capstone project occupational therapy

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• OTD/MOT Choice Priority Application Deadline April 15, 2024

The University of Indianapolis, School of Occupational Therapy is proud to announce the completion of the Doctoral Capstone & Experiential (DCE) for the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Class of 2023. This cohort worked diligently during their DCE to not only learn advanced skills but also to give back to their community sites in time and talent through their large variety of projects.

Class of 2023

Class of 2022, class of 2021, class of 2020, caitlin bachmann, breanna beckmann, shelby cash, christina christenson, kayla elstien, shelby hudson, darby joerling, hayley martin, sidney metzger, kayla nowlin, sara panczyk, alexandra reckers, kelsey smith, olivia voss, allison cattin, carmen chastain, irelend greenwell, hannah harless, sierra kern, angela kilbride, ashton williams, megan yingling, livia crispen, courtney cummings, becca endicott, sarah frisbie, jonathan haller, tyler kramer-stephens, erika murphy, zoelaine viewegh, faith wilkins, madison woo, abbie alter, claire petersen, kayleigh smith, sydney abbott, morgan herrmann, emily hughes, katherine kelley, analicia morales, megan newton, taryn springgate, hannah tyger, anne mari west, bridget downs, tara martin, brenna menke, lauren ober, hannah droste, jillian heidenreich, megan johnson, hailey beneker, gabrielle castor, rachel cole, abigail gettinger, tristan flynn grubbs, jacqueline gunther, morgan haney, kylie harper, taylor henson, anna morrisey, haylee ottinger, alexandra retter, travis rippe, ethan roberts, jordan romero, megan rooks, anna slusser, shanele tyler, michael wroblewski, elizabeth harris, dresden glover, michele govern, mackenzie king, courtney romatz, elizabeth siegfried, sara skarshaug, allie gartner, colin hauber, lauren kelley, stephanie mcelhaney, kenzie salzbrenner, shanele tyler, mary grace willis, jordan bentley, lindsey bernzott, kylie collins, lydia delamarter, alyssa earls, sierra lowe, sammy mcleish, maddie parrish, daria seccurro, lyndsey shepherd, fatima tapia, kassidy beckstein, rachel jones, skyla jones, morgan cole, hannah hackman, molly johnson, claire allen, jenny ashton, emma baldwin, angella chen, vesneek (vaz) dhani, jasmine everfield, ariel galliher, cecilia heckert, madeline hunter, thomas jacocks, paige mcintire, laura mckay, jeffrey moore, kelly randall, corrine sisson, kendra voth, allie watkins, kelsey yerem, hanah batchelor, gracyn conner, isabel mazanowski, catherine salo, rachel salyers, rachael struewing, allison trimpe, kayla mitchell.

Establishing an Occupation-Based Dance Program in the Inpatient Psychiatric Setting Doctoral Capstone Partner: Neurodiagnostic Institute (NDI) Faculty Mentor: Dr. Taylor McGann

Shannon Bouchard

Elizabeth brock, kristen dyson, kirby jones, tara nastoff, moriam olorunoje, cassidy stinson, erika wilson, colleen yeldell, kathryn haskell, melody white, brooke badskey, contessa brown, mindy delph, hanna elliott, elizabeth erb, tori faulkner, pamela hess, cheyenne kern, kathryn kittaka, hannah klemp, kelsey lemond, lindsey newhart, jennifer schepers, lesly solares, davis christy, brittany finigan, gabrielle ingram, madison kovacs, tamzyn mather, kayla olson, hannah patton, nicole scholl, shelby sexton, samantha wallenberg, mika coffey-lumpkin, raquel sauder, sarah burke, kandyse kaizer, taylor welch, sydney denhart, sydney elliott, ellen hodson, kaitlynne james, megan julian, megan kraft, julie larson, stefani manchick, olivia milliner, ellen shepherd, savanah wagner, kailan henderson.

If you have any interest in hosting a UIndy Doctoral Capstone Experience student or have questions about the Doctoral Capstone Experience, please contact Dr. Christine Kroll, Doctoral Capstone Coordinator, at [email protected] .

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS The University of Indianapolis ("UIndy") admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at UIndy. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. Additional non-discrimination policy information is available at uindy.edu/admissions/non-discrimination-policy .

OTD Capstone Ideas, Examples, and Mentors

• Post date --> March 27, 2024

As part of an occupational therapy doctoral program in the United States, doctoral students spend around 500 hours working on a capstone experience and project.

The purpose of a capstone project is to help students take a deep dive into an area of OT, synthesize the information, and then disseminate their findings. These projects have the potential to help OT professionals all over the world improve our clinical practices.

But, until now, it’s been difficult to find and read these projects!

In this post, we’ll share:

• How to find projects in our OT Capstone Catalog

How to submit to the OT Capstone Catalog

• Our directory of capstone mentors!
• Our course on being a capstone mentor

Find Project Examples in the OT Capstone Catalog

With our new OT Capstone Catalog , OT professionals from around the globe can easily see examples of OTD capstone projects from graduating OTD students. Likewise, other doctoral students can see examples of past projects, to help them generate ideas.

And, our favorite part is that students and working professionals, who are members of the OT Potential Club , can interact about the project!

The catalog is free for the public to see.

How the catalog can help you generate ideas for your OTD capstone.

Ideally, in occupational therapy we are always building on one another’s work. So, with the capstone catalog, you can now search nationally to see what similar projects have been done in your focus and practice area. Take the time to read the advice submitted.

And, if you are pursing a project similar to what you find posted, we encourage you to leave comment for the student to see!

Our capstone catalog has a robust search feature. But to get you started you can browse by the focus areas of different projects :

• Clinical practice skills
• Administration
• Program and development
• Policy development
• Theory development

For 2024, it is free for capstone students to submit their project to the OT Capstone Catalog!

If your project is accepted, we will share it with our mailing list of over 20k OT professionals—now, that’s dissemination!

Here’s all you have to do:

1. Email us

Email us at [email protected] with the subject, “Capstone Submission” and tell us one sentence about your project.  We will set you up with a free 1 year membership to the OT Potential Club, at the email address you email us from!

2. Share an overview of your project

After you've gained access to the Club, submit the following information:

• One sentence description of your project
• Student name
• Name of Mentor
• Capstone setting
• Virtual / In-person / Hybrid
• Capstone Objectives
• Method/Design/Approach
• Results/Outcomes
• Conclusions
• 2-3 ideas for future directions to build on on this project
• Reflections on how you see this project influencing your OT career trajectory.
• How many individuals do you estimate increased their awareness of OT due to your project?

These are meant to be short and sweet, so only 1-2 sentences for each bullet point is encouraged. Your project will  live here!

Are you looking for a capstone mentor?

The other perk of being part of the OT Potential Club is our incredible network of OTs from around the globe . On our OT directory, some members have indicated interest in serving as a mentor in particular subject areas. You can see these professionals below.

Curious what the capstone experience is actually like?

It is hard to capture all of the learning and potential of the capstone experience, in a post like this.

So, I was able to record a podcast-based course with our own capstone student, Alana Woolley , and her capstone coordinator, Daniel Rortvedt . In the course, we discuss some research on the benefits of the capstone experience, and then walk through our advice for creating a great capstone experience.

This episode is really geared towards mentors, but anyone involved in the process, may benefit from listening!

At OT Potential, our mission is to help the majority of occupational therapy practitioners from around the globe make a habit of regularly exploring new OT-related research. So, participating in the dissemination of capstone projects has been a natural fit for us. We hope you find it to be a win-win for both students and working practitioners.

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Home > Communities > College of Health Sciences > OT > OTDCAPSTONES

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program is an advanced, post-professional online program designed to create occupation-based practitioners who will be ethical leaders of change in occupational therapy services for diverse populations. Graduates will serve in leadership roles, affect educational and health care policy, and act as catalysts for excellence in intervention settings in order to better meet the needs of occupational therapy consumers.

One of the final, culminating experiences in the OTD Program is the capstone project, which demonstrates a synthesis of OTD program outcomes. Incorporating principles of evidence-based and occupation-based practice, students address a specific healthcare problem or health outcome and implement practice changes that improve health care, health care delivery, or health-related outcomes. The project is a faculty-guided scholarly experience that provides evidence of critical thinking, and the ability to apply research principles through problem identification, proposal development, implementation, and evaluation of a solution to a practice problem. Capstone projects may take a number of forms, but the final product provides evidence of scholarship and mastery in the areas of leadership, research methods, and practice improvement.

Submissions from 2024 2024

Inclusive SpOrTs Environments: Youth Gymnastics Coaches’ Perceptions on Promoting Inclusivity for Autistic Athletes , Alec D. Sheaffer

Submissions from 2023 2023

Occupational Therapy Certified Hand Therapists' Perceptions of Remaining Rooted in Occupation in the Hand Clinic: A Phenomenological Study , Andrea E. Berke-McLaughlin

How do informal caregivers of a person with dementia experience stress and which supports help mitigate the effect of these stressors? , Kwandra Andrews Brinson

THE PERCEPTION OF STROKE ON IADL , Paula O. Buari

Exploring the Perceived Meaning of Community-Based Lifestyle Wellness Programs, Interprofessional Collaboration, and the Relationship to Occupational Therapy: A Phenomenological Approach , Christina Buchignani

Asynchronous Online Telehealth Training: Occupational Therapist’s Perceptions Of Knowledge and Confidence , Breanna L. Campbell

Skilled Nuring Facilities Therapists' Experiences with Acquiring Wheelchairs for Their Clients , Vincent Campbell

Professional Behaviors on the Fieldwork Performance Evaluation: Perspectives of Fieldwork Educators , Jessi S. Clark

Perceptions of Occupational Therapists Working in Established PACE Programs , Jessica L. Daugherty-Peters

Toothbrush Training for Preschool Teachers of Students with Level 3 Autism Spectrum Disorder , Cheryl D. Domino

Biofeedback and Anxiety Reduction: An Occupational Therapy Intervention for Persons with Long Covid , Colette Freda

Program evaluation of a community-based model for driver off-road assessment in post-acute ABI , Eugenia R. Herbst

Community-Dwelling Older Adults’ Perceived Self-Efficacy and Readiness for Discharge After Receiving Occupational Therapy Services at a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF). , SHIH-NI N. LAI

A Pretest-Posttest Survey Study of Parent Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Occupational Performance Coaching on Caregiver-Child Play Occupations , Hailee B. Lewis House

The Impact of Brief Mindfulness Training on Occupational Therapy (OT) Students' Perceived Level of Stress , Emily K. Masters

Perceptions of Occupational Therapy Practitioners in Recognizing and Addressing Older Adult Food Insecurity , Mitzie Marion C. Mickelson

Enhancing Support Staff Self-Efficacy in Supporting Neurodiverse Students’ Classroom Engagement , Jennifer Molina

Client Perceptions on the Value of Pre-Surgical Education Regarding the Recovery Process after Carpometacarpal Arthroplasty , Alice J. Mullholand

Experiences of Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury and Return to Work: A Scoping Review , Soofia Naqvi

BARRIERS TO SLEEP IN US ARMY SERVICE MEMBERS: A SCOPING REVIEW , Sally Paul

A one-day in person workshop to assess novice occupational therapists’ perceived level of preparedness in supervising Level II fieldwork students. , Inken Prochilo

Administrators’ Perceptions of Alternative Service Delivery Models and the School-based Occupational Therapists’ Role , Kimberly Saccucci

Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ Perceptions of Workplace Stressors in One Nursing Home Post Pandemic , Owen T. Tabelisma

Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ Perceptions of Their Confidence and Skills When Providing Community and Social Interventions After a Guided Educational Experience , Jenny Williams

Don’t Forget the Importance of Leisure Occupations for the Community Dwelling Elder , Susan Witt

Submissions from 2022 2022

Maintaining Occupations for Long-Term Care Residents , Lara Albano

Use of Concept Mapping Within a Functional Neuroanatomy Course to Promote Critical Thinking Skills in Occupational Therapy Students , Alissa R. Baker

Occupation and Time-Use: The Narratives of One Individual with Tetraplegia , Amanda Balser

Understanding Perceptions of Social Eating During Lunch for Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa: An Instrumental Case Study , Madelyn Duzyk

Occupational Therapists’ clinical reasoning in AAT with dogs in pediatric therapy , Catherine C. Goodman

Understanding the Experiences of Occupational Therapists Assessing and Treating Functional Cognition Following Stroke , Emma R. Gregg

The Effects of Education with Healthcare Providers on Low Vision Assistive Devices and their Ability to Improve Self-Care Skills , Lora L. Jester-Rains

Interprofessional Collaboration Practice Between Nurses and Occupational Therapists , Kimberly Lamke

ImpACTing Students: Students with Disabilities Participating in a Theater Occupation-Based Program , Markii D. Landry

The use of compression to treat phlebolymphedema symptomology: A systematic review , Naomi Moran

Coaching, Capacity, and Change: Youth Sport Providers' Perceptions on Creating a Health-Promoting Environment , Jennifer Papenfuse

Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Employer-Sponsored Evidence-Based Practice Activities , Kelli Spayd

School-Based Practitioners' Perceptions of Working with Students with Challenging Behaviors , Candace Thrash

Effectiveness of Electrical Stimulation in Treating Upper Extremity Pain for Older Adult Clients Residing in a Skilled Nursing Facility , Cody L. West

Submissions from 2021 2021

The Impact of Volunteer Transportation on Older Adult’s Engagement in Meaningful Activities , Belinda Alexander

Interdisciplinary Collaboration in the Homecare Setting , Erica J. Arndt

Examining Cognitive, Social and Teaching Presence in a Virtual Professional Continuing Education Workshop , Christina Bretz

A Case Study of Children's Programming in Transitional Housing , Crystal L. Coffman

A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Two Handwriting Programs on Legibility in First Grade Students , Whitney Cook

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of the Value of Collaboration with School-Based Occupational Therapists , Jennifer Edick

AN INTERPROFESSIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE WITH OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT AND PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT STUDENTS THROUGH A SIMULATED EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT , Brooke Gentry

EFFECTIVENESS OF COLLABORATIVE HANDWRITING CURRICULUM: HANDWRITING WITHOUT TEARS AND ORTON-GILLINGHAM, IN KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM SETTING. , Merry G. Harper

How Does Intraprofessional and Interprofessional Collaboration Impact the Use of Occupation-Based Practice in Skilled Nursing Facilities , Stedmon D. Hopkins

Get the Wiggles Out: Sensory Paths a Motor-based Intervention to Decrease Out-of-Seat Events in Preschool Children with Special Needs. , Teresa Ludwig

THE ROLE OF REHABILITATION SERVICES IN MANAGING DELIRIUM IN THE ICU: A RETROSPECTIVE CHART REVIEW , Veronique MUNIER

Does Pre-operative Education Increase Activity Participation and Decrease Perceived Arm Dysfunction in Breast Cancer Patients? , Stephanie R. Rexing

Parental Educational and Engagement Through Positioning and Play , Gaile E. Seay

Assistive Technology in Transition Programming for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities , Jennifer L. Veenendall

Occupational Therapists’ Consideration of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity when Working with Adolescents: An Exploratory Study , Kristin Willey

Therapists’ perceptions of student preparedness regarding hand therapy and the use of occupation-based interventions , Stephanie Ye

Understanding Parent Beliefs and Attitudes Regarding Healthy Relationships and Sexuality Education: Bridging the Inclusivity Gap , Marie C. Zarrilli

Submissions from 2020 2020

Fieldwork Educator Preparedness: A Study Examining the Effect of an Online Learning Module on the Perceived Preparedness Levels of Fieldwork Educators , Breanna Chycinski

The Impact of Cooking Groups on One Individual's Transition to Independent Living , Alison Garcia

An Exploration of Financial Management Programming for Residents in One Homeless Shelter: A Qualitative Institutional Case Study , Amy M. Heiser

Best Practice for Teaching Manual Therapy Techniques to Occupational Therapy Practitioners , Deana K. Jackson

Occupational Engagement in Adults under age 65 living in Skilled Nursing Facilities (OEA-SNF) , Rebecca A. King

Occupational Therapy: The Supports and Barriers to Practice , TAMMY LANE

ACE: A Recipe for Occupational Competence , Brittany J. Miller

Determining the Effect of Target Education on Students’ Cultural Responsiveness and Performance During Standard Patient Interactions , Rebecca Mojica

THE IMPACT OF MOBILE MEDIA ON THE FINE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS ENTERING INTO THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM , Bernadette H. Needham

Promoting Writing Development in Preschoolers , Claudia M. Ortiz

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SUPPORT IN THE KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM THROUGH RTI TIER I INTERVENTIONS: KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF NEED , Robyn R. Scarlett

The Impact of Parent Education with Augmentative and Alternative Communication , Kirsta von Hellens

Submissions from 2019 2019

Parental Self-Efficacy of the “Unexpected Parent” , Cinthia L. Arbogast

Heart To Heart: Educating Allied Healthcare Students and Professionals About Heart Failure , Samantha M. Barefoot

Occupational Therapist-Led Parent Support Group Using an Occupational Therapy Approach , Sean Brim

The Role of Evidence-Based Practice in Alzheimer's Disease and/or Dementia , Laura Leigh Cole

Acute Care Occupational Therapy Practice: Application of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure in A Palliative Care Program , Karen Enlow

Understanding Therapists' Perceptions of Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders Using the Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool , Jaimie K. Estreet

Incorporating Meaningful Occupations of Students with Moderate to Severe Intellectual Disabilities into Structured Learning Experiences with Transition Planning at a Public School System , Catherine Gardner

Outcomes for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder (asd) Utilizing Adolescent Adaptive Life Skills Groups , Elizabeth A. Grant

Use of Self-Care Standardized Assessments in Occupational Therapy Skilled Nursing Home Practice , Courtney M. Green

The Impact of an Occupation Based Parkinson Caregiver Program on Caregiver's Quality of Life , Jennifer L. Labonte

The Impact of Education on Implementation of Mirror Box Therapy Across Occupational Therapy Practice Settings , Nicole Y. LaRue

The Home Health Aide Experience: Opportunities for Occupational Therapy , Julia Mindlina

Person-Environment Interactions: the Psychological Implications of Behaviors, Confidence, and Self-Efficacy in Falls Management. , Lisa S. Roberson

What Stops Some Occupational Therapy Practitoners From Providing Fieldwork Education? , Jacqueline S. Schafer-Clay

Exploring Therapist Engagement Using Process Consultation , Rachel B. Spaide

Examining the Benefits of Educating Caregivers About Tummy Time in the Acute Care Setting , Alexandra L. Turner

Movement Opportunities Through Vestibular Engagement To Rhythm (mover) , Lindsay B. Williams

Submissions from 2018 2018

Occupational Therapy Intervention for Project Search Interns With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Potential for Improved Transition Outcomes , Jessie L. Bricker

Perceptions of ATP Certified Occupational Therapy Practitioners on Assistive Technology Education in Occupational Therapy Programs , Karen M. Dishman OTD, OTR, ATP

A Pilot Experimental Study of Adding the Copm To the Occupational Therapy Evaluation Process In the Swing-bed Division of A Rural Hospital Setting , Sarah T. Durbin Ms.

The Impact of Interactive Education on Caregivers Caring for Individuals With Dementia , Lisa K. Hong

Pre-Sleep Routines in Adult Normal Sleepers , Jean Koketsu

Nursing Perceptions of Occupational Therapy for Delirium Management in the Intensive Care Unit , Emma McClellan

Cognitive and Metacognitive Factors in Reading Comprehension for Occupational Therapy Assistant Students , Cynthia L. Meyer

Training Appalachian, Hospital-based Occupational Therapists on the Use of Standardized, Occupation-based Outcome Measures and Treatment Concepts for Traumatic Upper Extremity Injuries: A Pilot Program , Donald G. Pitts

Submissions from 2017 2017

Sensory-based Group Treatment in Reducing Physically Acting-out Behaviors and Perceived Levels of Distress , Tiffany Barnette

Investigating the Effectiveness of Web-based Modules Reinforcing Therapy Topics for Caregivers involved in Early Intervention , Terri L. Beard MS, OTR/L

Investigating the Effectiveness of Web-based Recommended Practice Tutorials for Caregivers of Children in Early intervention Programs , Terri L. Beard

Opening Minds Through Art: Engaging Art Agencies To Foster Community Participation and Commitment , Ashlyn Cunningham

The Residency Program Experience: Impact on Resident and Mentor , Lisa Hiestand

Perceptions of the Impact of Non-Contact Boxing on Social and Community Engagement for Individuals With Parkinson’s Disease , Casey E. Humphrey

Exploring Clinical Fieldwork Educators’ Perceptions and Expectations of Occupational Therapy Student Professional and Technical Skills At the Beginning of Level II Fieldwork , Jessica A. Mason

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2020 Occupational Therapy Capstones

Student presentations, katie adams, darcy baker, jared baker, jessica baldridge, siera becker, taryn betka, alicia borcic, catherine boyle, jared breyer, morgan britton, marit brown, brianne bulleigh, laura campion, kathryn carano, emily carothers, inna kathreen chang, danielle chirhart, brianna gibbs cooper, madeline coughlin, taylor dalbey, sydney dickerson, charles e eberle, kaitlyn ellerman, paige engbers, olivia fair-lafferty, audra feehan, emily garcia, sarah gerken, ellie goerdt, margaret griffin, chase gronowski, anika hansen, whitney hewitt, jennifer hickey, taylor hiebert, marti m. hitz, macy hoskins, michelle huesca, morgan huffman, angela ingram, daniel l. jackson, rebecca jensen, andrea juarez, jessica junio, elliana kastner, nicholas kellerhals, theresa kennelly, hilary kircher, taylor knecht, shaun kramer, coleman lay, emily ludwig, krizelle magdirila, molly marin, coleen mccarthy, lauren mcclung, macall mcfall, chris mcguff, kellie mckean, brianne mcmahon, evon mikulecky, audra miller, jennifer mitton, julia neppel, katherine north, sydney oehrke, katherine olmedo, claire passmore, mackenzie payne, jenna pelchat, katie petersen, erika petty, amy piekosz, brooke rasmussen, jimmy roberts, jayme rossow, shelby rozenboom, dezarai diana ramirez ryan, taylor sadler, caroline schmidt, hannah rose wysopal schramm, rachel schroeter, christina-marie sleight, kaitlyn stangl, brianna starr, michaela stevenson, peyton stork, carissa stratton, michael thomason, mackenzie twaddell, nicole vasquez, lena-maria volkers, emily walker, carina watson, taylor l. wienkes, madeline wille, jaclyn b. williams, marlise williams, nicole willse, jocelyn young-hyman.

Anna K. Domina, OTD, OTR/L Assistant Professor [email protected] 402.280.3407

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Doctoral Capstone Projects

The Tufts Doctoral Experience Component (DEC) is focused on advancing entry-level skills beyond the direct care generalist role demonstrated on Level II fieldwork.

2022-2023 Projects

DART-ACP: Development and Design of an Advance Care Planning Decision Aid for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Kate Aufort, OT/s, Kristen Kennefick, MA, Keren Ladin, PhD, MSc

Occupational Deprivation Among Older Immigrant Populations

Sami Basnet, OT/s; Mentor: Dr. Elizabeth E. Marfeo, PhD, MPH, OTR; Peer Collaborators: Sienna Carpenter, OT/s & Hailey Pister, OT/s

Promoting Community Mobility in an Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting: Development and Early Implementation of a Community Mobility Screening Tool at Encompass Health

Sophie Borg OT/s and Nancy Baker ScD, MPH, OTR/L, FAOTA

Program Evaluation of a Mosaic Making Activity for Residents at an Assisted Living Facility Diagnosed with Dementia

Mary Cannon OT/s, Leslie Doherty, OTR & Meredith Grinnell, OT, OTD, OTR

Aging in Place: Rethinking the Role of Occupational Therapy (OT)

Sienna M. Carpenter OT/s; Peer Collaborators: Hailey Pister OT/s & Sami Basnet OT/s; Mentor: Dr. Beth Marfeo PhD, MPH, OTR/L

A Needs Assessment for Level II Fieldwork Site Sustainability

Rachel Cohen OT/s & Ryan Whitney OT, OTD, OTR, MA

Piloting Let’s Breathe! and Learning to BREATHE: Evaluating the Use and Desirability of a Trauma-Sensitive, Self-Regulation Mindfulness Program for Students at Flying Kites Academy in Rural Kenya

Lauren Crasner, OT/s; Augusta Hixon Polhemus, OT, OTD

Alternative Access Gaming on Mobile Technology

Madison Dube-Adams OT/s, Jennifer Buxton OTR/L, ATP, MAT, & Loren McMahon OTD, OTR/L, ATP

Understanding Shared Decision-Making (SDM) Experiences and Preferences for Engagement Among Older Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Kristina Gonzales OT/s; Faculty Mentor: Keren Ladin, PhD, MSC

Potential Effects of SPAN For Adolescents with Social Anxiety Incorporating Pet Dogs

Zachary Gould, OT/s, MS, Gary Bedell, PhD, OT Emily Machado OT/s, Nicole Porter, OT, OTD, & Megan Mueller, PhD

Creating Outreach Material to Address Barriers to Participation in Adaptive Sports at New England Disabled Sports

Authors: Mayah Haidar, OT/s, Sarah Skeels, MPH; Editor: Mary Barnes, OTD

Pilot Curriculum Development for Student-Athletes Experiencing Collegiate Athletic Retirement

Maureen Kennedy, OT/s; Mentors: Janet Curran Brooks, Ed.D, OT & Chet Hesson, Ed.D

Situating Trauma Informed Care Application in Tufts Curriculum to Build OTS Student Knowledge and Confidence as Entry Level Practitioners

Mollie Keyser OT/s; Mary Alicia Barnes, OT, OTD

Follow-up: Utilization and Outcomes of a Clinical-Academic Community of Practice with School-based Occupational Therapists to Support Implementation of Evidence-Based/Evidence-Informed Practices

Christine Kim, OT/s & Margaret Morris, OT, OTD, BCP

Developing and Implementing Outreach Strategies to Increase Participation in Adaptive Sports New England Programming

Daniele Klein OT/s, Sarah Skeels MPH, and Joe Walsh, President of Adaptive Sports New England

Mindfulness Staff Training: A Training Focused on Mindfulness for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

Erin Kunkler, OT/s, Mary Alicia Barnes, OT, OTD, Taylor Whitcomb, M.S., BCBA

Evaluating the Impact of Immersive Virtual Reality in an Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital

Anna Leffler OT/s, Kimberly Van Daley MS, PT, & Nancy Baker OT, ScD, MPH, FAOTA

Usability of SPAN for Adolescents with Social Anxiety Incorporating Pet Dogs

Emily Machado, OT/s, B.S., Gary Bedell, OT, PhD, Zachary Gould, OT/s, M.S., Nicole Porter, OT, OTD, Megan Mueller, PhD

SOTA Buddy Revamp: Needs Assessment of Tufts OT Department’s SOTA Buddy System

Carolyn Nguyen, OT/s, Margaret Morris, OTD, OT, BCP

Developing a Comprehensive Guiding Manual for OT Fieldwork at New England Disabled Sports

Hannah Okonsky, OT/s; Mentors: Janet Curran Brooks, Ed.D, OT & Jason Lafontaine, NEDS Program Manager

Creating a More Inclusive and Culturally Sensitive Professional Development Monitor (PDM)

Emma O’Malley OT/s, Meredith Grinnell OT, OTD, & Mary Alicia Barnes OT, OTD

The Evaluation of the Effectiveness of an Original Online Mindfulness Group for Women with Migraines and Menopause at an Integrative Health Clinic

Alexis Parent, OT/s; Mentors: Meredith Beaton-Starr, OT & Augusta Hixon Polhemus, OT, OTD

Feedback Expectations of Level II Fieldwork Students and Fieldwork Educators

Elizabeth R. Perrone, OT/s; Dr. Meredith Grinnell, OT, OTD, OTR

Substance Use as an Occupation: Advancing Knowledge and Advocacy Skills Among Healthcare Providers

Hailey Pister OT/s; Peer Collaborators: Sienna Carpenter OT/s and Sami Basnet OT/s Faculty Mentor: Dr. Beth Marfeo PhD, MPH, OTR

High Intensity Exercise Program to Improve Self-Regulation and Functional Outcomes in Children with Sensory Processing Challenges: A Delphi Study

Anna Ross OT/s, Amy Wheadon OT, OTD, CPT, Margaret Morris OT, OTD, BCP

Evidence-Based Online Mindfulness Resource Database: Calmer Choice

Author: Olivia Sabol, OT/s; Mentors: Katelyn Loring, OT, OTD, and Fiona Jensen, OT

Maximizing Inclusive Recreation at Club Rec: Implementation & Evaluation

Carlene Scaravaglione, OT/s & Ryan Whitney, OT, OTD, OTR, MA

A Patient-Centered Approach to Communicating Incidentally Discovered Silent Cerebrovascular Disease

Julia Siegel B.S.Ed., OTD/s, Kristen Kennefick MA, Makenna Law, Keren Ladin PhD, MSc

Coordinating, Facilitating, and Evaluating Group Programming at New England Disabled Sports

Catie Silvestri, OT/s, Sarah Everhart Skeels, MPH, Jason Lafontaine, NEDS Program Manager

Meditation for Adults with Fibromyalgia: Does Virtual Reality Improve Outcomes?

Aliza Spielman, OT/s, Robert Edwards, PhD, Nancy A. Baker, ScD, MPH, OTR, FAOTA

Advancing Equity in Treatment of Kidney Disease Among Older Hispanic Populations: Decision Aid for Renal Therapy-Spanish (DART-S)

Angie Velásquez, OT/s, Thalia Porteny PhD, MSc, Kristen Kennefick, MA, Mary K. Lynch, Keren Ladin, PhD, MsC

Program Evaluation of Santa Teresa West Coast Martial Arts

Megan Yee, OT/s and Mary Barnes, OT, OTD

Past Doctoral Capstone Projects

2021-2022 Projects

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Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations

Capstone presentations from 2024 2024.

Promoting Life Skills Through an Occupation-based Program for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System , Maggie L. DeJong

Empowering Pregnancy and Postpartum: Supporting Motherhood Through Occupational Therapy Education , Alison Drexler

Facilitating Community Integration Following Inpatient Rehabilitation: The Importance of Caregivers , Alysa N. Jensen

Incorporating Music into Pediatric Occupational Therapy , Abby Kays

Promoting Wakefulness to Increase Occupational Engagement in Military Service Members Experiencing Insomnia Following mTBI , Leah N. Myers

Restoring Meaning through Leisure: Exploring the Benefits of Leisure-Focused Occupational Therapy for Individuals with Neurological Diagnoses , Elizabeth Rose Stoutland

Capstone Presentations from 2023 2023

Physical and Psychological Impacts of Burn Injuries on the Pediatric Population and Their Families: An Occupational Therapy Perspective , Sadie E. Anderson

Mobile Munchies: An Occupation-Based Transitional Skills Program for Adolescents , Reilly S. Dujmovic

Welcoming Wellness: A Health Promotion and Chronic Condition Prevention Program Rooted in the Foundations of Occupational Therapy , Karlee G. Duncan

Occupational Therapy's Role in Helping Individuals in the US Justice System Transition from Incarceration to the Community , Kathryn E. Foster

The Relevance of Sensory-based Intervention in Improving Occupational Performance in Pediatrics , Jasmine M. Fritzemeier

Restoring Identity for the Homeless: Exploring Occupational Therapy Services for Unhoused Populations , Christina E. Geistfeld

The Role of Occupational Therapy in Meeting Mental Health Needs of College Students in the South Dakota Regental University System , Molly J. Graesser

Occupational Therapy in Family Education: Fourth Trimester Wellness to Kindergarten Readiness , Gabrielle Madeline Hagen

Occupational Therapy in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) & Implementation of the Test of Infant Motor Performance , Juliana C. Keane

Occupation-Based Sexual Health Education for Adolescents with Disabilities , Elizabeth J. Klocke

Promoting Social-Emotional Development in Preschool Children using a Trauma Informed, Sensory Integrative Approach , Sarah M. McGoldrick

An Occupational Therapy Program for Improving Caregiving Performance and Satisfaction with Performance among Caregivers for Individuals with Neurological Conditions , Andrea Marie Molus

Sensory Integration: Improving Participation, Behavior, and Learning in Individuals with Sensory Processing Disorder , Brooklyn K. Osborne

Treating Cognition Through Occupational Performance in Individuals With Neurological Disorders in Home Health , Alcina J. Park

Interdisciplinary Approaches to Pediatric Aquatic-Based and Land-Based Therapy , Danielle E. Scheck

Improving Residents' Access to Occupational Therapy Services in Long-Term Care Facilities: A Screen for Declining Performance in Activities of Daily Living , Amy N. Scheidecker

Kids and Canines: PAWSitively Impacting Occupational Therapy Outcomes , Jessica M. Simon

Promoting Successful Discharges From Skilled Nursing Rehabilitation Units Among Older Adults , Melissa A. Tweet

Relaxation as an Intervention for Military Service Members Experiencing ANS Dysregulation Following mTBI , Tori Julianne VanVelzen

Addressing the Needs of Parkinson’s Disease Care Partners , Jenna Wall

Promoting Sleep Hygiene for Individuals Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease: Occupational Therapy’s Distinct Role , Hunter O. Wookey

Capstone Presentations from 2022 2022

The Typical Toddler: Diet and Approaches to Picky Eating , Carissa Adams

Understanding Advocacy for Promoting Occupational Engagement among Individuals with Disabilities , Rebecca L. Benson

Enhancing Life: Promoting Meaningful Interventions to Support Individuals with Dementia , Keelan N. Blasius

An Occupation-Based Approach to Empower Individuals Experiencing Homelessness , Sydney L. Bodensteiner

Promoting Mental Health of Middle and High School Students Using Universal and Targeted Strategies , Alyssa E. Brown

Occupational Therapy in Oncology Care: Methods for Treating Cancer-Related Fatigue , Marissa Emberly Cardenas

Expanding the Role of Occupational Therapy for Oncology Patients: A Focus on Tumor- and Blood-Based Cancers , Erika N. Clark

Occupational Therapy’s Role in Sensory Play Education in Daycare Setting , Bianca K. Claussen

Occupational Therapy’s Role in Music Student Health , Katie Ericsson

Promoting Occupational Therapy Involvement in End-of-Life Care Through Advocacy and Education , Macey Genzlinger

Mending the Mind: Exploring the Role of Occupational Therapy for Executive Dysfunction Post-Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury , Shannon E. Hegland

Meeting Mental Health Needs of Parents Caring for Children with Disabilities by Facilitating Occupational Balance and Well-being , Emily J. Heumiller

Exploring Occupational Therapy in Perinatal Care: Promoting the Mental Health and Well-Being of Women During and After an Unplanned Pregnancy , Sydney M. Korn

Hula as a Protective Factor that Improves the Quality of Life to Those Who Dance in a Hula , Pepper T. Lum-Lung

Impact of Stigma on Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Implications for School-Based Occupational Therapists , Sidney M. McReynolds Mrs.

Investigating the Impact of Parkinson’s Disease on IADL Performance, Emphasizing the Need for Earlier Diagnosis and the Value of Timelier Occupational Therapy Intervention , Brittney N. Moser

Occupational Therapy and Continuous Care: Pediatric Rehabilitation for Children with Medically Complex Conditions and Severe Burns , Elise M. Mueller

Supporting the Role of Professional Caregivers in Long-Term Care: Education, Training, and Caregiver Mental Health interventions that Promote Dementia Care Excellence , Katelyn A. Nelson

Application of Ergonomics in Healthcare through Environmental Adaptations , Johnny Nguyen

OT Entrepreneurship: Perceived Challenges & Resources , Gunnar Daniel Olson

Occupational Therapy’s Role in The Holistic Management of Chronic Pain , Megan K. Rodahl

The Aquatic Environment as a Tool for Facilitating Sensory Processing and Regulation , Christian Schneider

Promoting Engagement in a School Setting , Jordyn M. Sippel

Promoting Inclusive Play and Social Skills Development in Sioux Falls and Harrisburg, South Dakota , Madison C. Snelling

Incorporating Trust-Based Relational Intervention in Occupational Therapy to Address Mental Health Needs of Elementary Students , Maci K. Stouffer

Occupational Therapy Education to Support Families Affected by Huntington's Disease and Their Care Team , Morgan R. Weber

Rehabilitation Through Reintegration: Supporting Survivors of Stroke , Alexander T. Wiemann

Capstone Presentations from 2021 2021

Occupational Therapists’ Role in Supporting Students with Reading Disabilities , Tania Alexander

Advanced Practice in Aquatic Therapy: Exploring Occupational Therapy in an Aquatic Environment , Brenna K. Barash

An Occupation-Based Program for Fostering Healthy Life Skills among Youth in the Juvenile System , Shelby E. Beckman

Virtual Reality and Its Impact as an Intervention on Meaningful Occupations for Individuals with Mental Health Diagnoses , Alison S. Benson

Bathrooms, Incontinence, and Withholding OH MY: Occupational Therapy’s Role in Pediatric Constipation Management , Erin J. Buse

Complex Conditions of the Hand: A Resource for Rural Therapists , Jay D. Cooper

Exploring Dance-Based Occupational Therapy Interventions Among Children and Adolescents with Disabilities and Special Needs , Amy J. Davis

Exploring Occupational Therapy with Athletes Using Principles of Lifestyle Redesign® to Support Academic Success and Life Balance. , Michaela M. Dendinger

An Occupational Therapy Program to Enhance Academic Performance Among Children in the School System Using American Sign Language , Amy N. Dragoo

Creating Inclusive Classroom Environments Through Education and Coaching , Leah Hagen

Promoting Social and Emotional Development in Preschool Children through TBRI® Nurture Group© , Sydney P. Harris

Musculoskeletal Conditions and Performance Anxiety Among Musicians: An Occupational Therapy Approach , Vitoria Heier

Improving Quality of Life among Individuals with Neurocognitive Disorders using Occupational Therapy and a Sensory Integration Approach , MaKenzie K. Johnson

Supporting Caregivers and Survivors of Stroke in their Journey through Stroke Recovery via Telehealth Services , Keri Kamphoff

Developing Skills Utilizing Assistive Technology in Occupational Therapy: From Entry-Level to Tech-Savvy , Konner W. Kielman

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Hand Therapy and Application of the Occupational Adaptation Model , Noah R. Kottke

Complementary and Integrative Approaches for Occupational Therapy Practitioners: An Educational Experience , Wanda Kay Lauer

Advocating for the Field of Occupational Therapy in a Childcare Setting , Nicole K. Leinhart

Empowering Occupational Therapy Practitioners through Virtual Education on Seating and Wheeled Mobility , Jane A. Loscheider

Supporting the Holistic Treatment of Adults with Upper Extremity Injuries: Bridging the Gap Between the Clinic and Classroom , Stephanie W. McClung

Refocusing on Fine Motor: Increasing Accessibility to Fine Motor Resources in a Virtual World , Robin R. McLey

Governor Gains: A Remote Program Connecting Home and School , Madison L. Michels

Theory to Practice: The Role of Occupational Therapy in Enhancing the Well-Being of Individuals in Critical Care , Rachel D. Murphy

Occupational Therapy Services for Sheltered Individuals Experiencing Homelessness , Ariana Oorlog

Community-Based Occupational Therapy: Promoting Family Centered Care , Erin L. Pilkerton

The Effectiveness of VITA4Vets on Improving Job Interview Confidence and Competence While Reducing Anxiety Among Veterans , Jenae K. Schneider

Role of Occupational Therapy in the NICU and Post-NICU Settings , Katlyn M. Schochenmaier

Preparing Adolescent Immigrants Transition to Their New Environment: Addressing Mental Health and Occupational Participation , Reina I. Sebastian

Caregiver Perceptions of Environmental Modifications for Sensory Processing , Jaimie Lynn Smith

Effectiveness of the Early Start Denver Model for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder , Taylor M. Tschetter

Service-learning and case-based learning’s impact on student’s clinical reasoning : A repeated measures design study , Gordon B. Tsubira

Promoting Caregiver Competency to Support Children with Experiences of Adversity Through Occupational Therapy Education , Dana L. Vandenberg

The Benefits of Utilizing a Sensory Room in a Pediatric Outpatient Setting , MacKenzie L. Wand

Occupational Participation, Performance, and Satisfaction in Survivors of Human Trafficking , Rebecca M. Wangberg

Perceptions of Spirituality Among Occupational Therapy Practitioners: An Exploratory Study of End-of-life Care , Charles Ralph Webb

Exploring Occupational Therapy's Role in Tourism and the Experience of Traveling with a Disability , Kendel N. Wheat

Capstone Presentations from 2020 2020

Exploring Occupational Therapy’s Role in Concussion Management to Promote Occupational Performance , Nevin Andreas

Supporting Youth of All Abilities in a Childcare Setting , Erica Beare

Developing a Group Occupational Therapy Program for Adults Experiencing Homelessness , Jenny Dobias

Occupational Therapy in Oncology Care: Experiences with the Pediatric and Adult Populations , Jillian Estes

Adapted Air-Rifle Shooting: The Role of OT in Developing a Community-Based Program , Andy Farriell

Improving Access to Occupational Therapy through Integration into Pediatric Primary Care , Kelsey Foxhoven

Living Large in Daily Life: LSVT BIG Made Meaningful , Alex Greger

Occupational Therapy's Role in Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation , Paige Groetken

Grand Pals: an Occupation-Based Intergenerational Program , Taylor Hanson

An Organization-Level Occupational Therapy Consultation Approach: Increasing Art Museum Access for Visitors with Autism Spectrum and Sensory Processing Disorders , Paige Harpenau

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Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone: Purpose and Value

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Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone: Purpose and Value. Am J Occup Ther November/December 2022, Vol. 76(Supplement_3), 7613410230. doi: https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2022.76S3004

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The doctoral capstone is designed, implemented, and evaluated based on the accreditation standards as outlined by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE ® ) and includes both a capstone project and an experience ( AOTA, 2018 ). The purpose of this position statement is to describe the doctoral capstone component of the entry-level occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) degree for occupational therapists. As the culminating piece of the entry-level occupational therapy doctorate, the doctoral capstone provides students the opportunity for in-depth exposure in one or more of the eight areas of focus delineated by ACOTE, ultimately resulting in dissemination of project outcomes, and demonstrating synthesis of the skills and knowledge gained. The doctoral capstone is collaboratively designed as an individualized, student-centered, mentored experiential learning opportunity. Programs may choose from a variety of approaches to design and implement the doctoral capstone to meet ACOTE standards. Two such approaches include (1) self-directed learning and (2) backward design, which will be described in this document. The purpose of this position statement is not to be prescriptive, but to describe the purpose and value of the doctoral capstone component of the entry-level OTD degree.

Describe the purpose of the doctoral capstone.

Describe the value of the doctoral capstone to the student, mentor, profession, and external stakeholders.

Describe the constructs that may be used in design of the doctoral capstone.

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Home > School of Health and Natural Sciences > Occupational Therapy > Capstone Projects

Occupational Therapy | Graduate Capstone Projects

Students in the Occupational Therapy program spend their last three semesters creating a capstone project. This major academic achievement represents a synthesis of content learned throughout the program.

Subject matter such as theory, research methodology and analysis, program development, and education of clients are applied to either faculty lines of research or projects that will serve the community.

Students gather in teams to complete the thesis under the mentorship of their faculty thesis advisor. Completed theses are disseminated to a wide audience of constituents either in poster sessions, workshops, or peer-reviewed journals.

Theses/Capstones from 2024 2024

Addressing the Occupational Needs of College Students , Amanda Lam, Ashley Keates, Marissa Heirich, Noreen Pervaiz, and Albert Andrew Mendoza

Creating Sensory Friendly Spaces and Accessibility to Support Inclusion at the California Academy of Sciences , Ariana Sales, Elizabeth Weintraub, Gabriele Alviz, Nicole Conyers, and Julia Karczewski

Life after Brain Injury: Family Perspectives , Brenda Yamileth Escobar, Edith Elaine Leslie, Caroline Nicole Mendoza, and Arianna Masako Inouye

Life After Pediatric Hemorrhagic Stroke: Family Perspectives , Louis Barnett, Sabrina Montano, Deana Vander Meulen, Charissa Thompson, and Alma Martinez Pamatz

Participating in Formal Occupational Therapy Mentorship Programs: Mentees Experiences , Amanda Yumiko Raigosa, Erin Elizabeth Heckelman, Isabelle Jenkins Abrahams Pisano, Alyssa Cailin Reyes Manuel, and Alice Thien Nguyen

Perspectives of OT Students on Co-Curricular Resilience Activities and Resources , Dan Kavin Agbayani, Stephen Beck, Nicole Colombo, Danielle Tirpack, and Mikayla Hilario

Relationship of Resilience Levels , Makenna Rubinstein, Breeana Montoya, Alana Martinez, Alexis Perez, and Emily Xiong

The Barriers to Adult Play in Graduate Students , Rosalind Nolde, Sabrina Solis, Catherine Salomon, and T Monelli

What is the Form, Function, and Meaning of Play for Adults in the U.S.? , Tillden Tecson, Camille Howell, Michelle Lee, Oscar Rubio, and Nerwel Zhao

Theses/Capstones from 2023 2023

An Exploration of the Occupational Needs of College Students , Christian D. Gabon, Jennifer Brady, Kaela Jules Antonio, Kayla Twite Lehnen, and Beatriz Go

A Qualitative Study on Long-Term Adherence to Home Exercise Programs in People with Parkinson’s Disease , Caroline Stafford, Brennan Decena, Shawn Lopez, and Judith Thepkaisone

Exploring the Occupational Transition of Leaving a Cult , Justine Thompson, Baylee R. Chelossi, Emily Osborn, and Christian J. Quitoriano

Life After Brain Injury - Family Perspectives , Shaina Snyder, Everlee Anderson, Allison Wyek, Elijah Tolentino-Medios, and Cathyisabella Kintanar

Life After Brain Injury - Survivor and Family Perspectives , Brandon Duenas, Gary Eng, Haleli Moalem, and Miguel Regidor

Life After Pediatric Hemorrhagic Stroke: Family Centered Outcomes , Janice Brown, Jordan Ng, Reilly Todd, and Alyssa Vo

Measuring Outcomes of Occupational Therapy Facilitated in Natural Settings with Young Children , Amie Smith, Deepak Dale, Brinda Saini, Zoe Peters, and Amanda Laccone

Occupation-Based CNA Program to Build Caregiver Knowledge and Self-Efficacy in Dementia Care , Lucky Ung, Judy Chen, and Michelle Hong

OTs Delivering Culturally Sensitive Care for Dementia Family Caregivers From Diverse Backgrounds , Abraham Lai, Lucy Palacios Mendez, and Darren Sarmiento

Promoting Cultural Arts Access through Sensory-Friendly Theatre , Chanelle Bautista, Alyssa Cho, Jazmine Cunanan, Ariana Marino, and Miko Ramos

The LOTUS Project: A Resilience Program for Dominican University of California Occupational Therapy Graduate Students , Melissa Morini, Naema Dahdoul, Ashley Moffett, Regine Erika Saldivar, and Viviana Vazquez

Training Program for Occupational Therapists Working with Skilled Caregivers in Skilled Nursing Facilities , Lovegifty Dudero, Mai Huynh, and Ridhee Patel

Theses/Capstones from 2022 2022

Adults with Sensory Defensiveness and Their Use of Coping Strategies , Cassidy McCurdy, Sonia Patiño, Julia McMahon, and Sophia Hagen

A Virtual View of Occupation: Transactionalism in MMORPGs , John Miklos, Alex Nold, Shasta Rice, and Amanda Flores

Batok: The Exploration of Indigenous Filipino Tattooing as a Collective Occupation , Ana Cabalquinto, Carmela Dizon, Chelsea Ramirez, and Mai Santiago

Developing a Resilience Program for Occupational Therapy Students , Sienna Guzman, Jenna Lazo, Rachel Thompson, and Madisson Walker

Page 1 of 9

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Designing effective capstone experiences and projects for entry-level doctoral students in occupational therapy: One program’s approaches and lessons learned

Entry-level doctoral occupational therapy programs require students to complete a capstone experience and project that supports advanced skills through an in-depth learning experience with a student-selected mentor. Strong curriculum design and mentorship are vital aspects of successful capstone experiences and projects. Through the application of these key components, students are supported, in collaboration with mentors, to achieve mutually beneficial projects allowing advancement of the profession through dissemination of capstone work.

The first entry-level occupational therapy doctoral (OTD) program in the US was accredited in 1998 ( American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2014 ), and the initial entry-level OTD education accreditation standards were set forth by the American Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) in 2006. The doctoral section of the ACOTE standards were subsequently updated in 2011 and 2018 ( ACOTE, 2018 ; AOTA, 2011 ). In 2015, there were six accredited entry-level OTD programs in the US; currently, approximately 170 entry-level OTD programs are either fully accredited, in the application process for accreditation, or in the development phase of accreditation ( AOTA, 2019 ). A steady increase of new OTD programs emerging has resulted in major changes to the accreditation standards that outline the uniqueness of the doctoral degree compared with the master’s degree.

One pivotal and consistent component of the doctoral standards is the requirement for students to complete an advanced competency experience at the end of the curriculum. The most recent ACOTE standards, to be implemented in the summer of 2020, changed the name from the previously entitled “doctoral experiential component” to the “capstone experience and project” ( ACOTE, 2018 , p. 38). Capstone components in entry-level OTD curricula support previous literature, both inside and outside of the profession, that asserts that graduates from these programs must engage in experiences and projects that demonstrate synthesis and application of knowledge gained through the curriculum ( ACOTE, 2018 ; Campbell, 2011 ). In addition, the literature reflects the view that doctoral students should participate in professional scholarly endeavors ( ACOTE, 2018 ; Jirikowic et al., 2015 ). The OTD capstone is an essential component of entry-level OTD programs that prepare graduates to accept responsibility and professional autonomy in assuming leadership roles in the health care delivery system ( AOTA, 2013 ). According to ACOTE standards, the capstone should not be designed as a third fieldwork; rather, it should provide students with an in-depth experience in one or more of eight identified focus areas: clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory development ( ACOTE, 2018 ). Further, compared with the previous ACOTE standards, the newest standards provide more detail on the requirements for students, educational programs, and capstone mentors.

The entry-level OTD capstone is divided into a 14-week capstone experience and project (herein called capstone), which ACOTE requires to be aligned with each program’s vision, mission, and curricular design ( ACOTE, 2018 ). During the capstone, students are mentored by an individual with expertise in the student’s area of interest, and students complete an individual capstone project that demonstrates synthesis of advanced knowledge as well as application of gained knowledge ( ACOTE, 2018 ). Through capstone experiences and projects, occupational therapy (OT) students are afforded significant opportunities to enhance knowledge, skills, and motivation by engaging in emerging practice areas, primary care, interprofessional teams, and specialty practice areas ( Olsen et al., 2010 ). Capstone experiences and projects are widely used as a component of teaching in graduate health profession programs and are often associated with higher levels of student learning because of the deeper approach that allows students to gain experience integrating ideas into real-world practice ( Campbell, 2011 ). Clinical doctoral programs, many of which include capstone projects, have become the new educational standard among most health professions ( Brownell & Swaner, 2009 ; Campbell, 2011 ). An entry-level schema for clinical doctorates is a precedent that has been established by a variety of health-related professions, including OT.

Both the increasing number of entry-level OTD programs in the US and demands to recruit and support new capstone opportunities have created a need to describe the capstone curricula and educational methods of existing programs as potential models for other programs. Having gained experience and addressed key challenges in designing and implementing OTD capstone curricula, the authors are motivated to share the program’s model and lessons learned with peers in academic and nonacademic OT settings. This paper will describe the curriculum design of this institution’s capstone program as well as the processes of academic preparation, the roles and responsibilities of capstone partners, the mentor selection processes, approaches to capstone evaluation and outcomes, and lessons learned. The intent of this article is to support academic colleagues in informing the development and implementation of effective new capstone programs for OTD students

Key ACOTE Standards Related to Capstone

ACOTE is an associated advisory council of the executive board of AOTA and is the recognized accrediting agency for OT education. Academic resources outlined in the A.2.0 ACOTE (2018) standards address the roles, qualifications, general responsibilities, and release-time expectations of the capstone coordinator (CC). Capstone definitions and requirements are addressed in the eight D standards ( ACOTE, 2018 ). These capstone-specific standards address the design of the doctoral capstone and its reflection of the curriculum design, preparation for capstone, contractual agreements, duration of the capstone experience, mentor requirements, mechanism of evaluation, and doctoral project stipulations ( ACOTE, 2018 ). In the following sections, key ACOTE standards are summarized for capstone experiences and projects, demonstrating approaches to achieving these standards most effectively.

Doctoral Program Overview

This university’s OT program is 33 months in length and comprises 2 years of didactic coursework. It includes three Level I fieldwork rotations, 6 months of Level II fieldwork, and a 14-week capstone that occurs in the final semester. When the inaugural cohort of students were enrolled, six other accredited entry-level OTD programs existed nationwide, with numerous others in varying stages of accreditation. With limited numbers of similar programs as guiding models, the faculty created a capstone curriculum through alignment with the program’s vision, mission, and targeted educational outcomes for students. Curriculum development was guided by the ACOTE standards, with the faculty actively seeking advice through extensive faculty discussions and networking with other OTD programs. To date, this program has four cohorts of capstone students totaling 131 students and capstone projects. This OTD program follows the practice-scholar model as a prominent thread in the curriculum. The design of this model is to support students in developing professional skills and abilities to be lifelong learners and effective consumers of evidence, students who are evidence-informed and evidence-based practitioners and who have a drive for research design and innovation ( Crist et al., 2005 ). Regarding the curriculum and the OTD capstone, significant time and effort is spent building and following the practice-scholar model tenants in an already densely packed curriculum. This approach presents unique challenges because priority is placed on service learning where the allotment of resources is in areas outside of minimum curricular requirements, including numerous experiences in community engagement and project-based learning; thus, there is a risk of not emphasizing foundational knowledge and skills. To address these and other challenges in the capstone process, the program incorporates several distinguishing features in the following areas: capstone curriculum; role delineation for the faculty, CC, mentor, and student; dissemination; and the themes and characteristics of the mentors’ and students’ projects.

Capstone Curriculum

The OT students take three designated courses related to capstone: (a) Doctoral Capstone Planning, (b) Doctoral Capstone, and (c) Practice-Scholar Culmination. Jirikowic et al. (2015) and DeIuliis and Bednarski (2019) outline a similar structure for capstone development centered around four stages: idea development, planning, implementation, and dissemination. Although the first capstonerelated course (idea development and planning) begins in the fifth semester, or spring of the students’ second year, students are encouraged to develop and document ideas of interest from the start of the program. A successful strategy that students have employed for collecting ideas is creating a shared online document to store topics and capstone project ideas gleaned from interactions with guest lecturers, community partners, and faculty. This early and student-directed collection of capstone ideas from the start of the program allows students to generate ideas to cultivate by the time the capstone planning class occurs. The second and third capstone-related courses (implementation and dissemination) occur during the sixth and final semester of the program ( DeIuliis & Bednarski, 2019 ). The following section includes examples of assignments and activities that have been successful in the planning, preparation, implementation, and dissemination phases for our OTD students.

Doctoral Capstone Planning

During the initial capstone class, students engage in a 15-week capstone planning course that consists of traditional lecture, in-class and online discussions, self-study, and guest panel presentations. This course supports students in designing individualized capstone level plans, with faculty direction to guide the development and implementation of the 14-week doctoral capstone. The student’s plan will reflect the desired outcomes from the doctoral capstone, which are to acquire practice-scholar competencies reflecting the degree program’s sequence and scope of content in the curriculum design. The goals of the capstone planning course include identifying interest areas, topics, and mentors, as well as finalizing a draft of the capstone plan. Because the initial capstone plans are created a year in advance, much can change for a mentor and mentor site. Thus, capstone plans need to be fluid, working documents that allow for changes to meet the evolving needs of the students, mentors, and sites. The high value coursework included in the capstone planning class, above and beyond the ACOTE requirement of needs assessment and literature review, is described as follows:

• Students explore capstone ideas and supporting evidence in an online discussion board. The final capstone idea is derived from this initial discussion board work.
• Students create individualized marketing materials to send to potential mentors. Materials include a flyer that defines capstone, details student ideas, and clearly identifies mentor roles.
• Students are encouraged to be creative in capstone flyer design while also adhering to health care literacy standards and accessibility standards.
• Using the content from the flyer, students work in small groups to hone a capstone elevator speech for mentors.
• Students engage in peer-to-peer teaching via feedback assignments through online discussion boards. Students upload marketing materials and provide one another with constructive feedback.
• Current capstone experience students in the community return to campus to present capstone projects to the planning class. Students are required to include information regarding the journey of planning, mentor selection, collaboration process with mentors, and the challenges and successes experienced. Students who complete capstones farther from campus are asked to submit video summaries to the online learning system detailing capstones work.
• Examples of exemplar capstone projects are shared with the students to support developing capstone ideas and selecting of mentors.

An ACOTE requirement is that students must complete a literature review and needs assessment before the capstone experience. One of the fundamental challenges is that students have not yet completed longer clinical rotations and do not have the context for application to practice for a robust needs assessment. Another challenge is that students may not identify a mentor during the planning class and need to complete these two requirements while on fieldwork where the focus is on developing entrylevel practice skills. While students become proficient in literature reviews during the program, most do not have enough relevant experience to envision focus areas and application in practice. To meet these challenges, content in the capstone planning class was designed to support students in fulfilling these requirements so that they are not doing this activity while on fieldwork. Students must identify a topic of interest; a search strategy inclusive of search engines, search terms, and article yields; and a summary of topic-focused articles that can be shared with potential mentors. Students complete a needs assessment via a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis based on the literature or in collaboration with a mentor (if identified early in the planning class) ( Rizzo & Kim, 2005 ).

Another component in the class is the development of a student’s capstone plan. This consists of eight parts: (a) mentor information, (b) capstone overview relating the plan to AOTA’s Vision 2025 and to the program’s overall mission and goals, (c) focus areas identified (d) mentor name and qualification information, (e) learning objectives (based on focus area), (f) proposed learning activities, (g) proposed evidence or deliverables of the project (what is being provided to the mentor/site), and (h) the project timeline ( AOTA, 2017 ). In this capstone plan are weekly activity tracking forms, program created midterm evaluation forms (narrative), and the program created final capstone evaluation form, all of which are requirements in the D standards of ACOTE (2018) .

Doctoral Capstone

The students complete the capstone during the final semester of the program in one or more of the eight identified focus areas per ACOTE. Several programs elect to embed the capstone project throughout their curriculum; often, faculty serve as the mentors for the project, and students identify a mentor to implement projects during the experience portion. In contrast to students in other entry-level OTD capstone programs, the students in this program complete projects and experiences in the same semester with identified mentors in the community ( DeIuliis & Bednarski, 2019 ). This approach supports the collaboration between community-based mentors and students to ensure that sustainable and site or practice-related projects are created. During the implementation phase, students remain engaged with the faculty and peers through online discussion posts during Weeks 2, 7, and 12. These serve as check-ins on progress and completed work. Also, the program has designed its own internal evaluation form embedded in a student’s capstone plan. Key components of evaluations include progress toward learning activities, projects, remaining work, sustainability of projects, mentor-perceived value of projects, and narrative summaries from both students and mentors. Evaluations of capstone are completed at midterm (Week 7) with the CC and the final (Week 14) with the student and mentor.

Students and mentors complete a midterm evaluation at Week 7. Students provide a summary of progress toward individualized objectives and projects and summarize completed activities and plans for the remaining seven weeks. Further, mentors can provide feedback and complete an evaluation to date at this time. The capstone plan has the embedded evaluative measure that allows mentors to indicate whether projects are achieved, in progress, or discontinued; in addition, the evaluation includes the mentors’ comments on the overall practicality and sustainability of projects. This midterm evaluation is uploaded to the online learning platform for the CC to review. The students and mentors also complete a midterm phone call and/or site visit.

During Week 14, students and mentors complete the final evaluation of the capstone. Specifically, students describe progress toward proposed learning activities and evidence and project deliverables. Mentors provide feedback regarding individual learning objectives and activities and evaluate whether the objectives were achieved, if evidence of a deliverable was provided, if the project or deliverable is sustainable, if the project is valuable to the setting, and if students have identified future projects and overall mentor feedback.

Practice-Scholar Culmination

Dissemination is achieved through the third capstone-related class and is driven by the practice-scholar model to allow for a demonstration of synthesis of skills learned throughout the program, wrapping up three exemplary components: capstone presentations and artifacts, practice-scholar apprentice presentations, and professional development presentations. Final evaluation of the capstone is completed by the CC during this dissemination phase and feedback is given through the designed rubrics.

Through this feature of the class, the practice-scholar model epitomizes the goal of cultivating highly respected OT practitioners who are also scholars with the ability and interest to establish knowledge translation and practice-based evidence projects, support research initiatives, and who can translate observed changes from interventions into outcome studies. A practice-scholar is not only a consumer of evidence but creates evidence in context. This class, occurring in the final semester, is a blend of online and on-campus assignments and activities. The online assignments include:

• resume writing and marketing self as a future occupational therapy practitioner, and
• professional development presentation preparation, in which students work in small groups to create a conference-style presentation with active learning components to be provided on campus to peers and community practitioners.

The final week of the semester the students are on campus to complete the following activities:

• provide an evaluation and reflection to the program related to the didactic portion of the curriculum, fieldwork rotations, and capstone experience;
• engage in several opportunities to practice and collaborate with peers, faculty, and mentors to finalize culminating presentations for a half day symposium;
• prepare for future employment: Students attend several training sessions that focus on the application process for the national certification examination and state licensure, in addition to understanding employment options and interviewing techniques;
• present during the final day to a symposium capstone presentations, professional development presentations, and practice-scholar projects to peers, faculty, university leadership, and community practitioners;
• present in a “Floor us in 4 Minutes” model, which allows the student to clearly and succulently summarize capstone work. This innovative approach to dissemination is designed to improve students’ communication skills as well as the capacity to present research, scholarship, and/or creative works effectively;
• present a 50-min small group professional development presentation composed of students with like interests. The team creates a conference-style presentation that focuses on a topic that was learned in the program and/or fieldwork. Each team is required to create a presentation that includes learning objectives, the evidence to support the material presented, and an active learning strategy for the attendees; and
• present an outcome of the research that was accomplished in the practice-scholar team. Outcomes may include a manuscript, poster presentation, or program developed.

Roles of Faculty, Capstone Coordinators, Students, and Mentors

Faculty members, other than the CC, may support the capstone experience in several ways. A student may select a faculty member to be the capstone mentor if doing so aligns with the student’s learning outcomes; however, our faculty serve as designated capstone mentors only in limited instances. One reason is that this role poses challenges to faculty if workload is not allocated to support the mentoring work. To address this issue, faculty who choose to serve as designated capstone mentors fold the mentoring time and work into scholarship or research allocated time. To date, there have been three faculty members who have served as capstone mentors and, when serving as a mentor, are required to complete all of the mentor roles and responsibilities as outlined in the program’s MOU. More frequently, when a faculty member’s area of expertise aligns with a student’s interest area, the faculty member will provide guidance on capstone ideas, identify potential mentors, assist in making mentor selection, and help the student develop the capstone plan.

Academic Fieldwork Coordinator (AFWC)

The AFWC works closely with the CC on similar tasks, but these are two distinct roles in the department ( DeIuliis & Bednarski, 2019 ). Effective collaboration between the AFWC and the CC is crucial in identifying potential capstone sites and mentors, managing contracts, and ensuring that sitespecific requirements are known to both the AFWC and the CC.

Capstone Coordinator (CC)

The CC in the program is a full-time, 12-month, core faculty member who oversees and supports the capstone portion of the program to ensure compliance with ACOTE D standards ( ACOTE, 2018 ). Broadly, the minimum responsibilities of the coordinator are to provide a framework for students to develop, plan, implement, and disseminate capstone work ( DeIuliis & Bednarski, 2019 ; Jirikowic et al., 2015 ). A major challenge facing programs is how to structure the CC position to meet the needs of mentors and students, as well as faculty expectations. To that end, the CC has other responsibilities in the department, college, and university, including teaching non-capstone courses, providing service, and engaging in research. In contrast to other OTD program models, in which faculty serve as mentors or there are capstone committees, the program’s CC is solely responsible for oversight of each aspect of the capstone ( DeIuliis & Bednarski, 2019 ). The coordinator and students select and work collaboratively with mentors from the community to implement the capstone. The results of this intentional approach are a clear communication path for capstone contact for students, a primary point of contact for mentors, and a single point of contact to manage contracts, the memorandum of understanding (MOU), and capstone plans.

Capstone is a student-driven process in which the onus falls on the student to create an idea, search the literature, complete a needs assessment, and identify a mentor. Students struggle at times to convey capstone interests beyond general themes, such as an interest in stroke rehabilitation, and to understand how project-based work unfolds in a real-world setting. When students lack clarity, it is difficult for mentors to understand how to best support a capstone student. Assignments in the planning class, such as refining a student’s capstone idea in a capstone elevator speech, address this issue directly. At a minimum, students are required to complete the following activities:

• develop a personal definition and explanation of capstone for potential mentors;
• complete a capstone plan, which includes a plan for supervision and culminating project identification;
• develop an objective evaluative measure of achievement for capstone; and
• develop a timetable for capstone with week-by-week objectives.

At a minimum, students are responsible for the achieving the following objectives and milestones:

• success of the culminating project,
• meeting with the mentor on a routine basis to assess progress toward the capstone plan and culminating project,
• contacting the CC about concerns regarding progress that the mentor is not able to address,
• meeting with the CC and mentor to complete a midterm visit and program developed evaluation, and
• meeting with the mentor to complete final program developed evaluation of the capstone and culminating project.

Capstone Mentor

A mentor is defined by ACOTE (2018) as an individual with expertise consistent with the student’s area of focus. Mentoring is further defined as “the relationship between two people in which one person (the mentor) is dedicated to the personal and professional growth of the other (the mentee). A mentor has more experience and knowledge than the mentee” ( ACOTE, 2018 , p. 51). The mentor does not have to be an occupational therapist. The mentor identification and selection process begins in the fifth semester of the program during the capstone planning class. As illustrated in Figure 1 , there are nine identifiable steps in the program’s mentor selection process, several of which are imbedded as planning class assignments. Mentors appear to best serve students when there is a clear understanding of the differences between a Level II fieldwork rotation and the capstone experience. In addition, capstone mentors are most effective when the differences between mentoring and supervision are well understood. Most capstones are a blend of supervision and mentoring, and collaborations are successful when mentors and students clearly define expectations. Capstone mentors are responsible for the following activities, deliverables, and milestones:

• providing the CC with a resume, curriculum vitae, or bio sketch that provides evidence of the mentor’s expertise consistent with the student’s area of interest;
• reviewing and signing the MOU before the capstone begins;
• providing feedback on and final approval of the capstone plan;
• providing the student with the mentorship and resources required to fulfill the capstone responsibilities and achieve the highest educational goals;
• reaching out to the CC with any concerns or questions that cannot be resolved with the capstone student; and
• coming to an agreement with the student and the program as to proprietorship and/or authorship for capstone projects.

Flow Chart of Mentor Selection Process

The Capstone Component

To date, in four cohorts, 131 students in the OTD program have successfully completed capstones with 127 mentors, with two mentors having taken multiple students. Core to the program is the mission to serve the state population and support its workforce for OT. While students are required to complete Level I and Level II fieldwork rotations in the state, with a few exceptions, capstone can be completed outside the state or internationally. In keeping with the mission, many students are selecting capstone sites and mentors in the state (see Figure 3 ). In the inaugural cohort, 13 of the 23 (56%) mentor sites were cultivated from existing fieldwork contracts and relationships. In subsequent cohorts, 38 (29%) mentors have returned to mentor another student on new projects (see Figure 2 ). To date, 93 out of 127 (73%) were first-time mentors for the program’s capstone students (see Figure 3 ).

4-year Mentor Demographics

4-year Capstone Locations Summary

Nearly all of this program’s students (96%) select two or more focus areas for capstone projects, and 20% of students select at least four focus areas (see Figure 4 ). The most selected focus areas are clinical practice skills and program development. There appears to be emerging focus trends in capstone, with the most apparent surrounding clinical skill development and program development. Students are frequently drawn to clinicians who practice in specialty areas or are recognized for advanced level of practice, so it makes sense that clinical skill development would be a focus for students. Students most frequently collaborate with mentors on program development projects, with none choosing theory development to date (see Figure 4 ). This theme indicates that students and mentors are, in fact, collaborating on projects that meet a site need or clinical practice initiative.

Selected Capstone Focus Area Outcomes

Students typically take one of three paths toward mentor selection (see Figure 5 ). First, the mentor-focused path involves selecting the mentor based on shared interest or expertise. This approach can be student-driven but also offers the chance that mentors already have projects for students to join, so students do not necessarily generate the ideas. Second, the idea/project-focused path involves an outof-the-box or emerging practice area, perhaps something that students may or may not have a chance to do in the future. This is the most student-driven approach, as students approach potential mentors with ideas already in formation. Third, the location-focused path involves selecting the location site where students plan to live and work and then finding a mentor. This path narrows the students’ scope in terms of finding both a mentor and site open to taking a capstone student. This is emerging as the least studentdriven pathway, tending to be more mentor-directed in terms of project availability and clinical practice exposures.

Capstone Selection Pathways

Lessons Learned

Communication.

The capstone was initially entitled residency when the program first started to distinguish it from fieldwork and set it apart from other student experiences. However, this term has different meanings in medical models and health care settings, and in some cases, the term residency was prohibited because it is designated for medical students. After faculty discussion and feedback from community stakeholders and students, the department changed the name to doctoral experiential component (DEC) to align with the 2011 ACOTE standard terminology. In accordance with the most recent 2018 ACOTE standards, the term capstone is now used to ensure the experience and project are consistently represented in the profession. This term more closely aligns with the project nature of the clinical doctorate outcomes. The multiple name changes have been a barrier for the CC to overcome, as clarification is needed to update mentors and students on the overarching goals of capstone.

Close communication with the AFWC is essential to build mentors and sites for capstone. The AFWC is key in providing sites and potential mentors with site-specific examples of capstone opportunities. This is accomplished during all Level II fieldwork rotations, during which the AFWC completes 90% of midterm evaluations in person. Based on experiences over the past 4 years, it seems non-occupational therapy mentors and occupational therapists in nontraditional roles readily engage in mentoring capstone students more so than traditional occupational therapists. Examples of nonoccupational therapy mentors to date are child life specialist, director of pediatric hospice program, primary school teacher, recreation therapists, life coach, yoga instructor, volunteer program coordinator of non-profit organization, and director for youth foster congregate care homes. At times, it has been easier to recruit non-occupational therapists because these mentors do not necessarily have the constraints of productivity and clinical practice responsibilities, and there is not a need to differentiate between a capstone and fieldwork student.

The department chair, faculty, CC, and AFWC all work to communicate a single message and theme of capstone when collaborating or communicating with the program’s numerous stakeholders. Capstone mentors and project ideas can and do come from these relationships. For example, during an OT state association lunch, an occupational therapist identified a need to collect and analyze data on the evaluation process and discharge recommendation practice habits of the staff. The CC helped define the project question and research questions and connected a capstone student for the project. This resulted in policy and program changes in the mentor’s practice setting and created elevation of practice in discharge planning. Collaborating with existing mentors to get the word out on capstone has been well received at AOTA and state conferences. As a bonus, not only does this provide mentors to engage in scholarship through presentations, potential mentors hear from mentors who have been through the process and can relate best how capstone translates in clinical practice.

Social media platforms are an effective way to share capstone stories and projects. Students, mentors, and projects are routinely showcased on the program’s numerous social media platforms. Students create the narrative to be shared, which benefits the university, OT program, and mentors.

Each year, there is a period of developing and evolving expectations with each new cohort of OTD students and mentors ( Hansen et al., 2007 ). New mentors and students require time to explore capstone projects and collaborations to determine if capstone is a good fit for the mentor and student. Most capstones are a blend of supervision and mentoring, and collaborations are successful when mentors and students clearly define expectations, allocate time for clinical skills and projects, and discuss communication styles.

There currently are few resources available for academic programs and mentors to guide capstone curricular development or clinical site capstone programs. Mentors seeking this information have access to fieldwork resources and rely on adapting them to meet the needs of capstone students in the practice setting. Feedback from mentors and students indicates that the structure of a consistent capstone plan is preferred rather than every capstone plan being in a different format. Uniformity has helped with familiarizing mentors to the program and supports branding and expectations of student projects.

Mentor Preparation

A challenge facing students and programs is that people who excel in professional fields are not always master educators or mentors, and mentoring involves a complex and dynamic exchange between mentors and mentees ( Smith, 2007 ). However, capstone mentors, when knowledgeable about the expectations and components of capstone, can further personal professional development and achieve a higher level of mastery ( Stoffel et al., 2014 ). Mentor sites, when familiar with the expectations and potential for program development, may bolster recruitment and retention of staff and highlight new programs by engaging in capstone mentoring partnerships with students and academic programs. Occupational therapists are familiar with fieldwork because all occupational therapists go through the process. There is a plethora of fieldwork literature, frameworks, and supports for fieldwork educators to follow. There currently are few frameworks and resources for OT capstone mentors outside of academia. CCs need to provide capstone mentors with resources and education regarding the capstone for mentors to feel more confident in their responsibilities and understanding of the differences between fieldwork and capstone requirements.

The capstone experience is an important and vital element of entry-level OTD programs. It is an individualized component of entry-level OTD education to produce a culminating project ( Case-Smith et al., 2014 ). In this student-informed process, the onus is on students and mentors to develop programs and envision how projects are springboards for future practice, such as research, quality improvement projects, and staff development ( Fortune et al., 2012 ). AOTA’s Vision 2025 charges occupational therapists to increase capacity and collaboration ( AOTA, 2017 ). OT mentors can meet Vision 2025 by engaging in mentor partnerships with capstone students. Through curriculum design, academia can promote capstone partnerships with occupational therapists and non-occupational therapist mentors that offer the opportunity not only to engage in scholarship, but also to advance programs that are of importance to the student, mentor, community, and or facility. The future holds exciting opportunities among established and developing OTD programs to share structural elements of capstone curriculum and program outcomes, to clarify language used for descriptions, and to better engage mentors in capstone collaborations.

Acknowledgements:

Technical editing was provided by Laurence Green and supported, in part, by NIH/NIMHD RCMI U54MD012388 (Baldwin/Stearns-MPI). Special thanks to our Founding Chair Patricia Crist, PhD, OTR, PC, FAOTA, for her direction and support in the development of the program.

Conflicts of Interest: None

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Final Capstone Project

The Occupational Therapy (OT) Capstone is the integration of three OT courses:

• OT 494 Directed Study in Occupational Therapy, Introduction to Scholarly Writing
• OT 589 Readings in Occupational Therapy
• OT 995 Scholarly Project or OT 997 Independent Study

OT 995 or OT 997 is the final course in this series; the student team chooses which course they wish to take. This is required of all students in the final semesters of their academic preparation. At the end of this process the student completes an oral comprehensive presentation to the faculty and has successfully completed the five required chapters of their project approved and prepared for binding and placement in the SMHS Library.

The final capstone course is an opportunity for students to demonstrate that they have achieved the goals for learning established by their educational institution and major department. Regardless of which course the student chooses, each course is designed to assess the student's ability to integrate learning from the courses in the major and prior academic experiences. Each course requires the application of that learning to a project which serves as an instrument of evaluation.

Past Capstone Projects

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The doctoral capstone project and experience is an integral part of the Huntington University’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy program’s curriculum design. The goal of the doctoral capstone is to provide an in-depth exposure to one or more of the following areas: clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory development.

Doctoral students will demonstrate advanced skills acquired throughout didactic coursework and gain experience in alternative clinical and professional practice areas. Students engage in management and leadership courses, along with specialized domestic and/or international mission trip outreaches, all of which help provide a foundation to effectively plan and implement an individualized and impactful doctoral capstone project. 

At Huntington University, the doctoral capstone is broken down into three courses:

• OTD 733: Capstone Development Seminar
• OTD 743: Capstone Project Design
• OTD 770: Capstone: Experiential Component

During the doctoral capstone project, students explore areas of professional interest within a specialization of the student’s choosing under the guidance of the capstone coordinator. Students explore community agencies and begin networking with professionals in a variety of areas which contribute to the design and development of the student’s doctoral capstone project.

With consultation provided by the capstone coordinator, faculty mentor, and expert mentor(s), the doctoral capstone student then designs the project to integrate theory into practice with the demonstration and synthesis of specialty knowledge. This project is consistent with the program’s curricular design and will utilize advanced skills beyond the generalist level.

The doctoral capstone experience is a 14-week, 560-hour project that has written objective and assessment measures approved by the faculty advisor and expert mentor(s) in an area of specialization of the student’s choice. Components of the doctoral capstone experience include, but are not limited to, a comprehensive literature review, needs assessment, learning agreement with specific goals/objectives, and effective evaluation/dissemination of the capstone experience. The student will successfully meet or exceed these objectives and assessment criteria prior to graduation.

The doctoral capstone project and experience will enhance students’ evidence-based practice approach and strengthen the professional practice areas of interest. This integrated experience will facilitate improved professional development and competency for students, better equipping the student to enter the job market upon graduation with advanced skills in areas such as advanced research, program development, occupational therapy education, and cross-cultural practice.

Specialized Experience

Huntington University’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy graduates are separated from the competition as the healthcare professionals who bring specialized experience and unique perspectives to whatever professional market they pursue as a doctor of occupational therapy.

See Past Capstone Projects

Admission Requirements

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WNE's Occupational Therapy Program Recognized Among the BEST Graduate Schools by U.S. News & World Report

Western New England University (WNE) proudly announces that its Occupational Therapy program has been named one of the BEST Graduate Schools in the latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report. This prestigious recognition underscores the program's commitment to excellence and its standing among peer academic leaders in the field of occupational therapy.

The U.S. News & World Report's rankings are highly regarded and are based solely on surveys of peer academic leaders. Experts and leaders within the occupational therapy field provide their insights and evaluations, considering various factors such as program quality, faculty expertise, research opportunities, and overall reputation within the academic community.

WNE's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Occupational Therapy program, ranked at 105 of 263, demonstrates the program's high regard among peer academic leaders within the occupational therapy field. This recognition not only highlights the strength of the Occupational Therapy program but also strengthens the University's overall reputation as a leader in higher education.

Dr. John Pezzuto, Dean of WNE's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, stated "As a relatively new program, we appreciate this peer recognition and proudly note we already have reached a ranking of fourth among the 11 programs in the Commonwealth offering the entry-level OT doctorate. Moreover, having worked with the OT team over the past several years, I can say without equivocation the program is as good as the best. The esprit de corps of this group is contagious. The faculty, staff, and students are all extraordinary."

Established in 2017, the Occupational Therapy program at Western New England University has quickly risen to prominence. Spearheading innovation in the field, the program offers a distinctive emphasis on experiential education, including five semesters of level one fieldwork and the student-operated pro bono clinic, the BEAR PAW Center. From the first semester, students engage with clients of all ages, ensuring they are well-prepared for fieldwork by the sixth semester. Additionally, the program's doctoral experiential capstone projects consistently yield outstanding outcomes, with students presenting and publishing peer-reviewed work, both within and beyond the occupational therapy landscape.

Dr. Maria Toyoda, Senior Vice President and Provost at Western New England University, remarked, "Being recognized among the BEST Graduate Schools by U.S. News & World Report is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our faculty, staff, and students within the Occupational Therapy program. This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to providing a top-notch education that prepares our students for successful careers in healthcare."

Reflecting on the program's success, Chair of the WNE OT Department Dr. Brittany Adams highlighted the faculty's passion for the profession and their active engagement in partnerships and collaborations with institutions nationwide. She emphasized the program's commitment to fostering collegiality and camaraderie among faculty and students, which has contributed significantly to its recognition by U.S. News & World Report.

Western New England University continues to enhance the Occupational Therapy program's excellence through ongoing initiatives. Plans include the launch of a distance learning cohort and the expansion of the BEAR PAW Center to offer telehealth services in 2025. These endeavors aim to further solidify the program's position as a trailblazer in occupational therapy education.

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The Occupational Therapy Program

The impact of attending aota inspire 2024.

On April 4, 2024, attendees of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Inspire 2024 Annual Conference and Expo shared highlights and resources from the conference for those who did not attend. The event took place in Orlando, Florida from Thursday, March 21 – Saturday, March 23 and gathered practitioners nationwide to share insights, form connections, and discover the latest products and technology.

Eleven students were sponsored by the GW occupational therapy program to attend the conference, including the State of Science Symposium hosted by the American Occupational Therapy Foundation and led by an OT capstone advisor, associate dean for Health Sciences Research, and associate professor, Trudy Mallinson, PhD, OTR/L, NZROT, FAOTA, FACRM.

Below are reflections from students and faculty on the workshops attended, research learned about, and relationships built.

Workshops: Gaining Perspective and Knowledge

“It was empowering to be in a room with that many people who care and are there to make a change. It was very inspiring and motivating and I don't think I would have gotten that type of experience without going to the conference,” said Rachel Metts.

“I participated in a pre-institute course that was linking upper limb anatomy to functional performance and there was a cadaver. There's only one other student that attended as the rest were practicing clinicians from all over the country and different practice areas. It was a really amazing experience and a great refresher to going into field work this summer and fall. It really made me feel like I knew my anatomy even though I was a little nervous because it said it was an intermediate course,” said Alexis Clapper.

“One of the courses that I went to was about culturally diverse activities of daily living and it was really nice to go there because my capstone is about implicit bias and how we can incorporate education about different cultures to limit implicit bias. In that workshop they had speakers on how to properly moisturize 4C hair. They also had a table about people who pray during Ramadan and how to be culturally respectful when they're fasting and how to be supportive if they have physical limitations where they can't bend down to pray. I found that to be really helpful.” said Collese Daley.

“I tried to branch out of my direct interest and also go to workshops that I typically would not have gone to. I didn't realize the military has so many OT fellowships, so that could be a really cool option for people who might want to get into a more niche area after graduation,” said Kate Agnes.

“My favorite part was to see mental health infused across different areas of practice because all of our patients have mind, body, and spirit that we're addressing. That was really empowering for me,” said Ann Henshaw, MPH, MBA, OTD.

“There was a greater diversity of material that was being covered. There was a lot more with emerging practice areas and expanding outside of the traditional OT bubble that was very exciting to see,” said Danielle Centi, DrOT, OTR/L, CBIS.

Research: Learning and Building Confidence

“It was so cool being currently in the Capstone project and then going to the State of the Science Symposium, which is based on the current research and measurement, and it is directly related to my capstone. Confidence washed over us after going to that symposium because I really understood what they were trying to say.”

“I built up the confidence to feel like I wasn't just an OT student. I was the OT student there,” said Sabrina Luu.

“I went to a lecture that was about coding and technology, which is kind of niche, but it made me realize that we as OT's are super creative and we can make adaptive tools that are extremely low cost for our clients with a little bit of resources,” said Victoria Leger.

Building Relationships

“What really surprised me is that OT is so broad. You were able to talk to people from every single walk of OT life. I also met a ton of students from a lot of schools and it was really cool to talk to everybody about their coursework and then also learn their areas of interest,” said Abigail Buchanan.

“I got to meet so many different people from all around the country and the world. It was really nice to see all of them gathered together to celebrate OT and talk about all the things that are happening and are up and coming. One of the most valuable things I gained was having space for affinity groups and meeting people who come from similar backgrounds as me and who are doing so well in the field,” said Amy Arellano.

“In terms of networking, my advice would be to go up to tables and say ‘Hi, my name is Justine Williams. I'm a OT first-year. I'd love to hear about your business and how I can get involved.’ I talked to a lot of people, specifically amputees, which is what I want to get into hopefully after school and there was a woman talking about internships who invited me to visit their facility,” said Justine Williams.

“The OT community is so small and everybody's willing to help you grow as a future practitioner. I ended up getting a lot of mentors in the process learning about neuroscience and how OT plays a role in that. I was really thankful for that,” said Sabrina Luu.

“I ended up meeting an OT that works at a sailing community club in New York and my capstone project is in sailing and I had no idea that there would be an OT doing that at the conference, so that was really cool,” said Emma Tober.

The AOTA Inspire 2025 Annual Conference and Expo takes place on April 3-5, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in which the program expects to sponsor more students to attend and learn about new research, develop relationships, and build their confidence. As the location of the 2024 conference sparked a debate about diversity and inclusion, the GW OT program discussed their values and action plan in the recent article, Program Values and Community Action Plan .

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MUSC students trailblazing a path for occupational therapists in oncology

It’s more than just feeling good again physically. Recovering from and getting back to a place where you feel like yourself after cancer treatment can be a struggle cognitively and emotionally as well.

There is someone who can help – but it’s a professional that not many people utilize or even know about. It’s a specialty often confused with physical therapy. Occupational therapy, as described by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), uses everyday life activities to promote health, well-being, and the ability to participate in the important activities in your life. These activities include things like brushing your teeth and hair, getting dressed, cooking, writing, shopping – all the small but meaningful tasks that make you feel like yourself. And occupational therapy is a career that MUSC College of Health Professions  students Valerie Salmon, Julia Mabe and Maddie Gies are passionately pursuing. All three have noticed a gap in oncology care that occupational therapy can fill, and they’re trailblazing a path for students behind them. “A lot of patients don’t realize that there are ways to manage their symptoms through occupational therapy. And they don’t know to ask for it,” said Gies.

“Occupations doesn’t always necessarily mean work. Occupations are activities of daily living. It’s making sure that cancer doesn’t disable the patient to the point where they cannot engage in those activities.” Maddie Gies OT student

What all three students found in their research is that not only do patients not know to ask, but many doctors themselves are unaware of the specific symptoms that should prompt a referral to an occupational therapist. MUSC Hollings Cancer Center  physical therapist, Katie Schmitt, DPT, who has worked with and mentored all three students, would agree. “Depending on their symptoms, patients can be referred to the wrong specialist, and I think cognition gets overlooked. Something like 80% of patients will have chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment, or brain fog,” said Schmitt, referring to the term commonly used to describe the memory issues patients deal with during and after treatment. “That’s something you could refer to OT.” But often, these issues aren’t referred to an occupational therapist, and what Gies, Salmon and Mabe have found is that it comes down to a misconception about what occupational therapists do and how they differ from physical therapists. “Occupations doesn’t always necessarily mean work,” said Gies. “Occupations are activities of daily living. It’s making sure that cancer doesn’t disable the patient to the point where they cannot engage in those activities.” In addition to those daily activities and the expertise to work with patients’ cognition and memory, occupational therapists are also trained to help patients with body image. “In a cancer setting, the sense of self and how you look at yourself again after breast cancer or head and neck surgery and how you deal with fatigue and anxiety is a huge part of it,” said Schmitt. “There’s a big overlap with what PT and OT can do, but then there are all of these other skills that OTs have that there’s a need for.” So why is occupational therapy so underutilized? That’s a question that all three students have asked themselves and a major driver for their work this semester as they complete their capstone projects. These projects serve as a culmination of their academic journeys, demonstrating mastery of a chosen area of study. Students choose a topic of focus, create a needs assessment and then develop a program or project to investigate and highlight that research.

Gauging cancer-related fatigue in children

Gies discovered that fatigue is a big area that many overlook when it comes to treatment. In fact, it is one of the top three symptoms reported by cancer patients, along with pain and nausea, but it’s the least likely to be addressed or managed by health care providers. That is where Gies has focused her work this semester. She found that this issue can be even bigger for children, as parents and health care providers often underestimate the levels of fatigue they experience. So, she created a coloring book called Izzy’s Daily Bucket that helps children to understand cancer-related fatigue and plan their days to best utilize their energy. She’s currently running this program with patients at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and teaching staff OTs to continue implementing it with future patients.

“When I sit down with families to introduce the program, most caregivers say that they had never heard of cancer-related fatigue or that they do not know how to manage fatigue levels. That results in their child not being able to engage in their normal everyday activities,” said Gies. “Most parents are distressed by this but are unsure of where to start or even if there is a place to start. It feels good to have an evidence-based tool to help families to gain back some control in their lives.”

A personal connection

Salmon has an equally passionate pull to occupational therapy for oncology, but hers comes from a personal connection to cancer. Both of her parents died – her dad from pancreatic cancer and her mom from ovarian cancer – before her 23rd birthday. “So, I was caretaker for both and saw their short and long-term symptoms,” said Salmon. “It’s not like I’m trying to save my parents, but it’s cool that I can use that experience to help other people.” Salmon’s capstone project is centered around making other occupational therapists and students aware of the need for and benefits of OT in oncology. She noticed that there were very few lectures and very little information that focused on caring for cancer patients in her coursework. “I thought it would be a really great opportunity to show students and current occupational therapists where they can really use their skill set to treat patients with cancer,” said Salmon.

She works closely with Schmitt and hopes to show others that OT and PT can work in tandem to give patients the best care possible. “So, for instance, we see a lot of breast cancer patients and their surgery can cause lymphedema,” said Salmon, referring to the swelling that happens when there is a buildup of fluid in the body. This swelling can cause tightness and a loss in range of motion. “Dr. Schmitt does strengthening and stretching exercises, but then an OT could come in and work with them on cancer-related fatigue, daily planning and body image. It would be more holistic – treating the whole person along with the exercises. These are short sessions. It'd be great if they could have both.” Salmon works with Schmitt, seeing nearly two dozen patients a week and said it’s given her a broader understanding of the cancer experience from those who are living with the disease. “I think I can get so laser-focused on my parent’s experiences,” said Salmon. “And I don’t ever want to forget that so many other people experience cancer. It’s been good for me to see people living with cancer and going to their appointments and going about their daily lives – just how strong they are with everything they’re going through."

Fitness and cancer

Mabe experiences this strength with breast cancer survivors in her capstone project, at the MUSC Wellness Center.   “We're all kind of battling our own things,” said Mabe. “And these women have been through a lot – they're still going through a lot. They’ve shown me how important it is to have a support group and to just be open-minded to whatever comes your way.” She chose her project after hearing about the Survivors' Fit Club , a 10-week program dedicated to exercise, nutrition and behavior modification. The program aims to improve fitness levels, build body strength, address depression, and boost self-esteem. The program includes a two-month membership to the Wellness Center and classes twice a week. Mabe, a fitness enthusiast, works with women four days a week – split between the Fit Club and a new program, called Fight Back. This program is a continuation of the Survivors’ Fit Club and aims to provide women with a safe and supportive environment to maintain the strength and physical stamina they have gained through the Fit Club. The women work through circuit training two days a week with the program leader and Mabe’s mentor, Cindi Day. Mabe brings her occupational therapy knowledge to the mix to help women with the mental health side of survivorship.

“I think about how we as OTs can help with the activities of daily living,” said Mabe. “Coming and doing strength training is great but how can we help with cancer-related fatigue? A lot of women experience that, and a lot of women experience body image issues.” As members of Fight Back, women go through assessments for things like their body mass index, body fat percentage and muscle mass, but Mabe takes it a step further and adds in an assessment of their functional movement. This means testing their ability to move from sitting to standing or picking themselves back up after a fall. “A lot of these women are struggling with upper body strength,” said Mabe. “So, if they do fall, how can they get up on their own? We’re going to see how you are at the start of the three months – how you're doing getting off the floor and then at the end to see the improvement there, which is cool.”

The value of occupational therapy

After discovering that many of the patients they have worked with have spent time with a physical therapist but almost none have worked with an occupational therapist, the three students are hoping that the work they’re doing on their capstone projects shows others the value. Schmitt, for one, is convinced. “You come into having cancer usually relatively healthy, but with chemo, radiation and surgery, it will knock you down to zero on purpose to fix the cancer,” said Schmitt.

“But then how do we build you back up? Having an OT counterpoint to help patients deal with who they are after cancer is a huge gap in care that we need to be providing our patients.”

Gauging Fatigue

Parents and providers often underestimate the fatigue that pediatric cancer patients are experiencing. An OT student created a coloring book to help.

Marvelous Mermaids

A new water component of the Survivors' Fit Club for breast cancer survivors has one group of women calling themselves 'the mermaids.'

Physical Therapy

Hollings is rolling out a new physical therapy program specifically tailored to cancer patients and survivors.

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About the Author

Kristin Lee

Categories: Cancer , Research , Education

Home > ot > otd_capstone

OTD Capstone Projects

Capstone projects from 2024 2024.

Implementing Occupational Therapy Principles into the Linden Waldorf Neurodivergent Student Population , Brooke M. Bledsoe

Living with Chemo Brain – Tips and Tricks to Improve the Quality of Life for Individual’s Diagnosed with Cancer , Jamie Brown

Marshall Co. Parks Department: Miracle League of Western KY , Ragan Harris Winters

Metro Parks Adults with Disabilities - Health management , Kaylee M. Lane

Best Practice for Creating a Sensory Garden and Calming Cart for Preschool-Aged Children at a Reggio-Inspired Preschool , Emmalee Lawrence

Fighting Against Parkinson's: A Collection of Occupation-Inspired Workouts for Rock Steady Boxing , Landis Llewelyn

Program Development for Adults and School-Aged Children with Down Syndrome at GiGi’s Playhouse , Jenna Rae Luna

Enhancing Concussion Education and Documentation within Belmont University’s Athletic Department , Jenna M. Ogle

Enhancing Participation in Play through Staff Training at We Rock the Spectrum , Megan Poppens

Mental Health and Wellness Programming for Adults with Down Syndrome , Chloe Samter

BEST Screening: Introducing the Neonatal Assessment Visual European Grid to NICUs in Tennessee , Gabrielle Sledge

Expanding Impact to Promote Wellness and Functional Independence , Margaret Stacy

Encouraging Participation for Trainees at Autism Career Training , Sydney L. Stahl

Sensory Exploration Curriculum Development for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at Friends Life Community , Caroline F. Stegall

Navigating Dysautonomia: A Workbook for Empowered Living , Madison Thornton

The Sensory Library: Facilitating Opportunities for Success at Bellevue Elementary School , Reagan M. Trussell

Empowering Clients and Care Partners Living with Parkinson’s Disease Through Evaluating and Addressing Gaps in Client and Care Partner Education , Victoria E. Vik

Capstone Projects from 2023 2023

Nashville Dolphins Volunteer Training Development , Caitlin Barnickel

Examining Occupational Performance of Fighters and Further Recommendations for Well-being , Caitlin Bender

Building Resilience Through Pregnancy Utilizing Tools from Occupational Therapy and Yoga , Rachel Brown

Occupational Therapies Role in Inpatient Obstetrics , Emily Bryant-Wimp

Center for Courageous Kids Volunteer Training Resources and “Through Our Eyes” Video , Megan M. Cusick

The Lived Experience of Older Adults Desiring to Age in Place , Sarah K. Dean

Work Skills Programming Within Davidson County Residential Drug Court , Sarah Dinnes

Elopement Prevention: Promoting Safety and Supporting Participation , Sarah C. Duckworth

Exploration of Inclusivity and Accessibility of Play Spaces and Miracle League Facilities , Anna Dyduch

Building a Brighter Future: Developing Function Out of Dysfunction , Adrian Ewald

Postsecondary Education Curriculum for Adult Students with IDD at Lipscomb University's IDEAL , Rebecca Gracey

Nashville Dolphins Program Development , Laura Graves

Habits for Health: A Holistic Approach to Women's Well-Being , Katelyn Helms

SELTEC Model Level I Fieldwork Shift in an OTA Program , Paige Henson

Week 13: Promoting Occupational Balance During Trauma Healing Journey Post-Program Participation , Rachel Hicks

Exploring Seating and Mobility Provision , Amaris Hornbuckle

Creation of Occupational Therapy Treatment Protocols for Diagnoses Affecting the Upper Extremities , William Hughes

The Impact of Social Emotional Learning in Pre-Kindergarten Classrooms , Kendall C. Jackson

Integrating Occupational Therapy in an Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Program (IPSE) at Auburn University - EAGLES , Tori Jean

Support for Saint Paul Police Federation’s Retirees , Kaitlin E. Johnson

Developing Resources to Promote Increased Program Activity and Independence for Individuals in a Residential Reentry Program , Kaylee Jorgensen

Implementing Occupational Therapy Principles into a Lower Elementary Private School in Middle Tennessee , Alexandra Shea Katzman

Enhancing Learning Outcomes in an Intervention Based Orthopedic Course , Kathryn E. Kita

Promoting Occupational Therapy Student Well-Being through Scholarship , Hanna Mcclain

Life Skills Guide for Supported Recovery for Individuals with Mental Health Conditions & Their Support Systems , Natalie Metzger

Promoting Health Education and Wellness Among Clients of Nurses for Newborns , Whitney Mitchell

Occupational Therapy’s Role in Addressing Sensory Needs and Fine Motor Development Through Teacher Training , Kennedy M. Morgan

The Home Modification Process Through the Lens of an OT , James C. Nichols

Program Development Through Therapeutic Camps , Bayleigh B. Powers

Developing Group Protocols in an Inpatient Rehabilitation Setting , Madison Quan

Enhancing OTD Clinical Studies Course Curriculum , Katherine J. Rauch

Adult Vocational Skills Program Development at GiGi’s Playhouse , Lavanya Reddy

Mental Health and Mindfulness: A Homeroom Curriculum at Benton Hall Academy , Kasey A. Rohleder

Promoting Full Participation for Students Involved in Young Life Capernaum , Hannah Simmons

Positive Behavioral Supports and Sensory Experiences at Benton Hall Academy , Ania Spann

Inclusive Unmounted Lesson Curriculum Development at Saddle Up! , Emily A. Wagstaff

Supporting Caregivers through Dementia and ADL Education , Amanda T. Wiedoff

Achieving the Best of All: Program Development for Adults and Preschoolers with Down Syndrome at GiGi's Playhouse , Samantha Wu

Capstone Projects from 2022 2022

GiGi’s Playhouse Program Development , Jensen Anderson

Adult Program Development GiGi’s Playhouse , Ella E. Baggett

Burnout Solutions Through Wellness and Outdoor Adventure , Cassidy Bizzell

Promoting the Benefits of Therapy Dogs in Healthcare Settings through Children's Literature , Angela Bozik

The Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes Needed for Entry Level Wheelchair Service Providers: A Collaboration with ISWP and CTF , Taylor Bumbalough

Illuminate Academy Shine Shop Resources and Kindergarten Market Research , Rya G. Carroll

Community Accessibility for Individuals with Disabilities , Marshall Dumas

Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Skills Handbook , Brooke Edwards

Advocacy and Collaboration to Promote and Enhance Services Provided by Ability App , Callie Emerson

Integrating Best Practice in Belmont’s OTD Curriculum through Research, Dissemination, and Development of Supplemental Course Materials , Alyson Graham

Promoting Client-Centered Learning and Education of Teenage Mothers , Katie R. Hartline

Educational Guides to Assistive Technology and Digital Literacy for Older Adults and Caregivers , Cheney D. Hess

Developing Resources to Promote Proficient Telehealth Service Delivery and Increase Knowledge about Making Changes to a State’s Practice Act , Cassandra M. Howe

Applying Self-Compassion and Stress Management Techniques to Increase Healthy Behaviors Among Women at The New Beginnings Center , Payton Knupp

Promoting Participant and Community Participation at Saddle Up! , Savannah R. MacIsaac

Assessment of Independent Living Skills for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: The BrightStone Experience , Amy Mack

Promoting Occupational Well-Being Through Program Development at Rock Steady Boxing , Meredith F. Maines

Home and Environmental Modifications and Community Resources for Individuals with Visual Impairment , Kimberly McLaughlin

Promoting Community Accessibility Through Advocacy and Networking with The Ability App , Chloe C. Moore

Nobody Likes Busy Work: TILTing an OTA Program's Curriculum , Sarah Parkinson

Believe in All: Adaptive Gymnastics Program , Pooja Patel

Evaluating Accessibility in TN State Parks , Ashley C. Phillips

Enhancing OTD Clinical Pathophysiology Course Curriculum , Ashley N. Rabuck

Coaching for Independent Living Skills in Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at Friends Life Community , Ashley G. Raby

Vehicle Modification Resources for Families of Tucker’s House , Heather Ribolla

Abundant Life Youth Program: Promoting Positive Youth Development through Outdoor Experience , Elizabeth Robinson

Illuminate Academy Kindergarten Market Research and Shine Shop , Shauna Rocha

Independent Study Curriculums for Adult Students with IDD at Lipscomb University - IDEAL , Megan Roman

Developing Evidence Based Protocols to Enhance Occupational Therapy Treatment of the Upper Extremity , Alexandra Ross

Promoting Therapist’s Use of IADLs: Establishing a Pet Care Protocol with Stallworth Inpatient Rehab , Christa Schmieder

Development and Implementation of an Outcome Measure for MOVE Inclusive Dance , Morgan Sondergeld

Driving with Low Vision: Development of Evidence Based Practice Manual for Bioptic Drivers , Emily Rose Sonni

The Parkinson's Wellness Project: An 8-part educational video series , Samantha L. Stevenson

Abundant Life Adventure Club Youth Program: Positive Youth Development through Outdoor Recreation and Adventure , Gabriela Swiecki

Increasing Self-Determination Throughout the Transition Process: A Resource Guide for Benton Hall Academy , Melanie N. Vacchiano

Occupational Therapy and Animal Assisted Therapy: Advocacy for the Field & Best Practice , Mackenzie E. VanderBloomen

Teaching and Supplemental Material Development for Belmont University's OTD Neuroscience Course , Jessica Van Ryzin

Developing an Educational Foundation for Incorporating Animal Assisted Interventions into Rehabilitation Settings , Chandni Vyas

Capstone Projects from 2021 2021

Life Skills Curriculum for Lower Middle School Students at Benton Hall Academy , Elizabeth Atkins

GiGi's Playhouse Program Development , Tatianna Balis

Withdrawing without withholding: A quantitative report of factors indicative of the need for early rehabilitation services after intrauterine drug exposure , Brooke G. Bohanan

Supporting Working Family Caregivers and Older Adults Through an Educational Employer-Based Eldercare Program , Chanté Bowens

Addressing Comorbidity Education Needs in TriStar Skyline’s Readmission Reduction Program , Savannah Carroll

Home Modification Resources for Families of Children with Disabilities , Brittany Chamberlin

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April 8, 2024

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Q&A: A task-oriented approach in occupational therapy is critical to recovery after a stroke

by University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Recovering from a life-altering stroke can be a long and arduous journey when an irascible demeanor and a litany of frustrations prolong a patient's return to normalcy.

Stroke is the leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of serious disability for adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A task-oriented, client-centered approach is the preferred method of rehab for stroke patients, says Chih-Huang "Jeffrey" Yu, an assistant professor in the Department of Brain Health's occupational therapy doctorate program within the UNLV School of Integrated Health Sciences.

"A typical rehab is more of a one-size-fits-all approach, and a lot of times, our clients can feel frustrated by that approach," he said.

"The occupational therapy task-oriented approach allows us to really learn more about the person, their life, what kind of tasks they were able to do before their stroke that they're not able to do anymore, and determine a strategy to improve their performance effectively. That's why I really need to understand and get to know the person so I can establish their own personal plan going forward. We really have to put ourselves in their shoes."

Occupational therapists help people achieve the things they want to do, not just what they need to do, after experiencing a health affliction. They approach a person holistically to improve their physical, spiritual, and emotional health in an effort to maximize their overall well-being.

Yu has been a practicing occupational therapist since the mid-1990s. Born and raised in Taiwan, he honed his skills using the occupational therapy task-oriented approach while studying at the University of Minnesota in 2010.

According to Yu, the task-oriented approach is a novel concept in occupational therapy, with Yu having published one of just two articles on the subject. We spoke with him about how occupational therapists , especially those utilizing a task-oriented approach, can impact the lives of stroke patients while making their long road to recovery a little less stressful.

For those unfamiliar with occupational therapy, can you explain how occupational therapists work with stroke patients?

Occupational therapists work on how we can best help our clients (we refer to them as "clients" in outpatient settings and "patients" during acute care and inpatient settings) to do the things that they most value. These are tasks that people do on a daily basis that take up their time and are also meaningful to them.

As an example, I am a father, a son, and a husband, and I work at a university. I also need to do things that give me life, like eating, shopping, and other tasks that give me the fulfillment I need. As a father and husband, I need to spend quality time with my daughter and my wife. Those tasks take up my time and are meaningful for me. After a stroke, I may be able to do some of those tasks, but not all of them.

Occupational therapists are experts in working with our clients to address the areas with the most need, and we customize our plans for each client. You might eat your breakfast at home or at work, where it's quiet, and I might eat my breakfast while watching videos on my couch. Even though we are both having breakfast, we are eating it differently. They are different experiences that affect us in our own way.

As occupational therapists, we also educate our clients to ensure they are rehabbing in the healthiest way. We believe everything is parallel to each other. The task, the environment, and someone's personal ability are parallel, and we regard them as separate systems. When using the occupational therapy task-oriented approach, you need to spend a lot of time working with a client.

Why is there a dearth of published information about the task-oriented approach in occupational therapy, specifically working with stroke patients? The occupational therapy task-oriented approach was first proposed by my mentor, Virgil Mathiowetz, in Minnesota in 1994. He and one of his colleagues proposed this at a time when occupational therapy was focused on a medical model, so the rehab world did not accept this type of thinking.

This also makes funding more difficult because it is not a mainstream approach, and research opportunities are limited. I wanted to learn his approach even though I knew it was risky [in terms of research funding opportunities]. After I did some more research on it, I moved from Taiwan to study under him while being sponsored by the occupational therapy program at the University of Minnesota.

Over the past 20 years, especially in motor learning theory, we have seen an increase in awareness about how the environment is very important to a client's recovery. There have been a few case studies done about occupational therapists using the task-oriented approach, but not much. It is a different approach than most health care professionals use, but the new model is moving toward a whole-body approach.

How have you seen the difference in a patient's recovery process between a more generalized approach and a multi-task approach?

I really saw the difference when working on my dissertation. After three or four weeks of intervention with a stroke patient, his motor skill issue had become a psychological issue. My assumption was that his ability to move was holding him back, but it turned out to be psychosocial. Once we established that it wasn't his mobility that necessarily contributed to his motor skill issue, the recovery process was easier because we knew what to focus on.

That is why we treat each system as its own. Systems can trigger change. By the end of the study, the man was able to regain his driver's license just a few years after suffering a stroke.

Sometimes, you have to change your entire intervention strategy based on the needs of the patient. It was a perfect example of why it is so important to pay attention to the little things. You have to put yourself in their shoes and not come in with your own perception in order to find out what's wrong. I witnessed the power of that personalized, task-oriented approach, and I want to produce more research to share with our society.

What do you hope the future holds for more occupational therapists using the task-oriented approach?

As capstone coordinator for UNLV's occupational therapy program, I coordinate scholarly projects for our students. Right now, I'm trying to recruit students to do stroke rehab while guiding them toward the occupational therapy task-oriented approach. In terms of research evidence, our studies have only been done with patients who have had a stroke, and our students are eager to learn more.

I spent 20 years in the clinic, and my goal is to develop a clinical protocol for the occupational therapy task-oriented approach. Task-oriented approaches aren't currently covered by insurance companies. I want to create a protocol for therapists to use so it becomes more acceptable. I hope that more people recognize its effectiveness so they can use it to benefit their patients.

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