Sunday - September 15th

7:30-8:45AM
Location: Main Event
Event:  Student Posters & Project Presentations

Contact Hours: Time spent visiting posters: up to 1.25 

A Scoping Review of Occupational Therapy Students' Competencies in Various Service Deliveries

Presenter: Kiera Benson, OTS, RBT
Co-presenter: Dana Morgan, OTS
Occupational therapy (OT) education programs produce competent students in a variety of service delivery approaches (e.g., one-on-one, telehealth, and group sessions). Students build competence through coursework and fieldwork. Assessing competence is challenging due to lack of a standardized curriculum. The purpose of this scoping review is to: identify how entry-level competence is measured; compare what is being learned through classroom instruction versus fieldwork experiences; and identify how current OT programs prepare students for service delivery. To achieve competence for entry-level practice, students must learn foundational, creative, and scientific principles for OT practice. Wood (1995) used a weaving metaphor to explore the art and science of OT. Her concept is organized around the warping and wefting of weaving. Warp refers to thread held in tension on a loom. In OT practice, warp requires building rapport, empathizing, and helping others use their potential. Weft is the thread woven through the warp to create structure. In practice, this may include clinical skills, and applying research and theory to guide decision making. OT educators are the shuttles that guide weft through the warp on a loom. These threads inform and strengthen each other to reinforce the fabric of an OT student’s professional identity.

Inclusive Practices to Improve Accessibility for Museum Visitors with Visual Impairment
Presenter: Kacey Doner, OTS
Co-presenter: Korbin Carr, OTS
Museums are key educational resources in the community. Although physical spaces have been made more accessible for people with mobility impairments, many museums are not as welcoming to visitors with visual impairments (VI). Lack of accessibility creates barriers to inclusion for this population. Few studies have explored inclusive practices to improve accessibility for museum visitors with VI. This scoping review study aims to answer the following research questions: (1) What is known from the existing literature about inclusive practices for museum visitors with VI? (2) What are some common barriers to integrating inclusive practices into museum settings? (3) What suggestions do museums visitors with VI have for improving inclusive practices? Naturally, people with disabilities want to be included in museum experiences just like everyone else. Inclusive policies and practices are often developed by administrators who determine what people with disabilities want or need. People with disabilities tend to be excluded from the decision-making process when their perspectives should matter most.

Sex Education for Autistic Individuals
Presenter: Brock Martin, OTS
Co-presenter: Mica Jenrette, OTS
More than 5 million American adults have been diagnosed with autism. There is a common misconception that people with autism are uninterested in sex and intimacy. Young adults with autism often don’t have access to this type of health information. Traditional sex education is not sufficient for this population. Sexuality and intimacy are important for one’s overall health and well-being. Lack of appropriate resources creates barriers to participation for this population. The purpose of this scoping review is to summarize existing research, provide insight into knowledge gaps, and inform future research on sex education for young adults with autism. There is a common misconception people with ASD are uninterested in sex and intimacy; however, many have romantic and sexual desires. Thus, comprehensive sexual education is important for the sexual health and wellbeing of this population. Education should address the unique needs of people with autism. For example, difficulty communicating (verbally and non-verbal) being able to flirt, and knowing someone is flirting with you and managing sensitivities to sensory input including the sights, smells, and sounds associated with sexual intimacy. Providing information to address these needs allows for informed decision making that improves the quality and safety of sexual intimacy.

GoBabyGo: Promotes a child's exploration through independent play and mobility
Presenter: Athena Elaine Johnson, OTS
Co-presenter: Gabriela Santana Meraz
Play is an essential part of childhood. Research has shown engaging in play promotes cognitive, motor, and social-emotional development in young children. Play also facilitates skills in problem solving, self-awareness, and communication. However, many children with disabilities face barriers that limit play, and therefore, impede skill development. For instance, lack of mobility can limit a child’s ability to explore their environment and socialize with peers. Since 2015, Colorado Mesa University has been partnering with Family Health West to run Go Baby Go, a program that provides modified ride-on cars to young children with disabilities. This year, an interprofessional team of faculty and students from CMU’s engineering, occupational therapy, and physical therapy programs have utilized their discipline-specific expertise to collaboratively modify a car for a local 5-year-old girl. With interdisciplinary problem-solving, the team was able to adapt the vehicle based on this child’s interests, strengths, and needs. For example, due to this child’s hypotonia which limits her ability to maintain functional reach and grasp, a PVC bar was installed on the steering wheel to improve driving control. Through working together and applying the unique knowledge of each discipline, the team increased this child’s ability to engage in independent play.

Responsive Feeding in the Pediatric Population: A Scoping Review
Presenter: Alma Luis Guzman, OTS
Co-presenter: Elizabeth Moore, OTS
Responsive feeding practices have been found to improve picky eating, food consumption, food exploration, and meal enjoyment in children. This approach allows for better development of independence and self-regulation during feeding. Although it is a growing practice area, few studies have addressed the importance of incorporating responsive feeding practices into feeding intervention. The purpose of this scoping review study is to explore existing literature on responsive feeding and the disciplines, outside of psychology, utilizing this approach with pediatric populations. Responsive feeding is shown to bring about better results in increasing food intake amongst children who have eating and feeding disorders.

Involuntary Childlessness After Infertility: A Qualitative Pilot Study and Implications for Occupational Therapy
Presenter: Lindsey Trott, OTD, MOT, M.Ed, OTR/L

Involuntary childlessness after infertility is a phenomenon that impacts women’s lives worldwide (Chauhan et al., 2021). Yet, this phenomenon is not understood, and its population is underserved. It is critical to evaluate the needs of this growing population, especially since these needs will change throughout the lifespan (United States Census Bureau, 2021). This qualitative pilot study aimed to capture the cross-cultural lived experience for women who are involuntarily childless after infertility; explore the impact of the phenomenon on occupational performance; and identify implications for occupational therapy (OT) practice.

The institutional review board of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions granted ethical approval. Using convenience sampling with a snowball effect, the primary investigator recruited participants online by sending direct emails and posting a flyer to childless not-by-choice communities. Fifteen participants from eight countries met criteria and provided narrative data in open-ended, semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed according to Braun & Clarke’s (2006) six phases of thematic analysis using Atlas.ti©, a qualitative data analysis software. The rigor of this study was ensured by components of trustworthiness: credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Results described the lived experience for women who are involuntarily childless after infertility, including the occupational impact of the phenomenon and the occupational needs of this population.

The findings of this study demonstrate that OT practitioners can fill a gap in service for a growing, yet underserved population by providing critical occupation-based therapeutic support throughout the lifespan for women who are involuntarily childless after infertility.

Back to Our Roots: Occupational Therapy on a New Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit
Presenter: Margaret Ries, OTR/L
Co-presenter: Marie Andrews, MSW, MS OTR/L, BCG

UCHealth has expanded behavioral health services with a comprehensive investment of more than $150 million over five years. This includes a new 40-bed inpatient behavioral health unit, which opened in June 2023. Occupational therapy practitioners bring unique skills, capabilities, and perspectives to behavioral health settings to understand how mental illness impacts functioning within individual’s daily lives. OT interventions promote ADLs, IADLs, and quality of life. This includes sleep, leisure, social participation, employment, health management, wellness, coping and other life skills. Early OT intervention is helpful to reduce the negative effects of mental illness, reduce internalized stigma, and assist with recommending community supports. Learn more about OT program development on the inpatient behavioral health unit at UCH, including population needs, steps to opening, and current operations.