Date of Award

4-2023

Degree Type

Capstone Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Kristin Rohrbeck

Second Advisor

Holly Grieves

Abstract

The purpose of this 14-week Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) was to implement Occupational Therapy (OT) strategies into already existing Autism community programs. The capstone project took place at The Joanne and Ted Lindsay Foundation Autism Outreach Services (OUCARES) under the mentorship of Kristin Rohrbeck, M.A., Director of OUCARES. This project’s concentration area was in program and policy development, and although these programs were already established, there was a need for Occupational Therapy based strategies and recommendations to further enhance them. OUCARES offers a wide variety of programs focused on everyday life skills for individuals with Autism of all ages, along with their parents and caregivers. The purpose of this capstone was to attend these programs to work on critical skills with participants, create recommendations for staff members based on observing the programs, and to create an educational presentation on the benefits of Occupational Therapy for individuals with Autism. This project will be sustained as the staff will continue to have access to the recommendation sheets created, as well as the recorded presentation that can be accessed by parents, caregivers, and staff for training purposes, while also allowing for advocacy for the Autism Community and the profession of Occupational Therapy.

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