IU Indianapolis ScholarWorks :: Browsing by Subject "occupational therapy"

Browsing by Subject "occupational therapy"

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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.
Advanced Clinical Skills and Educational Resources in Pediatric Feeding
(2024-04-26) McIntyre, Velvet; Nguyen, Elizabeth; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Miller, Taylor
Pediatric feeding difficulties are becoming more prevalent within the scope of occupational and speech therapy. After conduction of a needs assessment and thorough literature review, it was evident that an outpatient pediatric therapy clinic lacked caregiver involvement and limited educational resources. The purpose of this capstone project was to create evidence-based feeding resources to educate caregivers on different milestones and strategies to implement within the home environment in order to decrease parental stress, decrease the overall impact their child’s feeding difficulties had on the caregiver’s daily life, and improve occupational performance for children with feeding issues. Three pre- and post-assessments were utilized to measure the effectiveness of feeding therapy and the educational resources. Overall, the occupational performance for children with feeding issues improved by 21.5 points, the parental stress levels decreased by 7%, and the overall impact their child’s feeding difficulties had on the caregiver’s daily life slightly decreased. Keywords: occupational therapy, pediatric feeding, pediatric feeding disorder, feeding difficulties
Advocacy as an Environmental Modification: Occupational Therapy’s Role in Stigma Reduction to Increase Occupational Performance in Children with Learning Disabilities
(2022-05) Klukken, Angela; Petrenchik, Terry; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Petrenchik, Terry
Occupational therapists have a pivotal role in advocating for their clientele across various settings. The present study adds direction and suggestion for enhancing occupational therapy’s role in client advocacy, through the use of therapeutic skills utilized in teacher training to reduce the harmful effects of disability-based stigma for children with learning disabilities in a public elementary school setting. The author suggests that stigma reduction may serve as a powerful environmental modification; as disability accommodations and self-advocacy alone do not always permit equitable occupational participation. Teacher training in the area of pediatric learning disabilities with an emphasis on bias reduction, information, empathy, self-reflection and interpretation of anonymous student school experiences was implemented in a public elementary school by an occupational therapy doctoral capstone student. Medium effect sizes were found among some aspects of psychological flexibility with regard to stigmatizing thoughts among teachers. Significant results were found among students answering questions in class, and teachers’ awareness and ability to identify learning disabilities in their students. Results suggest that teachers were overall satisfied with training and have implemented changes in support of learning disability accessibility in their classrooms following intervention.
Advocating for the Role of Occupational Therapy in the Transplant Continuum of Care
(2024-05) Koppen, Arianna; Hess, Pamela; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; DiPerna, Christy; Bernard, Drew
The thoracic transplant continuum of care includes lung transplant, heart transplant, and ventricular assistive devices (VAD) candidates and recipients. This patient population often faces unique physical, cognitive, psychosocial, and mental health deficits that impair physical and occupational performance hindering activities of daily living (ADLs). Survey and observational data (n=24) was collected from clinicians and patients participating in a transplant-specific rehabilitation program in Indianapolis, IN to identify occupational performance deficits and define the need for occupational therapy in this setting. Recommendations for integrating occupational therapy into the clinic were developed and included in the report.
An Approach to Providing Occupational Therapy Services Within a Post-Intensive Care Clinic
(2022-05-01) Manning, Jeremy; Zeigler, Jayson; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Khan, Sikandar
Patients discharged from lengthy ICU stays due to critical illness are often accompanied by post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). PICS is a condition that presents with physical, cognitive, emotional, and psychiatric deficits that often interfere with everyday activities. This study included a sample of 25 ICU survivors within a post-intensive care follow-up clinic. Data was extracted from self-report assessments for anxiety/depression, self-care, mobility, administered cognitive assessment and further data was collected utilizing grip strength measures. Data collected through the clinic provided evidence that would yield the need for occupational therapy services within this patient population. Additionally, a rapid systematic review was completed with the aim of expanding the role occupational therapists have within this post-intensive care population. Data collected within the clinic and results from the systematic review provide evidence for the potential role of occupational therapy within this patient population.
Area Agency on Aging and Occupational Therapy
(2021-05-07) Minnich, Victoria; DeRolf, Annie; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Ziegler, Dustin; Stinson, Kelsey
Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and the profession of occupational therapy have similar values as they pertain to the promotion of aging in place amongst community-dwelling older adults. AAAs provide a wide range of services that allow older adults to safely and productively age in their own homes rather than in institutionalized settings (National Association of Area Agencies on Aging [n4a], n.d.). Occupational therapy practitioners have an essential role in promoting quality of life, health, and participation in meaningful occupations amongst community-dwelling older adults (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2016). Despite these similar values, there are few partnerships between the two entities as fewer than 3.2% of occupational therapists even work in community settings with older adults (AOTA, 2020b). The goal of this capstone project was to evaluate an Area Agency on Aging (AAA) and provide the organization with an evidence-based, client-centered proposal on how a staffed occupational therapy practitioner could fit within their organization. Outcomes of this capstone project consisted of five tailored recommendations for the organization as well as an increase in knowledge and perception of the scope of occupational therapy amongst the organization’s staff. Future research should be conducted on the outcomes associated with partnerships between AAAs and occupational therapy practitioners.
Bridging the Humanities and Health Care With Theatre: Theory and Outcomes of a Theatre-Based Model for Enhancing Psychiatric Care via Stigma Reduction
(APA, 2022-12-22) Wasmuth, Sally; Pritchard, Kevin T.; Belkiewitz , Johnna; Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences
Objective: This article describes the rational, methods, implementation, and effectiveness of Identity Development Evolution and Sharing (IDEAS), an evidence-supported, narrative theater-based training that reduces stigma among health care providers to increase health care equity in psychiatric rehabilitation. Method: The IDEAS model has been used to reduce provider bias toward patients. From May 2017 to January 2020, we interviewed people from three patient groups who have been harmed by stigma, including Black women, transgender, and gender-diverse people, and people with substance use disorders. These interviews informed the creation of three theatrical scripts that were performed by professional actors for audiences of health care providers from January 2020 to May 2022. The performances aimed to raise conscious awareness of implicit provider biases and to provide a reflective opportunity to ameliorate these biases. The purpose of IDEAS is to improve experiences in health care settings such as psychiatric rehabilitation of patients from groups who have been harmed by stigma. We used paired-samples t tests to compare pre/postprovider stigma, measured via the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-Stigma (AAQ-S). Results: Sociodemographic factors for providers who viewed IDEAS were similar across all three performances. IDEAS significantly decreased AAQ-S scores (t = 11.32, df = 50, M = 13.65, 95% confidence limit: [11.32, 15.97], p < .0001). Conclusions and implications for practice: IDEAS reduces provider stigma to support positive clinical encounters with diverse patient populations. These findings are relevant for psychiatric rehabilitation settings, which seek to establish positive rapport between providers and patients.
Caregiver Burnout Prevention at a Midwest Parkinson's Foundation
(2024) Goyke, Madison; Bednarski, Julie; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Williams, Kim
Parkinson’s Disease is a rapidly growing neurological condition that can affect participation in everyday activities. As more individuals become diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, the number of those caring for people with Parkinson’s Disease also increases. Caregivers can become susceptible to caregiver burnout, which is a stress that accumulates over time, produces a negative outlook on caregiving, and affects many areas of one’s life. Literature suggests that key areas to caregiver burnout prevention are daily care hours, education on disease, social support, and mindfulness. Through a needs assessment of a midwest Parkinson’s organization, a gap was identified between where the organization wanted to be with caregiver burnout prevention and where it was. The goal of this capstone project was to equip the organization with caregiver burnout prevention resources and strategies to promote caregiver health, well-being, and quality of life. Based on the needs assessment, two educational sessions were created and delivered to participants at three caregiver support groups over the topics of mindfulness, medication management, Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT), and respite. Program outcomes were measured via pre- and post- surveys, and this data was analyzed through independent t-tests. There was a statistically significant difference with a large effect size for mindfulness, medication management, and respite educational sessions. Outcomes suggested that caregiver confidence and satisfaction in applying burnout prevention strategies greatly increased following the educational sessions.
Developing the Role of Occupational Therapy to Address the Effects of Early Childhood Trauma: A Community Capacity Building Approach
(2022-05-03) Nycz, Kimberly E.; Petrenchik, Terry; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Carter, Patricia
Research supports early childhood trauma significantly impacts a child’s development and growth into a successful adult. As childhood trauma continues to be a public health issue in Missouri, community organizations need ways to improve and expand their trauma-informed and trauma-specific services to the children and families across the state. One way to address this is through implementation of an educational program. This program aimed to develop the role of occupational therapy within these sites to integrate the ideas of occupational therapy and trauma-informed care to improve and expand the sites’ services and promote the development of trauma-exposed young children. A series of three trainings were created, with each one focusing on a different topic to enhance the occupational therapy and trauma-informed knowledge of the participants. Two separate sites, one with 5 participants and one with 4 participants, were provided the trainings. Data was collected using pre- and post-surveys prior to and after each training and through retrospective interviews to evaluate effectiveness of each training, assess participant satisfaction, and to further inform the project impact. Based on the participants post-survey responses, results show a positive trend in the participants’ confidence and understanding of the training topics. The results indicate the training program was effective in improving the participants’ understanding and ability to implement more occupation-based interventions with trauma-exposed young children. This study supports the continued role of occupational therapists collaborating with community organizations to provide education on occupational therapy and trauma-informed topics to reduce the effects of trauma on young children.
Development and Implementation of a School-Based Assistive Technology Team
(2023-05-01) Barker, Haylee; Sego, Daniel; Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences; Sunbury, Kathy
Assistive technology (AT) is an overarching term to describe any equipment, program, or device used to increase participation and function within individuals. Technology allows individuals with disabilities and impairments to achieve functional growth in numerous areas of everyday living, whether that be leisure, work, or at school. AT can be classified as simple as a pencil grip and be as advanced as an eye-gaze communication device. The wide range within the technology field correlates with decreased interest and knowledge, leading to limited research and implementation across all therapeutic areas. The purpose of this capstone was to address the lack of knowledge, training, and awareness on technology implications within a school-system to effectively develop an interprofessional assistive technology team focused on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Research suggests technology should be implemented throughout the entire school day to increase the students ability to fully participate in school, social, and play-related tasks. The capstone student identified supportive research in other well-established teams and provided training and materials to support the development of this technology team. The student created sustainable materials for future students, practitioners, and teams to use as references for future team developments.

Browsing by Subject "occupational therapy"

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