Date of Award
Spring 5-2024
Document Type
Oral Presentation/Poster
Degree Name
Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
Department
Health Science
Faculty Mentor
Megan Johnke OTD, OTR/L
Keywords
music, mood, social skills, behavior, communication, occupation-based
Subject Categories
Occupational Therapy
Abstract
Music in therapy research currently focuses on the role of music therapy in children with behaviors, mood, and social/communication difficulties. However, limited research exists on the role of music in occupational therapy. The purpose of the capstone project was to use music-focused occupation-based interventions with children to improve social/communication skills, mood, and behaviors at a pediatric outpatient clinic. A literature review was completed on the objectives listed above to determine the need of the project. The theoretical foundation of the project is the Ecology of Human Performance Model, focusing on the unique contexts of each child. Music was used in each session to reach the client and capstone goals. Improvement in children’s social skills was demonstrated by an increase in scores for the Social Profile, DAY-C, and self-created social assessment. Mood and behavior scores were observed to improve from beginning to end in 80% of the children as well. The DAY-C indicated improvement in three out of four children in the Adaptive Behavior domain and all children in the Social-Emotional domain. The project determined that music-focused occupation-based interventions in children with mood, behavior, and social/communication difficulties is beneficial.
Recommended Citation
Kays, Abby, "Incorporating Music into Pediatric Occupational Therapy" (2024). Occupational Therapy Capstone Presentations. 110.
https://red.library.usd.edu/ot-capstone/110