Campus Location
Abilene Campus (Residential)
Date of Award
12-2025
Document Type
OTD Capstone
Department
Occupational Therapy
Degree
OTD
Faculty Advisor
Leslye Morris
Site Mentor
Carly Smith
Capstone Coordinator
Leslye Morris
Specialization
Program Development
Focus
Pediatric Screening Tools
Abstract
This capstone project focused on occupational therapy screening tools for the pediatric population within the areas of specialization of program development and evaluation and clinical skills. The literature revealed that there is a lack of recognition of the intent, knowledge, and access to screening and how it fits within the overall evaluation process. To address this gap, this capstone project aimed to create a positively perceived comprehensive screening tool for occupational therapy clinicians to utilize for the early identification of developmental delays within preschool-aged children. This capstone project also aimed to organize a screening program in coordination with local schools/daycare facilities to foster developmental support within the community and promote the expansion of screening tool use. Following the development of an updated comprehensive screening tool for preschool-aged children, occupational therapists at Allison’s Therapy Corner were trained to implement the tool and interpret results in preparation for formal screenings. Project implementation yielded 49 screening administrations across three settings, identifying 12 children who were recommended for formal evaluations, and seven children who were identified as having borderline skill progression. This capstone project revealed that there is a need for access to positively perceived comprehensive pediatric screening tools to encourage early identification of delays and promote early intervention needed for appropriate skill development among preschool-aged children. In addition to increased screening tool utilization and usability, this project revealed that program expansion allows for increased clinical outreach and opportunities for clinical growth.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.