Perspectives Inaugural Issue (Winter 2013)

PERSPECTIVES • WINTER/SPRING 2013 28 OT • FORT LAUDERDALE Nicole Quint, Dr.OT, M.O.T.R/L, clin- ical faculty member, and Sandee Dunbar, D.P.A., OTR/L, FAOTA, assistant dean of professional development and education, partnered with Stacey Coulter, O.D., FAAO, principal investigator from optom- etry, to evaluate reduced convergence and the relevance of sensory-processing differ- ences among children with autism spec- trum disorders (ASDs). The parents of children, ranging in age from 9 to 17 with and without reduced convergence, were given a sensory processing profile to com- plete. Children who exhibited reduced con- vergence were also given two different types of developmental evaluations in the OT clinic. Preliminary results of the small sample of children with ASD indicated that younger children with reduced conver- gence tend to be sensory seekers, whereas older children did not demonstrate this sen- sory pattern. This is only one aspect of the larger study that focused on optometric evaluations with several investigators. This collaborative study enabled two depart- ments within the Health Professions Divi- sion to share expertise and facilitate a greater understanding of potential connec- tions between visual and other sensory-pro- cessing aspects. Two poster presentations have already been disseminated, and a pub- lication is pending. OT and Optometry Collaborate Master of Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.) second-year students completed their first Level I Fieldwork experience in July 2012. This fieldwork experience focuses on community practice, with the students gaining knowledge in settings ranging from sheltered workshops andAlzheimer’s units to senior centers and mental health drop-in centers. One of the projects required during the fieldwork is to create a community pro- gram and implement it with the clients at the site. One site, the Palm Beach Habili- tation Center, is a facility that provides various services for adults with develop- mental disabilities, including a sheltered workshop as well as day-treatment serv- ices. The M.O.T. students (Nicole Hoag, Scott Buckingham, Karleen Karnikoff, and Kirsten Kelley) created a program for the adults in one of the programs focused on improving leisure engagement and community outings. The program con- cluded with a group adventure to Calypso Bay in West Palm Beach. The students gained experience in learning to plan the outing to ensure safety and en- joyment as well as executing transferring clients in and out of the water and encour- aging socialization. The outing was a re- sounding success, and the center’s staff members reported they are now incorpo- rating community outings on a consistent basis as a result of the program. M.O.T. Students Serve in Fieldwork M.O.T. students Nicole Hoag, Scott Buckingham, Kirsten Kelley, and Karleen Konikoff outside of the Palm Beach Habilitation Center preparing for Calypso Bay. M.O.T. student Kirsten Kelley promotes socialization between two of the participants while they enjoy Calypso Bay’s wading pool. M.O.T. student Nicole Hoag enabling clients to participate in the water-day festivities to promote health through leisure engagement. An M.O.T. student assists one of the clients into the wading pool, focusing on safety and socialization during the water event.