Lab for the Study of Occupation Info

Dr. Larson is an occupational therapist and occupational scientist with over forty years of clinical and research experience working with children with disabilities and their families. Her clinical experience has shaped both her teaching and research. Her most recent work focuses on wellness promotion for caregivers, college students and elementary school students. She has designed wellness courses for undergraduates and graduates. The focus on wellness is also prominent in her research projects: 5Minutes4Myself a wellness program for caregivers of children with autism; a new adaptation of this program called 5Minutes4Bienestar for Latinx college students; the Sennett Outdoor experience, a participatory action research project where middle schoolers are designing an outdoor space to promote their needs for wellness. In 2015, Dr. Larson was appointed as a fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association. She was also awarded a Vilas Life Cycle Professorship Award, and service awards from the Society for the Study of Occupation: USA and Mixed Methods International Research Association for her role in establishing these organizations and serving on their inaugural boards.

PhD Student

Hi, my name is Anna and I am from Albuquerque, New Mexico. I received my undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from Trinity University in 2021 and am now pursuing my OTD degree here in Madison. My current research interests include public health, young adults/college-aged students, and caregiving but they continue to evolve as I become more involved in research. I am hoping to use my degree to bring OT into non-traditional practice settings. With my free time, I enjoy running, having picnics with my friends, and swimming any chance I get

OTD Student

OTD Student

Hi, my name is Brooke Bossert and I am from Dwight, Illinois. I received my undergraduate degree in Kinesiology/Exercise Science from Illinois State University in 2021. I am now pursuing my OTD degree here in Madison, and will be graduating in 2025. In my gap year, I worked full-time as a personal trainer at an orthopedic and sports enhancement center. My current goal is to practice as a certified hand therapist, bringing more occupation-based ideas to this setting. Outside of my studies, my hobbies include functional strength/movement training, reading, spending time with my friends and family, listening to live music, and exploring new coffee shops.

OTD Student

My name is Neil Crowson, originally from Salt Lake City, UT. I graduated with an undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Boise State University in 2021. Currently, I’m pursuing my OTD degree at UW-Madison, aiming to graduate in 2026. As a non-traditional student at 32 years old, I bring nearly a decade of experience in outdoor education, encompassing backcountry winter travel, wilderness-trail maintenance, outdoor mindfulness experiences, and multiday backpacking. Needless to say, I have a profound affinity for natural environments. While my specific direction within the OT field is still taking shape, my aspiration revolves around engaging with individuals across all life stages and collaborating within community systems to promote occupational wellness.

OTD Student

Hi my name is Brooke. I am a current OTD student at UW-Madison. I am from Germantown, Wisconsin. I got my bachelors degree in Occupational Science and Technology at UW-Milwaukee. I aspire to work in a pediatric setting as an occupational therapist as I love working with students with a focus on sensory adaptations, emotional regulation, and fine motor activities. My research interests include well-being in underrepresented populations, cultural diversity, and students with disabilities. My hobbies outside of school include taking my dog to the dog park, going to coffee shops with friends, and spending time outside or near water.

OTD Student

OTD Student

OTD Student

Hello, my name is Tori Johnstone and I’m from Milford, Pennsylvania. I received my undergraduate degree in Early Childhood and Special Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Over the next seven years, I taught  second and fourth grade in the states of North Carolina and Colorado. With a big career shift, I am now currently in my third year of the OTD program in Madison, WI. My goal is to use my OT degree to work with veterans in the VA system and to help give back to the military community that my husband has been a part of for nearly a decade now. My current research interests include veteran rehabilitation, neuro rehab, and telehealth. A few of my favorite hobbies include photography, camping, diving, and running. 

OTD Student

OTD Student

Hi! My name is Ashlynn Numrich and I am from Neenah, Wisconsin. I received my undergraduate degree in Biology with an emphasis in Health Care Sciences from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. I have experience working with kids through ABA therapy, respite care, and volunteering with Wisconsin 4-H youth events. I also work as an Endoscopy Technician at UW Health and have gained lots of patient care experience in an adult setting with this position! I currently am a first year Entry Level Doctorate Occupational Therapy Student at the University of Wisconsin Madison. I am looking forward to utilizing my degree to work in a pediatric and/or mental health setting to support individuals with participation in what they love, want, and need to do! I am currently interested in research surrounding the brain-gut axis, neuro rehab, and executive functioning abilities related to adverse life experiences. Outside of school, some of my favorite occupations include playing piano, hiking, camping, cooking, and volunteering with WI 4-H! 

OTD Student

Hello, my name is Yadi Quintanilla and I am from Houston, Texas. I received my undergraduate degree in Psychology from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota in 2020. For one year, I worked as a direct care professional in a home for individuals with Dementia where I continued to grow my passion in the profession of occupational therapy. I am currently in my third year of the Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program at UW Madison. My Goal is to increase awareness of the occupational therapy profession to underserved populations through academia. My current research interests include wellbeing in the latinx community, caregiving, and dementia care. Outside of occupational therapy, I enjoy spontaneous walks in the park, playing board games, cooking, and tea time.

OTD Student

OTD Student

 My name is Clare Weible, and I am from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I completed my undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Studies here at UW–Madison in 2018, and in my gap years, I worked in autism therapy. In Dr. Larson’s Lab, I was a project lead on the Children’s Kitchen Task Assessment (CKTA) and also worked on the Sennett Playground Study as well as 5Minutes4Bienester. For my capstone project, I am implementing a nature connection program at a public school to support healthy development, emotional regulation, fine and gross motor skills, mental health, and executive function skills through mindful experiences in nature. These are my primary areas of interest, and I look forward to furthering nature-based and school-based occupational therapy research and practice after graduation. My favorite occupations include reading, traveling, spending time in nature, and cuddling with my cat.

OTD Student

Hello, my name is Kalia Xiong and I am currently a first year OTD student here at UW-Madison. I received my undergraduate degree at UW-Oshkosh, majoring in Psychology with a Sociology minor. While completing my undergraduate degree, I worked at an ABA therapy clinic that provides care and teaches fundamental skills for children with autism. Although rewarding, I was challenged to learn many new things and to be creative in how to help my clients overcome their own challenges. Through this experience, it sparked my interest in pursuing a degree in occupational therapy to further my knowledge in helping people navigate through their own challenges and limitations to enhance their quality of life. My current goal is to use my OT degree to practice as a certified hand therapist or in a pediatric setting for children with autism. My favorite occupations include camping, fishing, learning and teaching line dances to my mother, watching movies/shows, listening to music, and playing recreational volleyball and football with my family!

https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/9Q3IYHXPNEM47ICTA7KH/full?target=10.1080/14427591.2023.2226463

https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/YKI9IVHFHN384NMABT4Y/full

Background. Many caregivers of autistic children experience increased stress, and diminished health often due to the caregiving demands.

Purpose. The project aim was to design a feasible and sustainable wellness program tailored to these caregivers’ lives.

Methods. In this collaborative research-informed project, participants (N = 28) were mostly female, white, and well-educated. In focus groups, we delineated lifestyle issues, then designed, delivered and assessed an initial program with one cohort; and repeated this process with a second group.

Findings. Focus group data were transcribed then coded qualitatively to inform following steps. Data analysis identified lifestyle issues key to program design, desired program elements, and after program delivery, affirmed elements and recommended changes. The team used meta-inferences to guide program revisions after each cohort.

Implications. Caregivers viewed resulting 5Minutes4Myself program as filling a significant service gap; its hybrid design used in-person coaching and a habit-building app with mindfulness content to support lifestyle change.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecinn.2023.100149

Objective

This mixed method analysis examined fidelity of the motivational interviewing (MI) delivered during the 5Minutes4Myself wellness program for caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Methods

Coaches used a manualized MI-approach to collaboratively design participants’ individualized wellness programs, and then used it in monthly coaching sessions to support goal pursuit. Audio-recorded consultations and post-participation focus groups were transcribed verbatim. Consultation transcripts were rated for MI adherence using Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity Code. Focus group data was coded by the team to identify conceptual categories.

Results

Eighty-seven percent of consultations achieved a beginning (competent) level expert-derived MI standard. Caregivers noted that coaches’ MI approach evoked deep emotions and understandings about their lives related to wellness goals, allowed for a permissive flexibility in goal pursuit, and fostered supportive accountability.

Conclusion

MI was used with high levels of fidelity. Participants described the MI approach as more productive, precise, and useful in addressing their needs compared to other available interventions.

 https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/54171

Background:

Caregivers of children with autism experience more stress and poorer health outcomes than parents of children with other developmental disabilities or typical development. Yet due to their time intensive caregiving these parents may be unable to attend community-based wellness programming. Innovative programs using interventions delivered in part via mobile applications, that allow caregivers’ participation when and where convenient to them may provide greater access to wellness promotion that leads to stress reduction. The 5Minutes4Myself program was developed with and for caregivers of children with autism; caregivers requested a modification of the initial version of the 5Minutes4Myself program to include a mobile app to delivered mindfulness meditations. This feasibility study examines the usability and use of this newly-designed 5Minutes4Myself companion mobile application and its impact on caregivers’ stress.

Objective:

This preliminary study assesses: 1) the acceptability of the 5Minutes4Myself wellness app; 2) caregivers’ adoption/use of app delivered caregiver-tailored meditations; and 3) assess the impact of caregiver-tailored mindfulness meditations on caregivers’ levels of mindfulness and perceived stress.

Methods:

Before and after participation in the 5Minutes4Myself wellness program using the newly designed app with mindfulness content, participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Weekly usage of app-delivered meditations was collected electronically over 4 months’ time; and app quality and functionality were rated via the Modified System Usability Scale (MSUS). Analyses describe participants’ frequency of use of app-delivered meditations, ratings of app quality and functionality, and investigated changes in participants’ stress and mindfulness post-intervention.

Results:

Overall participants rated the app 76.7, indicating above average usability, and on average completed 10.9 minutes of mindfulness meditations per week. Related samples t-test found that group PSS and FFMQ pre-/post-intervention mean scores were not significantly different. However, a visualization of pre- and post-PSS and mindfulness scores suggested there was a group of responders who had decreased stress with increased mindfulness. This was confirmed via an individual change analysis. The effect size of the FFMQ scores suggest there may be treatment effects with a larger sample. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis examined the degree mindfulness impacted perceived stress; 20% of variance in participants’ perceived stress could be attributed to increases in self-rated mindfulness (p = .04) when controlling for pre-intervention stress levels.

Conclusions:

Caregivers found the app highly usable and on average used low-dose levels of mindfulness meditations (~10 minutes/week). While not all caregivers had reduced stress post-participation, there was a responder group that benefitted from app-delivered “low-dose” mindfulness, with reductions in self-rated stress closer to population-based levels. Given our findings, increased mindfulness appeared essential for caregivers’ stress reduction. Clinical Trial: Trial registration: 2015-1004