way mixed ANOVA.

Results: Among …

Program Evaluation Of The Impact Of Sensory Room Interventions On Student Readiness In Muskegon County, Emilie Brzak, Olivia Deweerd, Erica Roll

Pediatrics

Aim: This study is a program evaluation of four different sensory rooms in the schools within Muskegon County Northern Service Unit (NSU) to uncover the benefits of sensory interventions on students’ school readiness.

Methods: Grand Valley State University occupational therapy students analyzed data from the school occupational therapists to promote evidence based practice of this program.

Results: Within this program, sensory interventions increased students’ school readiness.

Conclusion: Outcomes indicate that the primary means of increasing students’ school readiness include transitioning to an active activity following sensory interventions and participating in multiple stations. Results are not generalizable to other programs.

Standing Javelin Throw, Carley Plentovich, Petra Jkeljic, Chris Tobin

EXSI 432/532: Research Methods in Exercise Science: Research Proposal Posters

No abstract provided.

Occupational Therapy In Prisons, Amber Carmean, Amanda Boman, Katie Kowalski, Joselyn Walsworth

Community Based

This study investigates the needs of incarcerated individuals upon reintegration into the community. In this article, we use thematic analysis to dissect two prison documentaries in order to best assess the needs of these individuals to inform occupational therapy intervention. Occupational therapy seeks to empower individuals while analyzing needs and how the individuals can be best supported. Our analysis shows that there are many needs that go unaddressed prior to community reintegration leading to a higher chance of recidivism recurring. Through better understanding the needs of individuals, occupational therapy can become better informed on how intervention can benefit this specific …

Modulation Of The Hoffmann Reflex In The Tibialis Anterior With A Change In Posture., Janelle Unger, Justin W Andrushko, Alison R Oates, Doug W Renshaw, Trevor S Barss, E Paul Zehr, Jonathan P Farthing

Physical Therapy Publications

Hoffmann (H-) reflex amplitudes in plantar flexor soleus muscle are modulated by posture, yet dorsiflexor tibialis anterior (TA) H-reflex parameters have sparingly been studied. The purpose was to investigate modulation of the TA H-reflex when postural demands are increased from sitting to standing. In this study, data from 18 participants (Age: 25 ± 4 years, Height: 170.9 ± 9.5 cm, Weight: 75.9 ± 17.2 kg) allowed comparison of two experimental conditions involving different postures (i.e. sitting and standing). Maximal amplitude of the TA H-reflex (H_max) as a percent of the maximal M-wave amplitude (M_max) …

Case Study: Effects Of Psychosocial Factors On A Geriatric Patient With Guillain Barré Syndrome, Keane Evangelista, Mary Pent Hunter, Jessica Phung, Aum Tejani, Lee Anne H. Robotta

San Marcos, Summer 2019

The purpose of this case report is to determine how a change in intrinsic motivation and environmental factors help physical and functional improvements in a 77-year-old male patient with Guillain Barré Syndrome (GBS) in the geriatric population. Interventions to promote this change included patient education about lifestyle choices along with endurance and balance exercises.

Patient psychological state, community access, and general education about interventions/dosing had an effect on the patient's participation in his prescribed HEP. His comorbidities hindered his overall progress over the course of his treatment and should be addressed to improve patient outcomes. Activities that were more salient …

The Impact Of Technology On Fine Motor Development In Children, Erin Taylor

MOT Student Capstones

Fine motor skills involve the coordination and refinement of small muscles that control the hand, fingers, and thumb. Children need to develop these skills along with dexterity and strength in order to complete important tasks including writing, self-feeding, getting dressed, and playing. With the abundance of technology and touchscreen devices available, there is evidence that children are spending more than the recommended time using a device and engaging in screen time. While there is evidence that the use of technology in children has increased, there is little research on the possible impact of this increased use on the development of …

The Use Of Music As A Therapeutic Tool To Increase Positive Outcomes In Individuals With Neurological Disorders, Kelly Swaringen

MOT Student Capstones

The overall concept of this study is to explore and gather evidence to support the positive impact that music can have on individuals with neurological impairments or disorders in areas including communication, cognition/memory, psychosocial skills, and motor skills. The goal is to examine how music can be a powerful tool in increasing patient outcomes and how occupational therapy (OT) practitioners can utilize music as a tool in their own practice setting. As OT practitioners, our overarching goal is to facilitate functional and effective participation in occupation while promoting emotional well-being and high quality of life. We have the unique privilege …

Sensory Integration In Classrooms: Improving Attention In School-Aged Children, Abbey Mccormick

MOT Student Capstones

The overall concept of this capstone project is to gather evidence supporting the positive effects of sensory integration in relation to attention in school-aged children, including children diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and those with no forn1al diagnosis. The goal of this project is to provide teachers and support staff, including occupational therapists, in a school system with training to implement sensory activities throughout the school day to improve students' attention. Occupational therapy can play a unique role in school systems by providing teachers and other staff with the tools and education to understand the importance of sensory integration and …