The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program is an advanced, post-professional online program designed to create occupation-based practitioners who will be ethical leaders of change in occupational therapy services for diverse populations. Graduates will serve in leadership roles, affect educational and health care policy, and act as catalysts for excellence in intervention settings in order to better meet the needs of occupational therapy consumers.

One of the final, culminating experiences in the OTD Program is the capstone project, which demonstrates a synthesis of OTD program outcomes. Incorporating principles of evidence-based and occupation-based practice, students address a specific healthcare problem or health outcome and implement practice changes that improve health care, health care delivery, or health-related outcomes. The project is a faculty-guided scholarly experience that provides evidence of critical thinking, and the ability to apply research principles through problem identification, proposal development, implementation, and evaluation of a solution to a practice problem. Capstone projects may take a number of forms, but the final product provides evidence of scholarship and mastery in the areas of leadership, research methods, and practice improvement.

Follow

Submissions from 2024

PDF

Resilience as a State, "A Learned Trait," Among the Brain Injury Population: A Narrative Analysis, Bailey Gifford

PDF

THE EFFECTIVENESS AND FEASIBILITY OF TELEHEALTH OCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE COACHING WITH YOUNG ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES: A CASE STUDY, Mara Sampson

PDF

Inclusive SpOrTs Environments: Youth Gymnastics Coaches’ Perceptions on Promoting Inclusivity for Autistic Athletes, Alec D. Sheaffer

Submissions from 2023

PDF

Occupational Therapy Certified Hand Therapists' Perceptions of Remaining Rooted in Occupation in the Hand Clinic: A Phenomenological Study, Andrea E. Berke-McLaughlin

PDF

How do informal caregivers of a person with dementia experience stress and which supports help mitigate the effect of these stressors?, Kwandra Andrews Brinson

PDF

THE PERCEPTION OF STROKE ON IADL, Paula O. Buari

PDF

Exploring the Perceived Meaning of Community-Based Lifestyle Wellness Programs, Interprofessional Collaboration, and the Relationship to Occupational Therapy: A Phenomenological Approach, Christina Buchignani

PDF

Asynchronous Online Telehealth Training: Occupational Therapist’s Perceptions Of Knowledge and Confidence, Breanna L. Campbell

PDF

Skilled Nuring Facilities Therapists' Experiences with Acquiring Wheelchairs for Their Clients, Vincent Campbell

PDF

Professional Behaviors on the Fieldwork Performance Evaluation: Perspectives of Fieldwork Educators, Jessi S. Clark

PDF

Perceptions of Occupational Therapists Working in Established PACE Programs, Jessica L. Daugherty-Peters

PDF

Toothbrush Training for Preschool Teachers of Students with Level 3 Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cheryl D. Domino

PDF

Biofeedback and Anxiety Reduction: An Occupational Therapy Intervention for Persons with Long Covid, Colette Freda

PDF

Program evaluation of a community-based model for driver off-road assessment in post-acute ABI, Eugenia R. Herbst

PDF

Community-Dwelling Older Adults’ Perceived Self-Efficacy and Readiness for Discharge After Receiving Occupational Therapy Services at a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)., SHIH-NI N. LAI

PDF

A Pretest-Posttest Survey Study of Parent Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Occupational Performance Coaching on Caregiver-Child Play Occupations, Hailee B. Lewis House

PDF

The Impact of Brief Mindfulness Training on Occupational Therapy (OT) Students' Perceived Level of Stress, Emily K. Masters

PDF

Perceptions of Occupational Therapy Practitioners in Recognizing and Addressing Older Adult Food Insecurity, Mitzie Marion C. Mickelson

PDF

Enhancing Support Staff Self-Efficacy in Supporting Neurodiverse Students’ Classroom Engagement, Jennifer Molina

PDF

Client Perceptions on the Value of Pre-Surgical Education Regarding the Recovery Process after Carpometacarpal Arthroplasty, Alice J. Mullholand

PDF

Experiences of Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury and Return to Work: A Scoping Review, Soofia Naqvi

PDF

BARRIERS TO SLEEP IN US ARMY SERVICE MEMBERS: A SCOPING REVIEW, Sally Paul

PDF

A one-day in person workshop to assess novice occupational therapists’ perceived level of preparedness in supervising Level II fieldwork students., Inken Prochilo

PDF

Administrators’ Perceptions of Alternative Service Delivery Models and the School-based Occupational Therapists’ Role, Kimberly Saccucci

PDF

Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ Perceptions of Workplace Stressors in One Nursing Home Post Pandemic, Owen T. Tabelisma

PDF

Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ Perceptions of Their Confidence and Skills When Providing Community and Social Interventions After a Guided Educational Experience, Jenny Williams

PDF

Don’t Forget the Importance of Leisure Occupations for the Community Dwelling Elder, Susan Witt

Submissions from 2022

PDF

Maintaining Occupations for Long-Term Care Residents, Lara Albano

PDF

Use of Concept Mapping Within a Functional Neuroanatomy Course to Promote Critical Thinking Skills in Occupational Therapy Students, Alissa R. Baker

PDF

Occupation and Time-Use: The Narratives of One Individual with Tetraplegia, Amanda Balser

PDF

Understanding Perceptions of Social Eating During Lunch for Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa: An Instrumental Case Study, Madelyn Duzyk

PDF

Occupational Therapists’ clinical reasoning in AAT with dogs in pediatric therapy, Catherine C. Goodman

PDF

Understanding the Experiences of Occupational Therapists Assessing and Treating Functional Cognition Following Stroke, Emma R. Gregg

PDF

The Effects of Education with Healthcare Providers on Low Vision Assistive Devices and their Ability to Improve Self-Care Skills, Lora L. Jester-Rains

PDF

Interprofessional Collaboration Practice Between Nurses and Occupational Therapists, Kimberly Lamke

PDF

ImpACTing Students: Students with Disabilities Participating in a Theater Occupation-Based Program, Markii D. Landry

PDF

The use of compression to treat phlebolymphedema symptomology: A systematic review, Naomi Moran

PDF

Coaching, Capacity, and Change: Youth Sport Providers' Perceptions on Creating a Health-Promoting Environment, Jennifer Papenfuse

PDF

Occupational Therapy Practitioners’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Employer-Sponsored Evidence-Based Practice Activities, Kelli Spayd

PDF

School-Based Practitioners' Perceptions of Working with Students with Challenging Behaviors, Candace Thrash

PDF

Effectiveness of Electrical Stimulation in Treating Upper Extremity Pain for Older Adult Clients Residing in a Skilled Nursing Facility, Cody L. West

Submissions from 2021

PDF

The Impact of Volunteer Transportation on Older Adult’s Engagement in Meaningful Activities, Belinda Alexander

PDF

Interdisciplinary Collaboration in the Homecare Setting, Erica J. Arndt

PDF

Examining Cognitive, Social and Teaching Presence in a Virtual Professional Continuing Education Workshop, Christina Bretz

PDF

A Case Study of Children's Programming in Transitional Housing, Crystal L. Coffman

PDF

A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Two Handwriting Programs on Legibility in First Grade Students, Whitney Cook

PDF

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of the Value of Collaboration with School-Based Occupational Therapists, Jennifer Edick

PDF

AN INTERPROFESSIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE WITH OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT AND PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT STUDENTS THROUGH A SIMULATED EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT, Brooke Gentry

PDF

EFFECTIVENESS OF COLLABORATIVE HANDWRITING CURRICULUM: HANDWRITING WITHOUT TEARS AND ORTON-GILLINGHAM, IN KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM SETTING., Merry G. Harper

PDF

How Does Intraprofessional and Interprofessional Collaboration Impact the Use of Occupation-Based Practice in Skilled Nursing Facilities, Stedmon D. Hopkins

PDF

Get the Wiggles Out: Sensory Paths a Motor-based Intervention to Decrease Out-of-Seat Events in Preschool Children with Special Needs., Teresa Ludwig

PDF

THE ROLE OF REHABILITATION SERVICES IN MANAGING DELIRIUM IN THE ICU: A RETROSPECTIVE CHART REVIEW, Veronique MUNIER

PDF

Does Pre-operative Education Increase Activity Participation and Decrease Perceived Arm Dysfunction in Breast Cancer Patients?, Stephanie R. Rexing

PDF

Parental Educational and Engagement Through Positioning and Play, Gaile E. Seay

PDF

Assistive Technology in Transition Programming for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, Jennifer L. Veenendall

PDF

Occupational Therapists’ Consideration of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity when Working with Adolescents: An Exploratory Study, Kristin Willey

PDF

Therapists’ perceptions of student preparedness regarding hand therapy and the use of occupation-based interventions, Stephanie Ye

PDF

Understanding Parent Beliefs and Attitudes Regarding Healthy Relationships and Sexuality Education: Bridging the Inclusivity Gap, Marie C. Zarrilli

Submissions from 2020

PDF

Fieldwork Educator Preparedness: A Study Examining the Effect of an Online Learning Module on the Perceived Preparedness Levels of Fieldwork Educators, Breanna Chycinski

PDF

The Impact of Cooking Groups on One Individual's Transition to Independent Living, Alison Garcia

PDF

An Exploration of Financial Management Programming for Residents in One Homeless Shelter: A Qualitative Institutional Case Study, Amy M. Heiser

PDF

Best Practice for Teaching Manual Therapy Techniques to Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Deana K. Jackson

PDF

Occupational Engagement in Adults under age 65 living in Skilled Nursing Facilities (OEA-SNF), Rebecca A. King

PDF

Occupational Therapy: The Supports and Barriers to Practice, TAMMY LANE

PDF

ACE: A Recipe for Occupational Competence, Brittany J. Miller

PDF

Determining the Effect of Target Education on Students’ Cultural Responsiveness and Performance During Standard Patient Interactions, Rebecca Mojica

PDF

THE IMPACT OF MOBILE MEDIA ON THE FINE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS ENTERING INTO THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, Bernadette H. Needham

PDF

Promoting Writing Development in Preschoolers, Claudia M. Ortiz

PDF

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SUPPORT IN THE KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM THROUGH RTI TIER I INTERVENTIONS: KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF NEED, Robyn R. Scarlett

PDF

The Impact of Parent Education with Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Kirsta von Hellens

Submissions from 2019

PDF

Parental Self-Efficacy of the “Unexpected Parent”, Cinthia L. Arbogast

PDF

Heart To Heart: Educating Allied Healthcare Students and Professionals About Heart Failure, Samantha M. Barefoot

PDF

Occupational Therapist-Led Parent Support Group Using an Occupational Therapy Approach, Sean Brim

PDF

The Role of Evidence-Based Practice in Alzheimer's Disease and/or Dementia, Laura Leigh Cole

PDF

Acute Care Occupational Therapy Practice: Application of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure in A Palliative Care Program, Karen Enlow

PDF

Understanding Therapists' Perceptions of Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders Using the Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool, Jaimie K. Estreet

PDF

Incorporating Meaningful Occupations of Students with Moderate to Severe Intellectual Disabilities into Structured Learning Experiences with Transition Planning at a Public School System, Catherine Gardner

PDF

Outcomes for Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder (asd) Utilizing Adolescent Adaptive Life Skills Groups, Elizabeth A. Grant

PDF

Use of Self-Care Standardized Assessments in Occupational Therapy Skilled Nursing Home Practice, Courtney M. Green

PDF

The Impact of an Occupation Based Parkinson Caregiver Program on Caregiver's Quality of Life, Jennifer L. Labonte

PDF

The Impact of Education on Implementation of Mirror Box Therapy Across Occupational Therapy Practice Settings, Nicole Y. LaRue

PDF

The Home Health Aide Experience: Opportunities for Occupational Therapy, Julia Mindlina

PDF

Person-Environment Interactions: the Psychological Implications of Behaviors, Confidence, and Self-Efficacy in Falls Management., Lisa S. Roberson

PDF

What Stops Some Occupational Therapy Practitoners From Providing Fieldwork Education?, Jacqueline S. Schafer-Clay

PDF

Exploring Therapist Engagement Using Process Consultation, Rachel B. Spaide

PDF

Examining the Benefits of Educating Caregivers About Tummy Time in the Acute Care Setting, Alexandra L. Turner

PDF

Movement Opportunities Through Vestibular Engagement To Rhythm (mover), Lindsay B. Williams

Submissions from 2018

PDF

Occupational Therapy Intervention for Project Search Interns With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Potential for Improved Transition Outcomes, Jessie L. Bricker

PDF

Perceptions of ATP Certified Occupational Therapy Practitioners on Assistive Technology Education in Occupational Therapy Programs, Karen M. Dishman OTD, OTR, ATP

PDF

A Pilot Experimental Study of Adding the Copm To the Occupational Therapy Evaluation Process In the Swing-bed Division of A Rural Hospital Setting, Sarah T. Durbin Ms.

PDF

The Impact of Interactive Education on Caregivers Caring for Individuals With Dementia, Lisa K. Hong

PDF

Pre-Sleep Routines in Adult Normal Sleepers, Jean Koketsu

PDF

Nursing Perceptions of Occupational Therapy for Delirium Management in the Intensive Care Unit, Emma McClellan

PDF

Cognitive and Metacognitive Factors in Reading Comprehension for Occupational Therapy Assistant Students, Cynthia L. Meyer

PDF

Training Appalachian, Hospital-based Occupational Therapists on the Use of Standardized, Occupation-based Outcome Measures and Treatment Concepts for Traumatic Upper Extremity Injuries: A Pilot Program, Donald G. Pitts

Submissions from 2017

PDF

Sensory-based Group Treatment in Reducing Physically Acting-out Behaviors and Perceived Levels of Distress, Tiffany Barnette

PDF

Investigating the Effectiveness of Web-based Modules Reinforcing Therapy Topics for Caregivers involved in Early Intervention, Terri L. Beard MS, OTR/L

PDF

Investigating the Effectiveness of Web-based Recommended Practice Tutorials for Caregivers of Children in Early intervention Programs, Terri L. Beard

PDF

Opening Minds Through Art: Engaging Art Agencies To Foster Community Participation and Commitment, Ashlyn Cunningham

PDF

The Residency Program Experience: Impact on Resident and Mentor, Lisa Hiestand