Date of Award

Spring 5-4-2024

Document Type

Oral Presentation/Poster

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Department

Health Science

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Shana Cerny

Keywords

S.M.A.R.T., junior-kindergarten, multi-sensory approach, education, sensory processing, sensory integration

Subject Categories

Occupational Therapy

Abstract

The purpose of this capstone project is to educate educational professionals on multi-sensory approaches and to implement the Stimulating Maturity Through Accelerated Readiness Training (S.M.A.R.T.) program to increase students’ engagement in academic learning. This project used pre- and post-tests to determine baseline knowledge. The occupational therapy student participated in S.M.A.R.T. training, and the junior kindergarten students participated in eight-weeks of S.M.A.R.T. program implementation. The students’ pre- and post-test assessments were completed by the students one-week pre-intervention and following eight weeks of program implementation. The educational professionals’ pre- and post-test assessments were completed by the kindergarten teachers before and after receiving educational materials to assess their knowledge about the multi-sensory approaches used in the S.M.A.R.T. curriculum. The data indicated that junior kindergarten students benefit from the S.M.A.R.T. program as indicated by improvement in uppercase letters, numbers, colors, handwriting legibility, balance, hand-eye coordination, cutting, and Draw-a-Person. The educational professionals’ data indicated that the teachers benefitted from the developed educational materials as shown by improvement in overall mean scores from 9.36 to 14.8 points out of 17 points. These results indicate a need for S.M.A.R.T. program implementation in elementary classrooms to increase students’ participation in academic learning, and a need for multi-sensory training in school staff. Expanding the S.M.A.R.T. program to occupational therapy practice in the school setting will enhance the treatment approach while supporting students’ academic learning.

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