Research

Faculty from the Department of Occupational Therapy engage in scholarly work and research that is of critical importance to furthering the knowledge base related occupational therapy theory, and best practice. Department faculty collaborate with researchers from within and outside the Department, and with researchers from other institutions in the US and abroad to conduct their work. They also routinely involve students in their research and with other scholarly projects, including the collection, and analyses of data, review of literature, scholarly writing, product development, and disseminating information through presentations and publications.  OT faculty research interests include but are not limited to the following topic areas:

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  Examination of the effectiveness of community-based intervention programs for individuals with acquired brain injury for improving quality of life and social participation
• The development and evaluation of assistive technologies for individuals with disabilities
•  Examination of psychosocial aspects of illness and disability, and how many factors impact coping and recoveryStandardized test development for measuring sensory integration functions in children
• Examining and measuring social interaction in adults and children
•  Early Identification methods for diagnosing autism spectrum disorders in infancy
• Examination and reduction of stress and its relationship with occupational performance

• Promotion of satisfying employment for persons with disabilities