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Description
My capstone was completed at NeuroRestorative, a Neuro community-based setting that provides Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and speech-language pathology. The purpose of the ALE and Capstone Project is to develop and implement a weekly tai chi group within a community-based brain injury setting that incorporates tiered modifications to address varying cognitive and physical abilities. The program is designed to promote improved overall functional participation while reducing periods of downtime and inactivity among participants. To support long-term sustainability and carryover, educational handouts and training materials will be provided to staff to facilitate ongoing implementation of the group intervention.
The goals of this capstone include creating a Tai Chi program, increasing opportunities for movement throughout the day to reduce time spent sitting in the ADT room, providing educational materials to support carryover of the group activities, and encouraging participation in group activities to strengthen social skills and interpersonal relationships.
Observations and needs assessment findings indicated that, outside of therapy sessions, individuals in the adult day training (ADT) room frequently experienced periods of inactivity and limited participation in meaningful activities. After completing my literature review, I found that Tai Chi “showed improvements in functional status (activities of daily living and physical functioning), followed by psychological indicators and then cognitive function” (Laskosky., et al. 2024).
I evaluated the effectiveness of this program with observational measures, social interaction, and feedback from participants and staff. To support program implementation, I created a training video demonstrating the group movement sequences for Life Skills Trainers (LSTs) and staff. In addition, I developed handouts that provide guidance on how to modify the group up and down to meet the individual needs and deficits of each client.
I demonstrated leadership by collaborating with the multidisciplinary team and running a group intervention each week. My capstone provides a meaningful group activity that increases participation during periods of downtime, allowing clients to engage in purposeful movement and social interaction rather than remaining sedentary.
When completing my needs assessment, I found that there are frequent extended periods of downtime for clients at Neuro outside of therapy time. My educational video and handouts can educate LST staff on how to implement this group and reduce downtime throughout the day.
Graduation Date
5-7-2026
Disciplines
Occupational Therapy
Degree Type
Book
Site Mentor
Marlana Riggs, OTR/L
Comments
Link to presentation: https://youtu.be/_BzIq8hpMRw