Summer 2024 OTD Capstone Symposium

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  The Experience of Pet Ownership in Transitional Housing

  Kathryn Holden OTS and Susan MacDermott OTD, OTR/L

  25% of people experiencing homelessness have pets, but few transitional housing programs allow pets (Rhoades et al., 2015); therefore, there is a gap in the literature about the experience of pet ownership during the transitional housing process. This study aimed to explore pet owners' experiences at a transitional housing site in San Diego County. The student interviewed two current dog owners and four recent dog owners. All participants prioritized their pets because it was their strongest relationship. The prioritization of their dogs positively and negatively influenced occupational engagement. While receiving services, owners experienced consequences when separated from their dogs, including a decline in motivation, depressed mood, and loss of purpose. Three participants lost ownership of their dogs due to unreliable caregivers, resulting in unresolved emotions that interfered with accomplishing goals. Since their dogs are significant figures in their lives, it is essential to consider them when determining goals and housing options. Working towards maintaining dogs with their owners has potential positive benefits.

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  Development of a Student-Run, Faculty-Directed PBC

  Olivia Holloway, Angela Blackwell, and Julie Seidle

  Benefits of creating a student-run, faculty-directed, community-based Pro Bono Clinic for community members to engage in the occupation of gardening.

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  The Role of Occupational Therapy with Neurodiversity-Inclusive Workplace Design​

  Jasmine Hou and Susan MacDermott

  The purpose of this capstone project is to raise awareness and understanding of neurodiversity to foster neuroinclusive work environments. By addressing employment challenges faced by the neurodiverse community, occupational therapists can support neurodistinct adults who often lack accessible services to navigate the job cycle, promote opportunities for neurodistinct individuals to succeed in the workforce, and educate employers on neuroinclusive design.

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  An Occupational Therapy Perspective of Post Secondary Transitions for High School Students: Considering Socioeconomics and Opportunities

  Aubrie Howell, Mary Greer, and Kelley Spell-Hernandez

  In most cases, an occupational therapist’s role in a post-secondary transition includes improving adolescents with disabilities’ functional preparedness to transition from a special education setting, into adult-based roles. Much of this work is explained by the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), and only encompasses occupational therapy’s role in post-secondary transitions for adolescents with a diagnosed disability. Unfortunately, these resources, programs, and services are not available to adolescents who do not have a disability. This barrier of not providing similar services or programs to adolescents without a disability creates a lack of opportunity for these individuals to explore possible career paths. This barrier also creates lack of instruction on completing necessary applications and forms, decreased knowledge of resume writing, poorly developed interview skills, and overall, a minimal number of available resources about the options after high school.

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  Summer Vacation: An OT Program to Address Social Participation

  Ashley Jacobs and Lakeisa Boykin

  This project aimed to develop asix-week program that addresses the development of social skills during summer vacation for children and adolescents who demonstrate difficulties with social engagement. The program will focus on initiating, building, and maintaining friendships with peers to encourage increased social engagement.

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  Occupational Therapy and Self-Awareness for Adolescents with Mental Health Concerns

  Deriyon Johnson and Rebecca King

  The project created an occupation-based program to address the unique needs of adolescents at risk of mental health concerns and promote improved occupational success. The problem presented is the lack of support available to assist adolescents experiencing profound emotional and behavioral challenges, triggering negative impacts on social participation, academics, self-care, and leisure. In addition, the program will introduce coping strategies and improve daily functions to increase motivation for engagement in desired activities. The purpose of the program was to improve these areas through a series of structured activities focusing on mental health awareness, emotional regulation, and personal development. The results demonstrated significant improvements in social skills, emotional and behavioral regulation, and daily functioning, as determined through pre- and post-program surveys and qualitative feedback. The program effectively filled a gap in mental health support for adolescents, promoting comprehensive well-being and occupational engagement.

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  Overuse Injury Prevention Program for High School and College Flutists

  Judy Kim and Cassandra M. Nelson

  College and high school flutists face significant health risks, including a high prevalence of playing-related injuries and associated psychological stress and social pressures to perform despite the pain. The asymmetrical posture and specific hand and arm positions required for playing the flute increase the risk of musculoskeletal injuries due to repetitive, non-ergonomic movements. This program addresses these unique health challenges by integrating occupational therapy (OT) principles, providing comprehensive education, and injury prevention and management strategies. The program seeks to raise awareness of overuse injuries, enhance self-confidence in managing stress, and implement injury prevention techniques. Expected outcomes include a deeper understanding of injury susceptibility, effective prevention strategies, healthy practice routines, and improved overall career longevity and quality of life for college flutists.

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  Occupational Therapy and Expressive Strategies for Youth Trauma Recovery

  Darin Lewis and Rebecca King

  The purpose of this capstone project was to develop a program to address youth mental health concerns through expressive strategies and interventions.

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  Occupational Therapy's Role: Transition to College for Students with Learning Differences

  Jewlie Lo and Susan MacDermott

  The project aimed to improve the prospect of success for students with learning differences transitioning to college, allowing them to accomplish their educational and career goals better. Additionally, it may provide educational opportunities for educators, occupational therapists, families, and these persons. When these individual's occupational demands are identified, occupational therapy programs can be designed to meet their requirements. OT professionals may have evidence and programs to assist these students and other interprofessional teams by providing unique assessments, interventions, and relevant findings. Raising awareness of the need for additional resources and accessibility can be aided by OT's increased presence in the community for students with learning differences. Furthermore, the program can be utilized as a future reference to optimize outcomes and effectiveness for students with learning differences.

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  Enablement of Fishing Among Those with Physical Impairments

  Tony Lozada and Cassandra Nelson

  The poster explains the capstone process for the development and implementation of a fishing-based program for people with upper extremity impairments.

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  Addressing the Potential Impacts of Mental Illness Symptoms on Daily Occupations for Adolescents

  Ashley Manjai, Mary Greer, and Terah Harrison

  This presentation discusses a program developed for adolescents to address mental illness symptoms and its impact on personal hygiene, academic performance, leisure, and social participation. The modules were developed under the title "Healthy Living" to take a more holistic approach to addressing mental health and the issues teenagers face daily. This presentation will provide an overview of the program's purpose, methods, and conclusion.

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  Manualized Occupational Therapy Intervention For Children And Adolescents With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

  Adam J. McMahon and Steven M. Gerardi

  The capstone poster demonstrates the purpose for a manualized occupational therapy (OT) intervention for OT practitioners to treat children with post-traumatic stress disorder. The intervention uses an occupation-based approach informed by behavioral activation therapy and the model of human occupation principles. The manual includes two parts. Part one demonstrates the foundational principles for OT practitioners to obtain knowledge, skills, and tools before implementing the intervention. Part two outlines the treatment process beginning with evaluation, introducing manualized OT intervention to the child and the family member(s) and/or caregiver(s), treatment application, progress note, and discharge. The manualized OT intervention will allow OT practitioners to use an occupation-based approach involving graded occupation and to track treatment progress and outcomes. Furthermore, the manualized OT intervention will allow OT practitioners to study the efficacy of the intervention protocol.

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  OT Lens: Un Paso A La Vez Program for Children with ASD

  Ailyn Menas and Cynthia Haynes

  The capstone project, OT Lens: Un Paso A La Vez, was delivered through a culturally- tailored online platform to educate occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) and Latinx caregivers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children. The online platform, OT Lens: Un Paso A La Vez, consisted of educational modules on various topics, such as ASD, sensory-based, autoregulation strategies, and interventions on basic activities of daily living. This project aimed to bridge the gap by educating OTPs and Latinx caregivers through an educational approach consisting of resources provided in various digital mediums to expand on accessibility, such as digital handouts, modules, videos, and supplemental materials to convey the materials in English and Spanish while being accessible via an online platform. The effectiveness of an online platform targeted as culturally-tailored and educational was determined by providing participants with pre- and post-surveys. Based on the feedback and participant responses, more research is needed to better understand the impact of digital content, topics, and an online platform that has an effect on the learning of OTPs and Latinx caregivers with ASD children.

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  An Occupational Therapy Guide to Promoting Social and Emotional Health Among Youth in a Post Covid-19 Era

  Alejandra Olvera and Jazminne Orozco Arteaga

  The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to a significant rise in mental health challenges among children and adolescents, impacting their daily performance and overall well-being. These psychosocial effects underscore an urgent need for comprehensive support from educators, parents, and communities to effectively address the increasing mental and behavioral health issues among young individuals.

  The purpose of this project was to implement a program that would improve the social and emotional health of youth and adolescents, as well as to educate educators and parents. By fostering resilience and promoting mental well-being among youth and adolescents, the program's initiatives seek to mitigate the pandemic's adverse effects and contribute to overall positive mental health.

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  Flow: An OT-Based Yoga Program

  Na'Talia Orebeau, Keisa Boykin, and Sadé Barnswell

  At-risk youth are at risk for decreased mental wellness and occupational engagement. There are limited programs available from an occupational therapist standpoint for the population. Flow: An OT-Based Yoga Program focused on bridging this gap by providing a 10-week program focusing on emotional regulation skills, social skills, and occupational engagement.

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  Barriers and Supports to Academic Success Among Autistic College Students: A Qualitative Study

  Isabella M. Ortiz, Steven M. Gerardi, and Mary Zadnik

  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder that affects many college students, impacting their everyday life activities and making transitions challenging. Occupational therapists serve a role in treating students with autism, but there is little evidence in the literature about their perceived barriers and strengths during the high school to college transition. This study utilized a semi-structured interview & thematic analysis to uncover the unique challenges & successes these students with autism face in an academic setting & identify effective support mechanisms/barriers.

  Research Questions:

  1. What are the perceived barriers to participation and performance in academic activities among college students with autism?

  2. What are the perceived supports to participation and performance in academic activities among college students with autism?

  3. What are the perceived barriers in transitioning from high school to college among college students with autism?

  4. What are the perceived strengths in transitioning from high school to college among college students with autism?

  Six participants participated in one audio-recorded 30-minute semi-structured interview and were asked open-ended questions to establish emergent themes related to supports and barriers to transition to college. This study revealed that strong interpersonal support, such as early OT services and peer encouragement, were vital for building confidence and social skills, while poor interpersonal skills presented notable challenges. Intrapersonal supports, including self-awareness, helped students manage academic and emotional challenges, but issues like poor ADL execution and denial of autism created significant obstacles. Environmental supports, such as access to accommodations, were essential, but barriers like unclear communication and insufficient listening from schools hindered success.

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  Dance for Sensory Regulation to Increase Positive Classroom Behaviors

  Breland Paline and Cassandra Nelson

  Children have a primary occupation of play; however, children who are of elementary school age, 5-11 years old, also have a primary occupation of education. Through literature reviews, it has been found that dance can increase positive classroom behaviors such as creativity, classroom participation, and emotional regulation. A needs assessment was completed to gather a baseline of classroom behavior and information regarding the target population. Based on responses from the needs assessment, this program was curated for first-grade, second-grade, and third-grade classes. Classroom teachers completed a pre-survey related to student behaviors in the classroom, such as before and after physical education class, as well as the number of breaks needed throughout the lessons. Teachers reported that students required increased redirection before attending physical education class and returning to class. A dance was implemented in physical education class several times a week for 7 weeks. Students were also provided cool-down strategies when feeling different emotions throughout the day. Post-implementation surveys determined that students responded well to the program, demonstrating decreased need for redirection, thus preparing them for success in their learning. Students also demonstrated a desire to participate in dance instruction and reported the use of cool-down strategies in class when feeling as though they needed a break.

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  OT's Role in Community Accessibility at Public Parks and Playgrounds for Parents with Disabilities

  Janae Paulo, Amy Lyons-Brown, Stacy Frauwith, and Lena Gipson Showalter

  Public parks and playgrounds play a crucial role in fostering parent-child interaction, social inclusion, and community engagement. However, these essential recreational spaces often remain inaccessible to individuals with disabilities (Lynch et al., 2020). Research underscores the benefits of inclusive playgrounds, yet many are not designed to accommodate adults with disabilities, thus creating barriers for parents with disabilities who wish to engage with their children (Dalpra, 2022; Jacob et al., 2017). Although occupational therapy (OT) practitioners are instrumental in ensuring environmental accessibility within home settings, their involvement in the design of public spaces is limited. Young et al. (2019) advocate for the inclusion of OT professionals in the interprofessional design teams for outdoor spaces, highlighting their expertise in inclusion, development, advocacy, and education. Furthermore, increased collaboration between park planners and individuals with disabilities could enhance accessibility and usability, thereby improving participation among adults with disabilities (Perry et al., 2021). This poster will showcase an OTD capstone project advancing the Accessible Playgrounds Project by Through the Looking Glass. This initiative aims to create a publicly accessible national database of playgrounds assessed and rated for accessibility features relevant to parents and caregivers with disabilities. The capstone project comprises three main components: 1) the development of an administration manual and how-to videos for the Modified PARCs assessment; 2) advocacy with San Diego Park and Recreation department, highlighting the self-reported accessibility needs of parents with disabilities to support planning for upcoming park development; and 3) educational programming for parents with disabilities on strategies for identifying park accessibility features to support inclusive play.

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  Melodic Memories: A Guidebook to Enhance Dementia Care through Music

  Sofia Phillips, Mary Smith, and Angela Blackwell

  This project focused on developing a guidebook titled Melodic Memories, designed to help occupational therapy (OT) practitioners incorporate occupation-based musical interventions into their practice. The guidebook aims to enhance occupational engagement (OE) and quality of life (QoL) for individuals with dementia residing in long-term care facilities. The presentation explores the impact of dementia on individuals, including how it affects their OE and QoL, and highlights the challenges posed by long-term care environments. It also emphasizes the therapeutic potential of music in improving dementia care for OT practitioners. The development of Melodic Memories was based on the Lived Environment Life Quality Model, which is thoroughly discussed in the guidebook as it relates to the project.

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  Consideration of Language, Culture-Education, and Advocacy for Latino Families Who Use Therapy Services

  Melina Rodriguez, Rachael Fox, and Mary Greer

  Latino families of children with ASD face additional barriers within society compared to other families, including surrounding stigma within the culture, language barriers, lack of resources, and lack of education on how to access these resources. One of the focuses of occupational therapy is to provide education and advocacy to individuals and their families who face occupational barriers. This program was created to provide education to Latino families of children diagnosed with ASD through participation in weekly sessions that cover various topics related to ASD.

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  Implementation of Reintegration Program before Discharge for Veteran Population

  Abigail Ross and Zeida Gutierrez

  A poster about creating and implementing a Reintegration program for War Veterans so they can possess the skills to be reintegrated into the community after they are discharged from the long-term care facility.

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  The Regulation Project An Educational Video Series for Latino Families

  Alondra Saenz, Angela Labrie Blackwell, and Jasmine Guerrero

  The Regulation Project is a simple educational and useful resource that is provided in Spanish and English for Latino Families. This project was developed to improve competence of Latino parents in teaching healthy, effective self-regulation skills, which will enhance their children's occupational performance and participation.

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  Yoga-Based Occupational Therapy for People with Upper Extremity Dysfunction: An Educational Video Series

  Bianca Salgado, Steven Gerardi, and Mary Smith

  The upper extremity (UE) is essential for daily activities and occupational tasks. The inability to perform these tasks can negatively impact self-efficacy and hinder injury recovery. Current hand therapy often focuses on biomechanical approaches, neglecting these psychosocial aspects and deviating from core occupational therapy (OT) principles. Integrating yoga into OT for UE injuries and disorders can fill the gap in hand therapy needed to address psychosocial factors. However, Certified hand therapists who are occupational therapists lack the knowledge to integrate yoga-based interventions into OT practice for clients with UE conditions. The purpose of this project was to create an educational video series on the integration of yoga techniques into OT for UE conditions and injuries. This project examines how physiological and emotional states can negatively impact self-efficacy, delay recovery, and affect patient adherence to rehabilitation. A literature review informed this product on the benefits of yoga for UE injuries and disorders, the current use of yoga within OT, and existing hand therapy treatment processes. The product is a video series designed to educate occupational therapy practitioners on integrating yoga techniques into their practice for treating upper extremity dysfunction. Yoga techniques have the potential to help reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension, which provides clients with tools to increase interoceptive awareness and self-regulation to manage UE conditions. By addressing physical and psychosocial needs, this platform offers occupational therapy practitioners a resource to enhance patient outcomes and promote participation in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living.

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  Posture and Injury Prevention Program for High School Musicians

  Clifford C. Scott and Cassandra Nelson

  Musicians face many musculoskeletal-related injuries due to overuse and repetitive motions (Gembris et al., 2020). These injuries can be mitigated by addressing posture as well as methods to prevent injuries and promote healthier playing. The proposed capstone program is occupationally based and developed to address posture and prevent musculoskeletal injuries among musicians. Occupational therapy can help musicians prevent and treat the development of postural asymmetries and musculoskeletal injuries that inhibit occupational participation and performance in playing their instruments (Ting et al., 2019).

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  Increasing Participation for Children with Special Needs

  Calvin Shin and Amy Lyons-Brown

  This capstone project focuses on increasing participation for children with special needs through community engagement and social interactions. The purpose of this program is to explore the needs of children with special needs and increase participation of children within the community. The goal of this project is to increase participation in children with special needs, provide opportunities for children to feel more inclusive, promote meaningful relationships between peers, parents, and staff, and improve overall quality of life.