Exploring Sport as a Therapeutic Occupational: Looking Through the Lends of Paralympic Athletes
Faculty Advisor Name
Julia Bonham
Department
Department of Health Professions
Description
Participation in sports and athletics can be categorized in many ways, such as health maintenance, education, play, leisure, social participation, and more. These themes fall within occupational therapy's practice framework. However, minimal research has been completed on the use of sport as a therapeutic practice framework. However, minimal research has been completed on the use of sport as a therapeutic treatment concerning occupational therapy, and it is generally perceived that sport as an intervention should be left to sport-centered professions. Our research is designed to ameliorate this divide and emphasize that sport can (and should) be used as a therapeutic modality within occupational therapy practice. We will utilizing the lived experience of at least one Paralympic athlete to gain a qualitative understanding of the form, function, and meaning of sport in the physically impaired community and grow our knowledge on the barriers that prevent participation in sport. These terms are components of the theory of Occupational Science which will guide our research. Further, we will use other occupational therapy theories and frames of reference to guide our research and shape our outlook on results. The purpose of this project is to investigate how occupational therapists can optimize the use of sport as a therapeutic modality. We will explore objective and subjective aspects of sport as an occupation through the lens of Paralympic athletes.
Exploring Sport as a Therapeutic Occupational: Looking Through the Lends of Paralympic Athletes
Participation in sports and athletics can be categorized in many ways, such as health maintenance, education, play, leisure, social participation, and more. These themes fall within occupational therapy's practice framework. However, minimal research has been completed on the use of sport as a therapeutic practice framework. However, minimal research has been completed on the use of sport as a therapeutic treatment concerning occupational therapy, and it is generally perceived that sport as an intervention should be left to sport-centered professions. Our research is designed to ameliorate this divide and emphasize that sport can (and should) be used as a therapeutic modality within occupational therapy practice. We will utilizing the lived experience of at least one Paralympic athlete to gain a qualitative understanding of the form, function, and meaning of sport in the physically impaired community and grow our knowledge on the barriers that prevent participation in sport. These terms are components of the theory of Occupational Science which will guide our research. Further, we will use other occupational therapy theories and frames of reference to guide our research and shape our outlook on results. The purpose of this project is to investigate how occupational therapists can optimize the use of sport as a therapeutic modality. We will explore objective and subjective aspects of sport as an occupation through the lens of Paralympic athletes.
