Occupational Therapy Program Development at Lakeland Center Inc.

Abstract

This capstone project involved creating a proposed occupational therapy hippotherapy program in partnership with an adaptive horseback riding school in a rural, underserved area. Many studies support hippotherapy as a treatment strategy in occupational therapy. Data from semi- structured interviews of relevant stakeholders and clinicians that utilize hippotherapy as a treatment strategy were analyzed using thematic analyses. Results yield promise for development of an evidence-based program in a rural, underserved location. Additionally, results demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing thematic analyses and qualitative data to inform community program development.