Date of Award

4-2025

Degree Type

Capstone Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Erick Sustaita, OTD, OTRL

Second Advisor

Holly Grieves, OTD, OTRL

Abstract

To be successful academically, students must first be regulated and ready to learn. For this capstone project, the occupational therapy (OT) process was used to develop and implement sensory and fine motor interventions in a first-grade classroom to support their participation. Given that the target population in Flint has been impacted by the water crisis and poverty, a trauma-informed approach was also integrated throughout. While research shows that OT plays an important role in sensory processing, self-regulation and motor skills in schools, there is a lack of accessible and evidence-based tools for educators to support these areas. To address this gap, sensory and fine motor classroom kits were created along with paired guides and trauma-informed resources for educators to use. The objectives included evaluating classroom needs, crafting and trialing kit activities, creating sustainability guides, gathering feedback from stakeholders, and sharing resources with the teacher. Overall, this project was successful and reinforced the importance of trauma-informed, occupation-based interventions to support student needs in the classroom. It contributes to the field of OT as it advocates for our role in the schools and also highlights the importance of teacher collaboration and education to support student engagement and success.

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