Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Aquatic Therapy In Neurorehabilitation, Alexis Poe, Rebecca King, Caitlin Boyd

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Healthcare workers and their patients have seen the benefits of aquatic therapy (AT), but education is lacking (Marinho-Buzelli, 2023). Research suggests that AT can improve fatigue and balance for people with an acquired brain injury (Bhatnagar et al., 2019). These findings highlight the need to enhance occupational therapy (OT) education and implementation of AT in clinical practice.

A Comprehensive Diabetes Symptom Management Program For Independent Living Facilities, Brooke A. Foster, Mary Jan Greer

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This project aimed to support older adults with diabetes mellitus (DM) and pre-diabetes in independent living facilities through a comprehensive symptom management program. Implemented at Coastal Heights Senior Living in Costa Mesa, California, the program focused on improving overall education and self-management of DM symptoms, emphasizing foot care, physical activity, and nutrition. Using a client-centered approach and the Person-Occupation-Environment-Performance model, participants engaged in group and individual sessions over an eight-week period. Outcomes showed an increased understanding of DM, improved self-care behaviors, and enhanced ability to manage symptoms independently, supporting aging in place and promoting overall wellness.

Sleep Program For Individuals With Sleep Issues In A Counseling Center, Adrian Flye, Rebecca King

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Sleep is essential for rest, restoration, and the ability to perform everyday occupations. Sleep provides numerous health benefits when an individual receives adequate sleep. Unfortunately, many individuals sleep poorly due to work demands, childcare responsibilities, and health-related issues. An inconsistency in sleep can negatively impact an individual’s physical and mental health and overall quality of life. The purpose of this project was to develop a sleep program that provides a counseling center with strategies to help improve sleep quality in individuals with sleep issues.

An Occupational Therapy Based Guidebook For Young Adults Transitioning Into Adulthood With Sickle Cell And Renal Medullary Carcinoma, Alexcia Frelix, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This poster displays the key points within my capstone project of creating an occupational therapy-based guidebook for young adults with sickle cell anemia, and renal medullary carcinoma.

Preventing The Strain: An Educational Program To Address Upper Extremity Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders In The Beauty Industry, Stacy Bello, Rebecca King

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

The program aims to enhance the safety and health of beauty professionals by addressing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSD). The educational program seeks to reduce injuries in the beauty industry by teaching ergonomic practices and joint protection strategies, which include the development of seminars targeted at cosmetology and esthetics students, as well as working professionals, with a strong emphasis on understanding body mechanics and ergonomic principles. Feedback from beauty professionals highlighted common WRMSD conditions and the critical need for preventative education and advocacy for care. The educational program strives to create a safer working environment that benefits beauty service providers throughout …

Educational Development Program For Caregivers Of Acquired Brain Injury, Kaylan Griffin, Rebecca King

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Acquired brain injury (ABI) disrupts normal brain function and often requires caregivers to assist with daily tasks. One-third of ABI caregivers experience burnout and psychological distress within a year of the injury, primarily due to decreased confidence, education, and social support. This burnout can significantly affect caregivers' emotional, social, financial, physical, and spiritual well-being. The purpose of the proposed capstone is to aid in preventing caregiver burnout and burden by empowering caregivers through education.

Safe Lift System: In-Bed Repositioning Assistive Device, Mariah Sparkman, Cassandra Nelson, Lee Ann Hoffman

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Bedridden patients require frequent repositioning toward the head of the bed. The current Safe Lift System prototype was revised and surveyed to address the gap in effective methods for in-bed repositioning of this patient population and to improve its efficacy in meeting the needs of bedridden patients, caregivers, and healthcare staff members.

An Ot Program For Amputation Individuals And Their Caregiver, Ashley Hradecky, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Amputation individuals and their caregivers currently lack sufficient education regarding residual limb management, limb positioning, mental health, and phantom limb pain. These gaps in health management skills ultimately result in relationship strains, technology abandonment, and decreased independence. The goal was to develop and implement an educational program for new amputation individuals and their caregivers targeting these topics. Six pairs successfully completed this four-week program, with each pair responding to pre and post surveys. Interventions included lower extremity positioning, prosthetic care management, residual limb management, mirror therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and tactile point discrimination. When comparing the pre and post …

Poderosas: A Program To Meet The Occupational Needs Of Latina Women, Alana Govea, Mary Jan Greer, Cassandra Nelson

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Many women who have immigrated from Mexico and other Latin American countries and who have experienced some form of sexual trauma, sexual violence, sexual abuse, or sex trafficking have unmet occupational needs as they adjust to their lives in the United States. Limited research and resources are available to address these needs. A culturally sensitive program was curated to identify and meet the occupational needs of these women. Three themes that encompassed their primary occupational needs included the need for social participation and connection, the need for emotional and mental health promotion and maintenance, and the need for security and …

Moomoo Care Program, Shelby Knoble

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Set on a family farm, the Moo-Moo Care Program is a hands-on, multi-day recreational program designed to teach youth about dairy cattle care. As part of my RTTR 203 final project, I created a daily schedule, goals and objectives, a Gantt chart for task organization, marketing materials, and an evaluation form.

Within this program, participants will engage in at least six hours of structured farm activities each day. Through interactive lessons and hands-on demonstrations, participants will learn key aspects of dairy cattle care, including feeding, milking, and how to maintain a clean environment. Participants will practice proper calf grooming skills …

Exploring The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Collegiate Athlete Mental Health Care: A Concept Analysis, Jacquelyn Arnett, Lesley Khan-Farooqi

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

Adverse mental health outcomes in collegiate athletes are on the rise in the United States, prompting concerns about the impact of external surroundings on their well-being. Occupational therapy (OT) is a profession that specializes in environmental- and occupation-centered intervention, approaches to mental health care not currently being utilized in collegiate athlete populations. Despite these potential benefits, OT practitioners (OTPs) are not an established member of the care team in current athlete mental health care structures, likely because many stakeholders do not understand the unique services OTPs can offer. Walker and Avant’s eight-stage concept analysis was employed to examine the role …

Facilitating Student Advancement: A High School Toolkit For Developing Professional Skills, Makenzie J. Mccain

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Innovations in OT Symposium: Transforming Possibilities into Practice

Objective:

As students transition from high school to their next step, they are expected to demonstrate a different and often higher level of professional skills to successfully navigate their new roles. Existing research identifies these skills as highly valuable in industry and education, however there is a gap in research and resources that focus on high school students developing these essential skills. This quality improvement project focused on the development of a toolkit to fill this gap, providing an explicit, student-centered resource for professional skill development.

Methods:

The development of the Professional Skills Student Toolkit utilized established theoretical frameworks and …

Thriving Beyond Barriers: A Wellness Guide For Athletes And Coaches, Sydnie Allen, Ots, Lesley Khan-Farooqi, Phd, Otd, Otr, Emily Andersen, Otd, Otr

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This project addressed gaps in knowledge and skills among athletes and coaches regarding the social, physical, and environmental dimensions of wellness, which impact participation, health, quality of life, and overall wellness. The purpose was to create a wellness guide focused on the social, physical, and environmental dimensions of wellness, which may inhibit participation, health, quality of life, and overall wellness while fostering social inclusion and accommodating individual abilities to reduce injury risk and promote motivation. Though research on occupational therapy (OT) in sports is limited, emerging studies highlight the importance of participation for long-term independence. Environmental barriers like accessibility issues …

Preparing Adults With Intellectual Disabilities For External Employment And Increased Occupational Engagement, Ann B. Barwick

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Intellectual disabilities refer problems within intellectual and adaptive functioning. In the United States, 6.5 million people have an intellectual disability (Schaepper). Adults with intellectual disabilities face many challenges throughout life. Employment is one of those challenges for a multitude of reasons including communication skills, discrimination, feelings of underappreciation, etc (Special Olympics). Only 21-44% of adults with intellectual disabilities are employed. There are services to help these individuals including occupational therapy, transition service counselors, and vocational rehab. Yet, the majority remains unemployed.

A doctoral capstone project was completed and presented in collaboration with a dog bakery whose mission is to provide …

Occupational Therapy Guided Interactive Workbook For College Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder For Transition Into The Workplace, Makayla Kirkley

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

The number of students with autism spectrum disorder entering college has been steadily increasing. When these graduates enter the workforce, the support and accommodations available throughout their education may not necessarily be readily available in their new workplace. This quality improvement project aimed to increase the resources of a college program whose purpose is to support autistic and neurodivergent students throughout their college career. The project aims were to create an interactive job readiness and independent living workbook to assist and provide resources for students during their transition into the workforce. The senior cohort completed seventeen fillable workbook pages with …

The Amazing Race: Accessibility Edition, Amber Bailey, Anna Rauch

2025 Student Academic Showcase

Inspired by the reality TV show The Amazing Race, here at Lindenwood participants got to engage in a fun interactive and educational competition. This event’s purpose was to raise awareness about recreational therapy. As recreational therapy students we are always ready to adapt. Many people think that just because you have a disability you can't do stuff, which is wrong. Which is why The Amazing Race was able to show the participants that you can adapt to do activities. We had groups of four to five people that all had different disabilities to compete in four different challenges around campus. …

Tackling Recovery: Tibial Osteotomy In A 20-Year-Old Rugby Player With One Month Of Post-Surgery Setback, Maycee J. White, Michael J. Nolan

2025 Student Academic Showcase

Background: Tibial osteotomy is a surgical procedure commonly performed to correct lower limb malalignment in athletes. Full recovery typically takes 6-12 months, with athletes generally resuming sport-specific activities at 4-6 months. Delays in rehabilitation can result in prolonged deficits in strength, range of motion (ROM), and neuromuscular control. Case Presentation: This case study follows a 20-year-old collegiate rugby player who underwent tibial osteotomy, with rehabilitation delayed by one month. The athlete initially presented with knee stiffness, quadriceps atrophy, reduced ROM, and impaired proprioception. A multi-phase rehabilitation program was implemented as follows: •Phase 1 (Weeks 0-6): Pain management, restoring knee extension, …

Development Of A Mobile App For Parents And Caregivers Of Children With Autism, Laurie Tison

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Innovations in OT Symposium: Transforming Possibilities into Practice

Background: Caring for children with autism who experience sensory challenges often leads to increased caregiver stress and reduced self-efficacy. Research suggests that smartphone apps can effectively mitigate stress and empower parents. A needs assessment highlighted the necessity for an app centered on sensory processing tools and strategies, considering the limited resources available for addressing children’s emotions and behaviors.

Objective: This project aimed to develop and evaluate a comprehensive app to support parents and caregivers of children with autism, focusing on reducing stress and enhancing parental efficacy. Objectives included: 1) designing the app with relevant resources, 2) assessing the app’s content, …

The Use Of Equine-Assisted Services To Develop Life Skills And Improve Educational Outcomes In Young Adults With Disabilities, Mackenzie Marcum

Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate - Doctoral Capstone Symposium

Young individuals with disabilities often face significant challenges in acquiring essential life skills, primarily those with cognitive impairments. This often limits their ability to live independently and fully participate in daily activities. Without progress in developing these skills, individuals may struggle with tasks such as Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). Equine-assisted services (EAS), as defined by The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, is "recommended as an optimal unifying term to refer to multiple services in which professionals incorporate horses and other equines to benefit people" (Wood et al., 2021).

A doctoral …

Integrating Sensory Processing And Self- Regulation Strategies In Daily Teaching Practices, Alana D. Foster, Angela L. Blackwell

Spring 2025 OTD Capstone Symposium

This capstone project addressed the critical need for early childhood educators to improve their understanding and application of sensory processing and self-regulation strategies within the classroom setting. The project was implemented at an early learning center and aimed to enhance educators’ ability to support student participation and occupational performance through a structured coaching framework. Guided by Dunn’s Sensory Processing Framework and the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance (PEOP) model, the intervention included five individualized coaching sessions and the development of two key capstone products: a sensory processing coaching framework and a sensory processing toolkit and activity binder. The coaching framework incorporated observational tools, quick …