Date of Award

4-2023

Degree Type

Capstone Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Linda Armstrong

Second Advisor

Holly Grieves

Abstract

Adaptive skiing and Occupational Therapy (OT) have potential to merge well together. They both aim to enable individuals, regardless of ability, to engage in a purposeful activity or occupation through providing the appropriate supports or interventions (Lundberg et al., 2021; AOTA, 2020). Although OT is acknowledged as a service delivered in community-based settings (AOTA, 2020), there is limited evidence to support a collaboration between OT and its involvement in community-based adaptive ski programing. The purpose of this Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) is to explore the role of OT in a community-based adaptive ski program, Challenge Mountain. Through serving alongside the Program Director, facilitating programs, implementing theory to guide decision making, and interacting with participants, it became clear that a collaboration can add value to not only Challenge Mountain as an organization, but also the field of OT. Most importantly, the DCE revealed that self-determination is enhanced when individuals with disabilities are provided an opportunity to choose a novel or challenging activity coupled with the applicable supports, as recommended by theoretical principles such as Self Determination Theory (SDT), Ecology of Human Performance (EHP) model and Social Cognition frame of reference (Dunn et al., 1994; Cole & Tufano, 2020).

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