955 research outputs found

    Rawan Atari - The Influence of Multi-Sensory Environment on Physiological Response in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Children with Special Health Care Needs

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    A research study based on the sensory integration theory was conducted to examine the effects of multi-sensory environment (MSE) on physiological arousal in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and special health care needs. Adapted environments may serve as a mechanism to treat anxiety levels in a population of children who experience more severe generalized anxiety symptoms than typically developing children. The sample consisted of children with community-based diagnoses of ASD and children with special health care needs, primarily children diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) from the Milwaukee Center for Independence (MCFI). Treatment for the autism sample was carried out by a trained MCFI staff member and treatment for children with special health care needs was carried out by a trained physical therapist. Electrodermal response was used as a measure to detect the “fight or flight” response of the sympathetic nervous system. The measurement of electrodermal activity was recorded by a wireless bracelet device that recorded the skin conductance level of the participant prior to entering the sensory room, during treatment in the sensory room, and after exiting the sensory room. Results indicated increased arousal in children with CP, as sensory stimulation was the main goal of physical therapists. Results for the autism sample varied by participant and indicated that treatment needs to be individualized for optimal benefits. Findings support the use of MSE as an alternative technique to improve therapeutic opportunities for children with cerebral palsy by stimulating sensations that are otherwise generally dormant.https://epublications.marquette.edu/mcnair_2014/1000/thumbnail.jp

    Creating a Sensory Inclusive Classroom: A Guide for Teachers

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    A school classroom is the place where students are expected to complete the majority of their learning. Many classrooms have a large amount of distracting sensory stimuli such as bright lights, visual stimuli on the walls, noises from individuals within the room, and sensory rich learning experiences. The physical environment can affect children\u27s learning and attention (Miller-Kuhaneck & Kelleher, 2015). Based on an in-depth literature review, it has been found that certain components of the classroom can be altered to create an environment more inclusive for all children, regardless of abilities. In light of the push to keep children in the least restrictive environment, it is anticipated that the following findings and product guide will promote inclusion within classrooms through accommodation of a wide range of sensory preferences. This can be done through the use of intervention strategies from the Ecology of Human Performance (EHP) model, such as create and prevent. The product guide addresses the gap between occupational therapists’ knowledge of sensory strategies and teachers’ knowledge of student behaviors and classroom design. It is important for teachers and occupational therapists to work together to determine and overcome the contextual barriers in keeping children in their least restrictive environment

    Enabling Personal Occupation through Sensory Interventions

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    Individuals with developmental disabilities and/or mental illness are predisposed to having a co-occurring sensory processing disorder. Many adults and children with sensory processing disorder have never been assessed or treated. Consequences of untreated sensory processing disorder include decreased ability to engage in meaningful occupations or healthy relationships, leading to lowered self-esteem and perception regarding quality of life. A literature review defines sensory processing, sensory processing disorders, consequences of sensory processing disorder dysfunction, sensory processing disorder co-morbidity, sensory processing disorders in individuals with mental illness and/or developmental disabilities, interventions for sensory processing disorders, the role of occupational therapy, deficiencies in knowledge, and controversies. This scholarly project presents a guide created for occupational therapists to utilize in assisting them to determine which assessments and interventions may be best for clients who exhibit sensory processing difficulties. The guide is entitled A Practitioners Guide to using Sensory Based Assessments and Interventions for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities and/or Mental Illness. It is a compilation of sensory processing assessments and sensory-based interventions intended to guide occupational therapists and their clients who have sensory processing deficits. Its ultimate purpose is to support these clients to have greater success in completion of valued daily occupations and improved quality of life. The Canadian Model of Occupational Performance (CMOP) was selected to guide the project based on the essential components of Person, Occupation and Environment. The CMOP is a dynamic model of practice in which the person, occupation and environment are interconnected, with spirituality at the core. Principles of Knowles\u27 andragogical model of learning were followed in development of the product, both for the practitioner and client. The constructivist approach of teaching and learning was used in development of the client self-rating tool, log and journal

    Music Therapy and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Literature Review

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    Autism spectrum disorder is a complex neurobiological disorder that affects social interaction, communication, and behavior. While there is no cure, MT has emerged as one of the most effective ways to improve the quality of life for individuals with autism. Music can help with communication, emotional expression, and reducing anxiety, providing a structured and predictable environment. MT can be used as a tool for self-expression, learning new concepts, and improving motor control. However, more research is needed to develop disease-modifying therapies that target the core deficits of the disorder.A perturbação do espectro do autismo é uma condição neurobiológica complexa que afeta a comunicação, a interação social e o comportamento. As causas exatas desta condição não são totalmente compreendidas, mas está estabelecido que se baseiam numa combinação de fatores genéticos e ambientais. Nos últimos anos, a prevalência da perturbação do espetro do autismo aumentou, gerando mais atenção e pesquisas. Atualmente não há cura para o autismo, mas existem muitas maneiras de controlar e tratar os sintomas associados, por exemplo através da musicoterapia. Este tipo de abordagem surgiu como uma intervenção promissora que pode ajudar indivíduos com autismo a melhorar sua qualidade de vida, especialmente a desenvolver capacidades sociais a nível de comunicação e interação com outras pessoas, dentro ou fora do círculo familiar. Os musicoterapeutas usam uma variedade de instrumentos e ferramentas para ajudar estes indivíduos a expressar as suas emoções e comunicar os seus sentimentos. Além disso, a música fornece um ambiente organizado e previsível que pode ajudar a melhorar o foco e, consequentemente, reduzir a ansiedade. A musicoterapia também pode ser usada como meio de ensino ativo ou passivo, visando explorar e desenvolver a autoconsciência e a autoexpressão. Do ponto de vista neurofisiológico, a música pode também ser um caminho para desenvolver a plasticidade cortical em indivíduos autistas, ou seja, pode ajudar a reconectar os circuitos sensoriomotores cerebelares e cerebrais, melhorando o controle motor e reduzindo comportamentos repetitivos. Isto deve-se ao facto da música ter a capacidade de fortalecer as conexões sinápticas entre diferentes áreas corticais somatossensoriais do cérebro, destacando a importância do sistema de neurônios-espelho e da ínsula anterior. Embora os mecanismos do funcionamento da musicoterapia ainda não sejam totalmente compreendidos, a pesquisa sugere que pode influenciar positivamente a comunicação, a interação social e a expressão emocional em indivíduos com autismo, e isso deve motivar a novas investigações, mais precisas e direcionadas ao indivíduo em questão

    Sensory Based Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Evidence-Based Practice Project

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    The overall focus of each of case scenarios are related to assessment or interventions that are related to Choosing Wisely Campaign items 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10. Case scenarios were developed related to each initiative with clientele and conditions across the lifespan in various practice settings. Practice settings included school district, outpatient pediatric, primary care, skilled nursing facility, work rehabilitation, and acute care

    Understanding and Identifying Specific Learning Difficulties: Dyslexia, Autism Spectrum, and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity in the Adult ESL/EFL Classroom

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    Specific learning difficulties (SLDs), including dyslexia, autism spectrum disorders, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders, are significant factors that influence the way and rate at which students learn English as an additional language. However, few Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) training programs address the cognitive and behavioral strengths and challenges these conditions carry for adult learners, in part due to concerns about bias in the over- and under- identification of learning disabilities among K-12 English language learners. Informed by Critical Disability Theory, and framed within a realistic discussion of the obstacles that remain in identifying and researching the parallel adult population and their learning needs, this thesis argues that all students in an English as a Second/Additional Language and English as a Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) classrooms benefit when SLDs are more readily recognized and teachers have a repertoire of research-backed, inclusive teaching strategies to draw on. The field project responds to this need for training with a teacher guidebook that explains U.S. legal requirements concerning students with disabilities, the effects of SLDs on second language acquisition, and the uses and limitations of current screening tools for SLDs in adult ESL/EFL populations. The guidebook also provides an annotated bibliography of effective adaptive and inclusive teaching strategies. Informed teachers will be better able to understand student needs, set realistic program and individual goals, participate in holistic identification processes, adopt effective teaching strategies, and serve as advocates for this understudied group of learners

    WE C.A.R.E 2: a parent-child community yoga program that promotes the health and well-being of caregivers and their children autism spectrum disorder

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    The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased two percent from 2012–2014 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018) and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has considered ASD to be a major health concern. The demands of caring for a child with developmental disabilities, including ASD can be overwhelming and the caregivers are experiencing heightened levels of stress in comparison to rearing typically developing children (Argumedes, Lanovaz, & Larivée, 2017; Lindo, Kliemann, Combes, & Frank, 2017). There is a need for more family support to implement more effective coping strategies to deal with the maladaptive functioning of the child with ASD (Hall, & Graff, 2011). The WE C.A.R.E. 2 Program is a nine-week evidence-based community pilot program that will provide an inclusive opportunity with additional family support and effective coping strategies e.g., breathing techniques, yoga postures and positive coping cognitions (e.g., positive self-talk and reappraisals) to decrease the stress levels of caregivers and promote healthy behaviors and healthy child development with the support and training from trained facilitators and a network of caregivers. This individualized plan will tailor to the needs of each dyad to create the necessary mechanisms of change (behavior, cognition, physiological, and sensory modulation) among the children and adults in the yoga group. The professional collaboration of different disciplines (occupational therapy, yoga therapist and teacher) will provide the appropriate modifications to the environment and provide the necessary input for the “just right” experience for a positive outcome

    Concept Mapping and the Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) Approach As An Intervention Framework for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

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    Individuals who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience a range of difficulties that impact their daily occupational performance. The current body of research identifies the importance of occupational engagement and competence as fundamental elements in facilitating an individual’s social connections, development of personal autonomy and overall wellbeing. This dissertation explores the use of concept mapping embedded within the meta-cognitive framework of the Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach, to engage adolescents with ASD in meaningful occupations. This thesis contains three manuscripts, an introductory and a final reflection chapter. The first manuscript is a methodological paper that outlines a qualitative concept mapping framework that can be applied within the field of occupational science. The second manuscript explores how concept mapping can be theoretically embedded with the CO-OP approach to facilitate the engagement, occupational competence, relatedness and autonomy of adolescents with ASD. The third manuscript presents the findings of a focused sensory ethnography exploration that explores the personalized and socio-cultural perceptions of adolescents with ASD while participating in a novel intervention. The third manuscript is analyzed using an occupational science framework, and highlights the themes identified by the participants through their concept maps and personal reflections. The data were analyzed using the qualitative concept mapping framework presented in the first manuscript, and through deductive thematic analysis using a theoretical codebook derived and highlighted in the third manuscript. This thesis contributes new knowledge to shaping the development and delivery of interventions focused on enhancing the occupational performance of adolescents with ASD in meaningful goals important in the transition to adulthood. It has expanded the limited research that approaches the topic from the frameworks of qualitative research, multi-modal and multi-sensory methods. It also uniquely explores the concept of human occupation as it relates to culture of ASD, and the development of meaningful life skills within a group environment. This work has implications for the future methodologies and research questions for studies exploring the lives of adolescents with ASD, the CO-OP approach, and the use of visual methods in exploring occupational meaning

    Sensory-Based Interventions in Schools

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    Dr. Jamie Palmer, DrOT/L of Central Kitsap school district requested that University of Puget Sound occupational therapy (OT) students research the impact of sensory-based interventions (SBIs) on attention, behavior, and academic performance for children in preschool to high school with or without diagnoses. Based on a systematic review of 33 studies, the evidence for the use of SBIs in the classroom to improve academic performance, behavior and attention is preliminary and ranges from limited to moderate depending on the specific type of SBI. The use of those specific SBIs with limited to moderate evidence is recommended for students whose demographic profiles match those of the study participants. The knowledge translation process consisted of two primary components: developing and delivering an in-service to share findings of the present study with Dr. Palmer and other professionals in her school district, and developing and disseminating an evidence-based movement program called Break 5. School district professionals reported being highly satisfied with the in-service and reported that the program was moderately effective for regulating student behaviors. The principal and occupational therapy team expressed interest in expanding the movement program throughout the school. Given that Break 5 has only been trialed on an informal basis, research is needed to determine its efficacy. Break 5 and those SBIs with the strongest evidence should only be implemented by OTs with strong rationale, systematic outcome monitoring, and adjustment to meet individual needs
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