Browsing by Subject "Social Stories"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
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    Educators’ and caregivers’ perceptions on the implementation of social narratives with individuals with autisim spectrum disorder
    (2016-09) Jordan, Kristi Ann; Crabtree, Jeffrey L.; Solas Allen, Martina; Fisher, Thomas
    Social narratives are considered by the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders (NPDC) to be effective in reducing challenging behaviors, improving expected behaviors, and preparing for change. This study is addressing the gap in literature about educators’ and caregivers’ perceptions of the implementation of and the differences in implementation of social narratives with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
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    Tailoring Dental Appointments for Neurodivergent Children
    (2025-05) Chelmella, Payton; Van Antwerp, Leah; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Steele, Jaime
    Many neurodivergent children have a difficult time during their dental visits or cannot find a dental office willing to treat them. This doctoral capstone project aimed to give a local pediatric dentist office the information and experience they need to confidently provide care for neurodivergent patients and patients with dental anxiety. Six evidence-based themes about beneficial adaptations and modifications were addressed, including: acclimating to the dentist, desensitization, patient care beyond the chair, child behavior management, adaptive communication, and sensory processing. The capstone student provided the dental team with additional information during the project, but the above themes were emphasized the most. The dental team members completed a pre-survey (9 participants) and post-survey (8 participants) to evaluate their knowledge and confidence in three areas: general knowledge about adaptations and modifications, perceived knowledge about concepts relating to specific adaptations and modifications, and their confidence in implementing specific adaptations and modifications. The results show that the three categories had a statistically significant difference between pre-survey and post-survey results with a medium to large effect size. This project had a strong impact on the dental team’s knowledge and confidence in ways to treat their neurodivergent patients and patients with dental anxiety, therefore, this project shows that occupational therapy has a valuable place in pediatric dental settings.