Implementation of Tourette’s Syndrome Educational Materials within Indiana University Occupational Therapy Program

Abstract

Through an initial need assessment, it was determined that the Indiana University Occupational Therapy Department (IU OTD) desired to implement Tourette’s Syndrome education within the curriculum. The Tourette’s Syndrome community experiences physical, functional, and psychosocial obstacles due to their neurological condition (Eapen et al., 2016), impacting occupational participation. Additionally, the Tourette’s Syndrome population faces a scarcity in healthcare access due to limited specialists, indicating the need for increased professional and community awareness for improvements in healthcare accessibility (Bhikram et al., 2021). Within this doctoral capstone project, educational materials were created to inform students on the occupational needs, experienced barriers, and appropriate intervention within the Tourette’s Syndrome population. Educational materials were created for three courses. During the capstone experience, two courses implemented the materials. Following the education delivery, student participants were surveyed on their overall satisfaction and understanding of the Tourette’s Syndrome diagnosis and treatment. All student participants reported some degree of positive delivery, quality, and satisfaction, as well as improved confidence within understanding and treating the diagnosis. From the survey findings, the educational materials were found to be effective. Materials have been adopted by OT Practice: Children and Youth and Case-Based Seminar 1. Materials designed for the third course, Neuroscience, will be analyzed for implementation at a later date based on outcomes.