American Journal of Occupational Therapy : Official Publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association

IMPORTANCE: Low social competence is one of the most complex and resistant challenges faced by adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Occupational therapy practitioners have recognized the potential benefits of using the arts, including training in magic tricks, as a therapeutic medium to improve and enhance clients' psychosocial well-being. OBJECTIVE: To describe the efficacy of a virtual magic trick training program (MTTP) to enhance social skills and self-esteem in adolescents with ASD...

Evidence Connection articles are offered by the American Occupational Therapy Association's Evidence-Based Practice Program to inform and assist occupational therapy practitioners in methods that translate findings from the literature into usable knowledge for daily practice. These articles can guide professional reasoning and help practitioners operationalize findings from systematic reviews into practical strategies that can improve patient outcomes and support evidence-based practice. This Evidence Connection article is based on findings from a systematic review of interventions within the scope of occupational therapy practice to improve performance with activities of daily living (ADLs) for adults with Parkinson's disease (Doucet et al...

IMPORTANCE: It is vital that occupational therapy practitioners address caregivers' needs to enable them to maintain participation in caregiving for people poststroke. OBJECTIVE: To explore the evidence for the effectiveness of interventions within the scope of occupational therapy practice for caregivers of people poststroke that facilitate maintaining participation in the caregiver role. DATA SOURCES: We conducted a narrative synthesis systematic review of the literature published in the MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, OTseeker, and Cochrane databases between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2019...

IMPORTANCE: Environmental and contextual factors may facilitate or limit participation in daily activities. A detailed, systematic categorization of such factors enhances evaluation and intervention and promotes occupational engagement. OBJECTIVE: To develop an inclusive, detailed, and comprehensive typology of terms for environmental and contextual factors that affect occupational engagement and participation. DATA SOURCES: We searched the Avery Index of Architectural Periodicals, ERIC, EMBASE, CINAHL, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and Engineering Village databases, using the keywords environment, factors, context, participation, people, disability, disabilities, aspects, barriers, assessment, and evaluation...

IMPORTANCE: When providing services, occupational therapists encounter social inequities that affect the health and well-being of their clients and create ethical tensions. OBJECTIVE: To develop an understanding of the ethical tensions encountered by occupational therapists working with clients experiencing social inequity and how such tensions are navigated. DESIGN: This qualitative study used an interpretive description methodology. SETTING: Community and tertiary health settings...

IMPORTANCE: Adaptive equipment, such as shower grab bars and modified toilet seating, is effective but underused in the United States. To change this, a better understanding of how equipment ends up being installed is needed. We hypothesized that rehabilitation services were a major mechanism. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between receipt of rehabilitation services and installation of adaptive equipment. DESIGN: Observational cohort of the National Health and Aging Trends Study in 2015 and 2016...

IMPORTANCE: Parent training is an essential part of occupational therapy intervention for children with sensory processing and sensory integration (SP-SI) challenges, and parents' learning needs should be considered. OBJECTIVE: To identify the extent to which adult learning needs are considered in occupational therapy literature addressing parent training as a part of intervention for children with SP-SI challenges. DATA SOURCES: Searches were performed of the following databases: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, EMBASE, and ERIC...

IMPORTANCE: Parenting may influence perceptions of occupational balance (OB), particularly among parents of children with disabilities (PCWD). OBJECTIVE: To compare OB among PCWD and parents of typically developing children (PTDC), identify potential predictors of OB, and examine the association between OB and family quality of life (FQOL). DESIGN: Cross-sectional group-comparison design. SETTING: Two hospitals under the Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar...

IMPORTANCE: Assessment of tactile perception is foundational for addressing aspects of occupational performance. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the construct validity and internal reliability of four new tactile perception tests. DESIGN: Causal comparative groups design. SETTINGS: Homes, schools, and therapy practices across the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Children ages 3 to 12 yr: typically developing (n = 174) and those with sensory integration concerns (n = 153)...

IMPORTANCE: In-home therapy provides the opportunity for rehabilitation intervention to be completed in the context of the patient's natural environment. However, most studies have focused on the effects of physical exercise, leaving a gap in understanding the effectiveness of a more task-oriented intervention that addresses individual preferences. OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational PerformanceTM (CO-OP) approach, delivered at home with older adults after a hip fracture to improve functional outcomes...

IMPORTANCE: Attentional engagement is essential for successful cognitive rehabilitation, but little is known about longitudinal interactions with skill learning. OBJECTIVE: To examine how attentional engagement is associated with mobile application skill learning for memory compensation. We hypothesized that patients with greater functional capacity would demonstrate faster learning and attentional engagement drop with skill acquisition, whereas patients with lesser functional capacity would have to maintain attentional engagement to progress throughout training...

IMPORTANCE: Identifying cognitive impairment in adults in acute care is essential so that providers can address functional deficits and plan for safe discharge. Occupational therapy practitioners play an essential role in screening for, evaluating, and treating cognitive impairment. OBJECTIVE: To test and compare the psychometrics and feasibility of three cognitive screens and select the ideal screen for use in acute care. DESIGN: Prospective mixed methods...

IMPORTANCE: Handwriting legibility is the main criterion for determining whether a child has handwriting difficulties. A comprehensive assessment of handwriting legibility with sound psychometrics is essential to timely identification of handwriting difficulties and outcome measurement after handwriting interventions. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the psychometrics of the Computer-Aided Measure of Chinese Handwriting Legibility (CAM-CHL) and to investigate Chinese handwriting legibility in school-age children using the CAM-CHL...

IMPORTANCE: In laboratory settings, dual-tasking is a performance strategy affected by dominance and stroke. However, the volitional use of dual-tasking has not been examined during naturalistic performance of activities of daily living (ADLs). OBJECTIVE: To examine dual-tasking in the context of ADLs and identify whether dominance and stroke influence its use. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, observational. SETTING: Academic medical center...

IMPORTANCE: Occupational therapists require valid cognitive fitness-to-drive tools to advise drivers in this high-stakes area. OBJECTIVE: To examine the psychometric properties and predictive validity of data gathered with the touchscreen DriveSafe DriveAware (DSDA). DESIGN: Prospective study that compared a screening tool with a criterion standard. SETTING: Ten community- and hospital-based driver assessment clinics in Australia and New Zealand...

IMPORTANCE: Few tools are available for assessing the activity performance of people with low vision. Additional practical instruments are required for occupational therapy evaluation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Revised Low Vision Independence Measure (LVIM-R). DESIGN: We analyzed Turkish LVIM-R items using confirmatory factor analysis with parceling. Test-retest reliability was measured using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)...

IMPORTANCE: Stroke survivors report feeling unprepared to manage challenges that arise during the transition from hospital to home. Cultivating problem-solving skills before discharge may better prepare patients for the transition home. OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of a protocol to deliver Problem-Solving Training (PST) to stroke survivors during inpatient rehabilitation to increase goal achievement. DESIGN: Single-group feasibility study...

IMPORTANCE: Internationally, it is suggested that school-based occupational therapy (SBOT) has an important role in supporting inclusion in educational settings. In SBOT, multitiered service delivery models are identified as a way forward to maximize school inclusion. Therefore, identifying evidence for the implementation of tiered interventions in SBOT is vital. OBJECTIVE: To identify and map evidence in the occupational therapy literature relating to SBOT interventions delivered in elementary schools for all children, for those at risk, and for those with identified diagnoses...

IMPORTANCE: Occupational therapy practitioners working in mental health settings in the United States are faced with challenges and barriers to implementing justice-oriented, occupation-centered practice. Research situated in the practice context with practitioners as coresearchers may provide an avenue for changing practice. OBJECTIVE: To describe the reconceptualization and redesign of occupational therapy services by a community of occupational therapy practitioners in an acute mental health setting in the United States...

IMPORTANCE: A simple measure that can be administered remotely by means of videoconferencing is needed for telerehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: To develop a valid and reliable measure, the Arm Capacity and Movement Test (ArmCAM), that can be administered remotely by means of videoconferencing to evaluate upper extremity motor function poststroke. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Participants' homes. PARTICIPANTS: A sample of people with stroke (N = 31)...