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Description
In school-based settings, Occupational Therapists work with students on various areas related to a student's Individualized Learning Plan (IEP). As technology use increases in academic settings for young students and time spent outdoors decreases, the exploration of a potential solution to this relationship was discovered. Nature-Based Occupational Therapy is an emerging practice area focused on incorporating outdoor play and materials from the outdoors into treatment sessions while still addressing areas of concern to increase a child’s independence in daily occupations.
This capstone project focused on four objectives:
- Design a nature-based activity guide for students in the school system setting that can be implemented during Occupational Therapy sessions, in the classroom as a group, or at home.
- Educate students, parents, and teachers about sensory integration and developmental milestones regarding a student’s IEP goals, and how this can be achieved in alternative ways, along with traditional teaching methods.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of a nature-based activity guide for a child’s multi-sensory stimuli responses, while increasing the development of age-appropriate developmental milestones for fine/gross motor skills.
- Practice sustainability and how to responsibly interact with nature, while also having fun.
Graduation Date
1-1-2024
Disciplines
Occupational Therapy
Degree Type
Open Access Capstone
Document Type
Poster
Site Mentor
Cassie Akins, Michelle McAnelly, Leslie J. Hardman
Comments
View Megan Evans's Capstone Poster Presentation.