Award Date

5-1-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Occupational Therapy Doctorate

Department

Brain Health

First Committee Member

Donnamarie Krause

Second Committee Member

Jefferson Kinney

Number of Pages

89

Abstract

Introduction: The current literature found a need for improved collaboration styles and programs that can adapt to the needs of the various mental health diagnoses. This capstone project focused on creating a manualized education program called SensABILTY Coaching, which aims to improve clinicians’ confidence in educating caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on Dunn’s Model of Sensory Processing using principles of Occupational Performance Coaching (OPC). Improving clinicians' confidence increases positive reactions and enhances caregiver and clinician collaboration. This capstone project outlines the benefits of using the principles of OPC intervention styles and sensory-based strategies for their effectiveness when used with clients. One benefit of these two methods, when utilized in conjunction, is that they create an intervention that can adapt to the needs of the caregivers and their children based on the principles of OPC and the different strategies found within the manuals of SensABILITY.

Methods: The project design focused on program development spanning fourteen weeks. The planning and preparation phase started with convenient sampling and providing surveys and interviews to the samples of 34 caregivers and 10 clinicians. During the implementation phase, a PowerPoint presentation on data collection and research on OPC was provided to the clinicians. A manual, one section on OPC and another on sensory processing, was also provided to describe the program and how it was implemented. Last, the program review phase was conducted by giving surveys to assess feasibility and quality using a quality improvement survey containing a strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis.

Results: The results showed a statistically significant increase with a p-value of 0.005 in clinician confidence in the program SensABILITY from a Wilcoxon Signed Rank test with a pre- / post-confidence survey for clinicians. From the needs assessments, the program created manuals that answered questions and scheduled sessions to guide the therapy process with the collaboration of the caregivers. The capstone project also included a SWOT analysis with multiple key findings for strengths and opportunities, including increased collaboration with caregivers, numerous resources and data for clinicians and caregivers, and possible generalizability. The weaknesses and threats to this project included time requirements, and some caregivers may not be interested in OPC due to the demand for more time on their part.

Conclusion: The capstone project concluded that this program benefits clinicians and can help them gain confidence in educating and guiding caregivers to achieve goals at home and in the clinic.

Keywords

Autism; Dunn's Model of Sensory Processing; Occupational Performance Coaching; Occupational Therapy; Sensory Processing

Disciplines

Mental and Social Health | Occupational Therapy

File Format

pdf

File Size

1732 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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