https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2569271&resultClick=3

Many people with chronic health conditions fail to take their medications as prescribed, resulting in declines in health and function. The purpose of this study was to perform a Phase I feasibility study to understand whether an integrated occupational therapy intervention could help people with chronic health conditions improve their adherence to medications. These findings suggest that an occupational therapy intervention can improve medication adherence in people with chronic health conditions. The intervention tested in this study is feasible and would benefit from further research.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2594225&resultClick=3

In this article, we describe the use of the objects and spaces of the physical environment by occupational therapy practitioners in the United States over the profession's first 100 years. Using professional literature selected by decade from the years 1917 through 2016 to obtain data, we applied grounded theory methods to complete a detailed description. Team-based analysis over four coding schemes yielded a theoretical description of the profession's therapeutic use of the physical environment. Study findings included descriptions across occupational therapy's history of (1) treatment spaces, (2) the concepts of adapting and grading, and (3) a typology of constructive and nonconstructive applications of objects and activities by occupational therapy clients and practitioners. This extended historical perspective on trajectories of change in intervention space, the role of physical products in intervention, therapist repertoire, and the enduring role of adaptation suggests how the physical environment may be used in future practice.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2599200&resultClick=3

Occupation is considered core and threshold knowledge for occupational therapy, yet how it is conveyed through education is not well understood. This study examined how the concept of occupation was taught in occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant curricula in the United States. Although educators valued teaching occupation, the concept was still elusive in some instructional methods and materials. Occupation knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge may have influenced how explicitly occupation was taught.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2599199&resultClick=3

The purpose of this national survey was to explore perceptions of professional reward among occupational therapist (OT) and occupational therapy assistant (OTA) academic fieldwork coordinators (AFWCs). Agreement was found in ranking the value of six role factors: (1) fieldwork data management, (2) fieldwork site management, (3) fieldwork teaching and consultation, (4) departmental and institutional compliance, (5) scholarship and accreditation, and (6) laying groundwork for students in fieldwork. Both levels of AFWC indicated teaching and consultation had the highest value and data management the least. OT AFWCs placed significantly higher value on publishing articles and lower value on educating fieldwork educators about role delineation than OTA AFWCs. Five themes emerged regarding professional reward: (1) intrinsic reward, (2) collaboration, (3) development of the profession, (4) feeling appreciated, and (5) student success. AFWCs value activities involving personal interaction, promoting professional development, and facilitating student success. Results have implications for AFWC collaboration, workload distribution, and scholarship.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2601471&resultClick=3

This systematic review investigated the role of home modification interventions to improve participation outcomes for community-living adults and older adults. Comprehensive, higher intensity interventions demonstrated greater efficacy to improve occupational performance. Emerging evidence was also found for the role of occupational therapy in providing effective home modification interventions. Implications for occupational therapy practice, education, and research are discussed.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2601470&resultClick=3

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have difficulty engaging their children through play, thus affecting the parent-child relationship and parental self-efficacy. This study intended to examine children's sensory profile and adults' playfulness as predictors of parental self-efficacy. A total of 136 parents of children ages 3-7 yr completed the Short Sensory Profile, the Playfulness Scale for Adults, and the Tool to Measure Parenting Self-Efficacy. For the parental couples of children with ASD, the most relevant predictor of general parental self-efficacy was the child's sensory profile. However, adult playfulness resulted in the most relevant predictor of emotional parental self-efficacy. Findings suggest the importance of considering play as a relevant co-occupation that must be acknowledged when intervening with families of children with ASD and considering the child's sensory modulation abilities, as well as parents' playfulness and sense of self-efficacy, as potential outcomes when designing and evaluating treatment programs.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2605431&resultClick=3

The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Evidence-Based Practice Project has developed a table summarizing the research opportunities on people with autism spectrum disorder. The table provides an overview of the state of the current available evidence on interventions within the scope of occupational therapy practice and is based on the systematic reviews from the AOTA Evidence-Based Practice Guidelines Series. Researchers, students, and clinicians can use this information in developing innovative research to answer important questions within the occupational therapy field.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2614811&resultClick=3

This study examined the use of the adult neuroscience-based Sense© intervention with children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP) to improve upper-limb somatosensory discrimination, motor function, and goal performance. This study established the feasibility of using the Sense intervention in a pediatric setting and adds preliminary evidence to suggest that improving somatosensory function can improve motor function and goal performance among children with HCP.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2614806&resultClick=3

This study explored differences in perspectives on quality of life (QOL) between people affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and their caregivers. QOL is often thought of as related to physical limitations, without consideration of other factors (e.g., cognitive, emotional) that may be stronger predictors of QOL in people with long-term degenerative diseases. Because QOL is complex and influenced by multiple factors, people with ALS and their caregivers may have different perspectives on what constitutes QOL. This study investigated potential discrepancies in QOL perspectives between people with ALS and their caregivers. Thirty dyads from the Augusta University Health ALS Clinic completed a measure of QOL, and we compared the results and identified patterns. The most prominent finding was that members of the dyads misunderstood the mental experiences of one another.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2614808&resultClick=3

Cognitive impairment is a common consequence of mild stroke. Current performance-based assessments for mild stroke can detect mild impairments in executive function but lack alternate forms to be used as outcome measures. This study aimed to develop an alternate form of the Complex Task Performance Assessment (CTPA-Alt), a performance-based assessment of executive function, and to establish the alternate form reliability of the CTPA-Alt. A repeated-measures study was conducted with 26 community participants. Participants were screened for eligibility and administered both forms of the CTPA; administration order was alternated. Overall performance was significantly correlated (rs = .44, p = .03), but pattern of scoring differed by CTPA form and order of administration. Our results indicate that the CTPA forms were similar but that the specific tasks in each form were different. The CTPA may be used as an ecologically valid outcome assessment with further considerations.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2618316&resultClick=3

Approximately 53 million Americans live with a disability. For decades, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been conducting and supporting research to discover new ways to minimize disability and enhance the quality of life of people with disabilities. After the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act, NIH established the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, with the goal of developing and implementing a rehabilitation research agenda. Currently, 17 institutes and centers at NIH invest more than $500 million per year in rehabilitation research. Recently, the director of NIH, Francis Collins, appointed a Blue Ribbon Panel to evaluate the status of rehabilitation research across institutes and centers. As a follow-up to the work of that panel, NIH recently organized a conference, "Rehabilitation Research at NIH: Moving the Field Forward." This report is a summary of the discussions and proposals that will help guide rehabilitation research at NIH in the near future.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2630079&resultClick=3

This qualitative study was part of efforts to develop and analyze specialized sensory-friendly, community-based programming at a local museum for families with children or young adults with sensory processing issues. Adapted community events that increase participation in context may be a promising intervention to support well-being for people with disabilities and their families.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2630082&resultClick=3

The Health Promoting Activities Scale (HPAS) measures the self-rated frequency with which adults participate in activities that promote health. We evaluated the internal consistency, construct validity, and intrarater reliability of the HPAS with a cohort of mothers (N = 56) of school-age children. Our evaluation of the HPAS revealed good reliability and stability, suggesting suitability for ongoing evaluation as an outcome measure.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2630086&resultClick=3

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to obtain caregivers' perspectives on the impact of the sensory environment on participation in daily activities of their young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Interviews were completed with 34 caregivers of children with ASD ages 3-7 yr. Results strongly suggest that parents and caregivers were pivotal in enabling participation for their children through the implementation of specific strategies and a parental decision-making process. The decision-making process considered amount of effort necessary to support participation and whether participation in a given activity was perceived as essential or nonessential. Strategies enabled participation and reduced the effort required to support the child's participation. Strategies either directly related to the sensory factors of the environment or focused on reducing behavioral responses associated with sensory factors. In this study, we identified important considerations to enhance participation in the home and community environments for children with ASD.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2630085&resultClick=3

In this article, we evaluate psychometric properties of the Child's Challenging Behaviour Scale, Version 2 (CCBS-2) with mothers of young, typically developing children. Of the properties tested, results support sound psychometrics. The CCBS-2 can be used to differentiate children according to age, school entry, and disability as well as to identify families for potential services in behavior management and mental health.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2643583&resultClick=3

We examined the feasibility of Aging Well by Design, a Lifestyle Redesign®-inspired intervention for community-dwelling older adults. The original Lifestyle Redesign program was shortened to 3 mo and implemented as a community outreach program of a major health care system. Implementation of a 3-mo Lifestyle Redesign-inspired program within a health care system was feasible.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2636553&resultClick=3

Patient participation (engagement) is a keystone of patient-centered care. This study provided evidence to support how active participation in occupational therapy would enhance patient outcomes at discharge and 1 yr postinjury. We also identified barriers to patient participation in rehabilitation.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2636342&resultClick=3

People with visual impairments experienced workplace discrimination, yet most of the charges were not substantiated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, indicating the need for targeted education and advocacy for this vulnerable population to achieve parity with their non-visually disabled peers in the workplace.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2636556&resultClick=3

Functional cognition assessed by occupational therapy should complement neuropsychological testing of fluid and crystallized cognition if our goal is to optimize participation in work activities. Evidence suggests functional and fluid cognition as potential targets for intervention.

https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2636512&resultClick=3

This qualitative study triangulated perceived stressors and coping strategies in 22 master's degree in occupational therapy students. Students participated in focus groups and were asked questions to address factors contributing to stress and coping. These data may provide insight into best educational practices.