Document Type
Capstone
Abstract
The purpose of"Budding" Occupational Therapy Strategies: A Nature Approach was to develop a guide with sample activities and explanations to better understand why and how nature works. The guide provides a sample of nature based activities for occupational therapists working with children with sensory processing disorders to better understand how simple it is to incorporate natural materials and natural environments into treatment sessions to improve a child's occupational performance. The activities integrate plants, animals, the outdoors and everyday materials into treatment planning to improve performance skills by addressing the various components of the occupational therapy practice framework (OTPF). The guide was developed using Person Environment Occupation Model (PEO), Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), Ecology of Human Performance (EHP) and Sensory Integration theory (SI) with a desire to relate all activities back to the occupational therapy practice framework (OTPF). These are well-known and respected models and theories in occupational therapy practice. The guide was then presented to 10 occupational therapy practitioners and 1 parent in person and recorded for distribution to an additional 17 practitioners electronically. Out of 28 possible surveys, 17 pre-test and post-test surveys were returned. Based on the results, it is concluded that the guide was successful in increasing practitioner's opinions on the benefits and use of nature for occupational therapy intervention. All of the practitioners demonstrated an increase in understanding and desire to use nature in therapy. Participants reported that lack of nature in their setting is a result of weather, demands and policies of the setting that are out of their control, insurance and budget constraints. Many of the practitioners reported learning new ideas for treatment interventions that were easy to implement. One practitioner shared the importance of these concepts being used across the lifespan. Based on a literature review and feedback from occupational therapy practitioners, it was concluded that the guide was effective by increasing experienced occupational therapists desire to incorporate nature into their treatment sessions. It provided specific, yet simple, treatment strategies for immediate use in practice. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions (i.e. play in nature) to reach functional outcomes by increasing performance skills in a controlled study; however, a known barrier to nature research is the inability to control environmental variables and the variety of differences in sensory processing disorder.
Publication Date
2016
Recommended Citation
Gentz, Jessie R., "A Guide for Occupational Therapy Professionals using "Budding" Occupational Therapy Strategies: A Nature Approach" (2016). MOT Student Capstones. 112.
https://riches.cabarruscollege.edu/mot-student-capstones/112
