Scholarship and Open Access Repository
Not a member yet
1330 research outputs found
Sort by
The Transition to Adulthood for High School Students with Special Needs
Get PDFThe reason for many special needs students not engaging in occupations after high school is because many guardians have not had to navigate this type of transition before and are not provided enough education on what these opportunities include before their students graduate. Many students with special needs do not optimize their engagement in the community because guardians are not being provided with education on post-graduate opportunities.
The purpose of my Doctoral Capstone Project is to develop an educational transition service program for special needs students as well as guardians and teachers of these students preparing for high school graduation and transitioning into adulthood.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2024/1070/thumbnail.jp
The CI-ASD Program: Implementation of Contextual Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder (CI-ASD) with Latino Families (Preliminary Report)
Get PDFChildren diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience sensory processing differences that affect their participation in daily activities and routines. Autism affects an estimated 1 in 36 children in the U.S. However, Latino children are diagnosed two years later than white children. Latino families still have the greatest disparities in accessing ASD resources throughout the U.S. compared to white families. The lack of ASD services and resources led to decreased parental self-efficacy, quality of life, and increased child behavioral problems.
Contextual Interventions Adapted for Autism Spectrum Disorder (CI-ASD) are an emerging intervention for occupational therapy (OT) practitioners. Recent literature shows improvement in child participation and parental self-efficacy when combining sensory processing knowledge with a coaching approach within a family-centered context.
While some evidence supports the application of CI-ASD in improving children\u27s participation and promoting a sense of efficacy, this intervention has not been implemented within the Latino Community.
The purpose of this capstone was to examine the following research questions: Does CI-ASD increase the quality of life in Latino Families? Does CI-ASD promote Latino parenting sense of efficacy? Does CI-ASD promote children\u27s participation in Latino family activities and routines?https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2024/1072/thumbnail.jp
A Program to Address ADL Independence for Young Adults with Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder and Their Caregivers
Get PDFYoung adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and sensory processing disorder (SPD) often have difficulty understanding the steps to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and may become overstimulated when performing their ADLs. Difficulties performing their ADLs cause dependence on their caregivers, which in turn causes both the client and caregiver to have increased stress and avoidance of these ADLs. Occupational therapists (OT) work with individuals with ASD and SPD, but there is little literature to support OT intervention with young adults or to reduce caregiver stress. This capstone found resources and techniques to improve young adults independence in ADLs and decrease caregiver stresshttps://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesspring2024/1073/thumbnail.jp
Effect of Telehealth Interventions on Hypertension Management in a Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC)
Get PDFPractice Problem: Per U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2020), hypertension (HTN) is prevalent in active and retired military personnel with 13% of those in active duty and in “more than one in three Veterans…making it the most common chronic condition for Veterans” (p. 1). Per the Electronic Quality Measure (eQM) portal, a PACT clinic in a CBOC is scoring well below the national and facility benchmarks, showing a need for an intervention that will improve HTN management.
PICOT: For current veteran patients ages 18-85 assigned to a PACT (P), what is the effect of nurse-led telehealth blood pressure (BP) check visits (I) compared to current practices (C) in improving the capture of BP readings by 5% in eQM (O) in a 4-week period (T)?
Evidence: Implementation of virtual modalities can improve HTN management.
Intervention: Implementing telehealth visits via Veterans Video Connect (VVC) and reaching out to Veterans who are on the eQM generated fall out list to capture BP readings. Obtaining the BP reading will allow the patient to drop off the fall out list, improving the eQM measure “ihd53h_ec.” If the BP reading is below 140/90, the Veteran will also drop off the fall out list.
Outcome: After the project’s implementation of VVC visits, the rate of BP capture increased significantly to 76%, which was an improvement of 18.98%.
Conclusion: There is a clinical and statistical positive effect of nurse-led telehealth BP check visits compared to current practices in improving the capture and measurement of BP readings among current veteran patients ages 18-85 assigned to a PACT at a VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic
Understanding the Perceptions of Technology in Homes for Aging in Place
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to understand the thoughts and experiences of technology in homes and the use of technology-based home modifications to help individuals with participation and performance in daily activities. The education of perceptions of culture in homes will be supported by faculty, OTs, professional designers, about the need to explore culture in technology for home modifications aging in place.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesfall2024/1058/thumbnail.jp
Life Review and Reminiscence in Occupational Therapy Practice: An Educational Video Series
Get PDFDementia is a progressive neurological disorder that impacts millions of people, leading to cognitive decline and functional impairment. Life review therapy and reminiscence therapy are effective treatment approaches that have been used with people with dementia to stimulate cognitive processes and provide emotional support by reflecting on past experiences. Although therapeutic occupations based on reminiscence and life review have been used in occupational therapy (OT) practice, there is limited literature on the topic to guide clinical practice. Problem: There is a lack of guidance on the integration of occupation-based life review and reminiscence into OT practice for people with dementia. Purpose: The purpose of this capstone project was to create an educational video series on an occupation-based approach to integrating life review and reminiscence into OT practice for people with dementia. The video series was created to educate OT practitioners on how to effectively incorporate reminiscence and life review treatment approaches into OT practice with people with dementia. The aim of the video series was to provide practical, evidence-based strategies to support the integration of reminiscence and life review into clinical practice. This initiative represents a critical step toward equipping OT practitioners with the tools needed to deliver consistent, meaningful care for individuals with dementia, with potential for future research to assess its effectiveness.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesfall2024/1061/thumbnail.jp
Health literacy on physical therapy among senior citizens with physical disability and community health workers
Get PDFIntroduction. This study was conducted to determine the health literacy on physical therapy (PT) among senior citizens with physical disability and community health workers (CHWs). Specifically, it identified the sociodemographic profile of the CHWs and senior citizens with physical disability, their extent of health literacy on PT as to prose, document and numeracy and how health policies, availability of PT programs, and available equipment and facilities for the rendition of PT services affect their health literacy.
Methods. This study employed a descriptive research design. The respondents of the study involved 18 CHWs and 29 senior citizens. It was conducted in Brgy. Cabuusan Currimao, Ilocos Norte, Brgy. Ganagan, and Brgy. Sangil Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. Descriptive statistics was utilized in the analysis of the data gathered specifically using frequency and weighted mean and standard deviation.
Results. The sociodemographic profile of CHWs shows most are aged 40–69, with older CHWs often excelling due to experience. The majority were women, reflecting caregiving roles but facing recognition challenges. Service length varied, with extensive experience linked to higher competency and health literacy, particularly in physical health care. Most CHWs had only a high school education, which may hinder understanding of complex topics like physical therapy. Senior citizens with musculoskeletal disabilities, such as arthritis, comprised a significant portion of respondents, emphasizing the need for specialized health literacy in physical therapy.
Discussion. The results findings highlight the need for ongoing training in physical therapy to enhance CHW competency. Gender disparities reflect societal challenges affecting recognition of women’s roles. Limited education among CHWs underscores the importance of incorporating specialized health knowledge into training. For seniors, the prevalence of musculoskeletal disabilities emphasizes improving health literacy in physical therapy to counter misinformation and aid rehabilitation. Educating both CHWs and seniors could significantly improve health outcomes and disability management
AGOT: Agricultural Guide for Occupational Therapy Practitioners
Get PDFAs agriculture is a hazardous occupation, this project discusses agricultural workers with health conditions/disabilities, experiencing disruption to occupational performance and participation, increasing risk of secondary injuries, and impacting overall well-being and how occupational therapy practitioners can improve these factors through the development of a guidebook. The guide covers population insights, risk factors, assessment guide, conditions, and resources to aid occupational practitioners when assisting the agricultural worker population.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesfall2024/1015/thumbnail.jp
The Benefit of Creative Arts-Based Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Get PDFAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that significantly affects emotional regulation, social communication, and executive functioning. Addressing emotional regulation in children with ASD is essential for enhancing mental health, quality of life, and functional independence in occupations such as social participation. Despite evidence supporting the use of creative arts-based interventions to improve mental health, limited research exists on their specific application for emotional regulation in this population.
This project aimed to implement and evaluate a creative arts-based intervention program designed to improve emotional regulation skills in children with ASD within occupational therapy (OT) practice. Conducted over five weeks at Awetism Wonderland, the program included a series of art-focused activities, such as emotional regulation dance, Play-Doh self-portraits, and watercolor painting exercises. The interventions were designed to support interoception, creativity, and performance skills while being easily modifiable to individual needs. The Emotional Regulation Checklist (ERC) and clinical observation field notes were used to assess pre- and post-intervention outcomes, focusing on changes in emotional regulation behaviors.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonesfall2024/1041/thumbnail.jp
The Experience of Pet Ownership in Transitional Housing
Get PDF25% of people experiencing homelessness have pets, but few transitional housing programs allow pets (Rhoades et al., 2015); therefore, there is a gap in the literature about the experience of pet ownership during the transitional housing process. This study aimed to explore pet owners\u27 experiences at a transitional housing site in San Diego County. The student interviewed two current dog owners and four recent dog owners. All participants prioritized their pets because it was their strongest relationship. The prioritization of their dogs positively and negatively influenced occupational engagement. While receiving services, owners experienced consequences when separated from their dogs, including a decline in motivation, depressed mood, and loss of purpose. Three participants lost ownership of their dogs due to unreliable caregivers, resulting in unresolved emotions that interfered with accomplishing goals. Since their dogs are significant figures in their lives, it is essential to consider them when determining goals and housing options. Working towards maintaining dogs with their owners has potential positive benefits.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2024/1000/thumbnail.jp