IU Indianapolis ScholarWorks :: Browsing by Author "Van Antwerp, Leah"

Browsing by Author "Van Antwerp, Leah"

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Addressing Early Childhood Accessibility at a Children’s Museum: A Community-Based Capstone Project
(2024-04-29) Sharlow, Teri; Van Antwerp, Leah; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Handel, Elyse
The occupation of play is vital in early childhood for the development of crucial life skills including motor, social, emotional, language, and executive functioning. Young children with disabilities often face challenges and barriers to participation in play, especially when visiting a community facility like a children’s museum. The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (TCM) has an ongoing commitment to provide accessible and inclusive facilities and experiences for their guests, yet recognizes that there are many opportunities for growth within their accessibility programming. The aim of this capstone project was to contribute to TCM’s accessibility programming through the assessment of an exhibit that had not yet been addressed in depth by their accessibility team. Using information gathered from the assessment and best practices from the literature, the student developed a detailed accessibility report that outlined strategies and guidelines for accessibility improvement within the exhibit. The project was presented to relevant museum staff and distributed throughout the facility so the report can be used as a resource for future accessibility initiatives within the exhibit. To evaluate the effectiveness of the project, attendees of the report presentation took a brief survey and provided feedback to the student. Overall, the results indicated that the project was successful in contributing to the museum’s accessibility programming and that staff members had an increased understanding of accessibility principles and how they can be applied within exhibits in future projects.
Addressing mental health through therapeutic art for incarcerated mothers
(2024-04-24) Briggeman, Hailey; Van Antwerp, Leah; Van Antwerp, Leah; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; None, None
Incarcerated mothers have a high likelihood of experiencing trauma, mental health disorders, and substance use. Incarceration contributes to high levels of stress which affects both the mothers’ and their children’s mental wellbeing. This capstone project sought to improve incarcerated mothers’ mental wellness through a 7-week therapeutic art program focused on emotional regulation, coping skills, goal setting, self-esteem, and connectedness. Through targeting these performance skills, the goal was to improve overall mental well-being. The efficacy of this program was assessed through a pre- and post- survey taken from three staff members who work closely with the women. The results indicated changes in multiple categories, including significant changes in coping and overall connectedness. This project had an impact on multiple areas of mental health. For sustainability, a binder was created that had examples of art projects and activities to decrease stress even after the program ended. More studies should be conducted to determine the effects of therapeutic art for incarcerated women.
Addressing Sensory Processing Differences Through Implementation of Education and Resources at a Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Clinic
(2024-04-26) Rager, Carson; Van Antwerp, Leah; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Raches, Christine
Neurodevelopmental disabilities impact one in 36 children in the United States; sensory processing differences impact 90 percent of these individuals. Sensory processing differences in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities can impact performance in their desired occupations, roles, and routines. This doctoral capstone project sought to implement training and resources related to sensory processing to improve education and competence of the clinicians at a Leadership and Education in Neurodevelopmental Disability (LEND) clinic in Indianapolis, IN. The project involved creation of four training modules that discussed various aspects of sensory processing, educational resources related to sensory processing, and handouts to assist in parent education. Project efficacy was evaluated via pre/post survey with quantitative and qualitative responses completed by clinicians at the Indianapolis LEND clinic. Quantitative results were inconclusive, due to insufficient amount of post-survey responses; however, qualitative results indicated that the clinicians found the trainings to be beneficial and impactful in their practices.
Advancing Perinatal Mental Health Awareness in the NICU: Promoting Caregiver Well-Being and Infant Outcomes
(2025-05-04) McGee, Alexis; Van Antwerp, Leah; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; McQuay, Mackenzie
Perinatal mental health plays a critical role in the overall well-being of parents and, consequently, in the care and development of their newborns, especially of those with infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The stress, anxiety, and emotional challenges that parents face during a high-risk pregnancy, preterm birth, or NICU stay can have profound effects not only on their own mental health but also their ability to provide optimal care for their infant. The emotional struggles can add a challenge to the already very complicated and demanding process of learning to care for a medically fragile newborn. Occupational therapy, utilizing a holistic approach, offers a valuable framework for supporting the infant and the entire family unit. By assessing the emotional well-being of parents, occupational therapists can help mitigate the impact of perinatal mental health issues, fostering a more positive environment for both parents and their newborns. The purpose of this doctoral capstone project was to identify ways in which Community Hospital North (CHN) can better support the emotional well-being of the families experiencing a NICU stay. In collaboration with the site, the student developed resource materials for parents, as well as provided a presentation to staff to better equip NICU providers with the necessary tools and resources to appropriately address perinatal mental health challenges in their NICU families. Staff was provided a pre- and post- survey questionnaire to assess confidence and knowledge of perinatal mental health, and the means to best address these challenges. Results of the surveys indicate the staff increased their knowledge within identifying local mental health resources and showed improved confidence in addressing mental health symptoms with NICU families.
Building Essential Skills Together: Developing Employment and Skill Building Opportunities for Adults of All Abilities
(2021-04) Lawson, Rebekah; Van Antwerp, Leah; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Winkler, Danielle
The purpose of this doctoral capstone project was to address the gap in vocational and life skill services for Autistic young adults during their transition to adulthood. At the Building Essential Skills Together nonprofit organization, there is a goal to address this need and offer inclusive supported employment and life skill programs to adults of all abilities. Participants in these programs included two Autistic young adults on the Building Essential Skills Together team. Both young adults participated in food truck and cleaning/maintenance supported employment opportunities, completed weekly concession skill building experiences, and hosted a virtual trivia night using their interests. One young adult also participated in a 5-week life skills program led by the doctoral capstone student. This project utilized visual scripts, modeling, and prompting techniques during supported employment and skill building opportunities, and vocational and life skills assessments were established for future evaluation and tracking purposes. The Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS)- Vocational Protocol was modified for the nonprofit’s food truck and cleaning/maintenance supported employment opportunities, and a non-standardized skills inventory was created for the life skills curriculum from the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (4th ed.). Development and implementation of supported employment and life skills materials during this project were guided by the Ecological Human Performance Model and Strengths-Based Frame of Reference for Autistic Individuals. Site feedback was obtained through electronic surveys at the conclusion of the project and indicated that project materials and implementation promoted inclusivity, independence, confidence, growth, and meaning for team members, as well as a foundation for the nonprofit programs.
Communication is Connection: Increasing Therapeutic Communication for Improved Pediatric Outpatient Service
(2023-05-01) Jones, Paige; Van Antwerp, Leah; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Higgins, Charity
An outpatient pediatric facility specializing in speech and occupational therapy services presented with the need to improve client/caregiver communication and participation as noted by minimal client goal attainment rates within a six month period. A literature review was completed to support the use of a virtual platform for therapeutic use intended to improve overall therapeutic service delivery and therapeutic carry over within the natural environment of the client. The capstone student collaborated with both facilities to create and utilize a custom virtual platform designed for intuitive communication with clients/caregivers, collaboration within the therapeutic process, resource/HEP sharing, and participation improvements. Therapists were instructed on the virtual platform uses were asked to utilize the virtual platform with at least two attending clients and their caregivers for the purposes of data collection regarding perceptions in communication, collaboration, and resource sharing. Pre and post platform interviews/surveys were collected and gathered therapist perceptions about communication and client/ caregiver participation improvements along with the supportive platform features of that promoted positive or negative changes. Therapists expressed that the use of the virtual platform displayed initial improvements regarding client/caregiver connection and participation. Additionally, the virtual platform supported interprofessional collaborations as reported by the therapist. Following the seven-week trial period, the virtual platform was added to the on-boarding process of the facility for continued use of the virtual platform upon the conclusion of the capstone project
Compassion Fatigue in Staff at LGBTQ+ Substance Use Recovery Center
(2023-05-01) Nickel, Allison; Van Antwerp, Leah; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Connaughty, Todd
Individuals working in recovery from substance use disorders (SUD) have a high risk for developing compassion fatigue (CF) due to high job demands and frequent exposure to client trauma. Pride Institute, an LGBTQ+ SUD recovery facility reported to have a high level of compassion fatigue. This was further explored with a screening measure, the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL 5), to measure levels of compassion satisfaction (CS), secondary traumatic stress (STS), and burnout in staff. Between the surveys, staff received educational resources and had the opportunity to participate in a weekly group session to practice coping strategies. The ProQOL 5 was used as an outcome measure for intervention effectiveness, along with qualitative questions about perceived helpfulness and meaningfulness of the project. A significant decrease in STS occurred between the initial and final surveys (p = .02). Findings were inconclusive on whether the improvement was due to education and weekly groups due to their being a significantly lower level of STS in non-participants compared to participants (p = .05). However, the qualitative survey responses demonstrate promise towards their effectiveness, and the higher participant level of STS may be due to interventions reaching the staff members most in need. Further research is warranted to determine best practice for long-term programs toward CF resiliency.
Developmental Milestones and Mother/Baby Bonding: An Educational Program for Incarcerated Mothers
(2024-04-26) Kunz, Cara; Van Antwerp, Leah; Van Antwerp, Leah; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; None
Parenting classes in mother baby units can facilitate infant developmental milestone acquisition and bonding, attachment, and positive relationships between mother and baby. Staff members in a mother baby unit at an Indiana women’s prison identified a need to improve developmental milestones, attachment, routines, and trauma/attachment between incarcerated mothers and their infants on the unit through capstone program development. The purpose of this capstone project was to create and implement resources and classes for the needs identified by the site. The capstone student identified topics of interest for both the staff members and the incarcerated mothers to ensure that the topics and information for the program implementation were client centered. At the conclusion of the capstone, the staff members were satisfied with the resource and class implementation and believed that it helped to promote development, bonding, attachment, and routines with the incarcerated mothers and their infants. They also stated that there was a high likelihood that they would continue implementing the resources and utilizing information from the classes after the capstone for current and future mothers on the unit.
Easterseals Crossroads RISE Program: Functional Living Skills Training for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
(2021-04-27) Flores, Chelsea M.; Van Antwerp, Leah; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Miers, Wendy
Functional living and community skills are needed to for being an independent individual in society. Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) make up nearly two percent of the United States population, or an estimated 7.37 million people, but are often not able to live and access the world around them without support from parents and caregivers. Despite the national movement to empower individuals with disabilities to live more independent lives, individuals with ID continue to face social exclusion, marginalization, and stigma. The purpose of this capstone project was to develop a life skills program to equip individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with the tools and functional skills to live and access the community independently. Guided by Participatory Occupational Justice Framework, Model of Human Occupation theory, and evidence-based teaching methods, client-centered and strengths-based lessons for six living skills courses (e.g., Food Preparation/Nutrition, Money Management, Home Management, Health Management, Public Transportation, and Emergency Skills) were created as part of the new R.I.S.E Program to aid in the acquisition of functional living skills, with guided support and education, among teens and adults with intellectual disability. Additionally, staff training modules and marketing materials were developed to prepare staff and promote the program. The acquisition of functional living and community skills lead to increased self-management, self-confidence, social inclusion, sense of belonging, and overall independence and quality of life.
Enhancing Educational Programing at an Urban Child Development Center
(2024) Koss, Ashley; Van Antwerp, Leah; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; White, Debra
Promoting developmentally appropriate learning is critical to enhancing a child’s education. Child development centers serve as a social and emotional learning opportunity for those that attend. A local child development center strives to promote age-appropriate learning and developmental activity engagement while also meeting the individual needs of diverse learners. After completing a needs assessment, the capstone student and site concluded that providing educators at the center with additional supports and resources for promoting age-appropriate learning and development would be beneficial. This doctoral capstone project was created to provide program enhancement through a trauma-informed care lens while promoting age-appropriate developmental learning. At the conclusion of the capstone experience the student concluded that classroom educators found value in different materials implemented within their rooms and feel as though these materials will increase their confidence in promoting developmentally appropriate learning and play.

Browsing by Author "Van Antwerp, Leah"

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