Challenges with handwriting can have a negative impact on academic performance, and these challenges are commonly addressed by occupational therapy practitioners in school settings. This systematic review examined the efficacy of curriculum-based interventions to address children's handwriting difficulties in the classroom (preschool to second grade). We reviewed and computed effect sizes for 13 studies (11 Level II, 2 Level III) identified through a comprehensive database search. The evidence shows that curriculum-based handwriting interventions resulted in small- to medium-sized improvements in legibility, a commonly reported challenge in this age group. The evidence for whether these interventions improved speed is mixed, and the evidence for whether they improved fluency is insufficient. No clear support was found for one handwriting program over another. These results suggest that curriculum-based interventions can lead to improvements in handwriting legibility, but Level I research is needed to validate the efficacy of these curricula.

Date Presented 04/200/21 OT has a valuable role in promoting quality of life for individuals with PD in all aspects of daily life. The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) enables practitioners to address the holistic needs of clients, rather than exclusively focusing on predetermined areas of disability. This study has shown that the full breadth of clients' needs are vast and varied and exist beyond those included in standardized assessment tools because only one-third of the items identified by the COPM were included in the Movement Disorder Society—Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale. Primary Author and Speaker: Abdullah Alsaeed Additional Authors and Speakers: Kristen A. Pickett Contributing Authors: Maria Widmer

Date Presented 04/12/21 OT has been specifically called upon to improve the quality of care of people with Parkinson's disease (PD). This capstone project is a response to this call. A two-module online learning program was designed to address the gap between knowledge and current best practices in the treatment of mental health concerns associated with PD. The results suggest that high-quality online training is an effective way to teach OTs to better address the mental health needs of people with PD. Primary Author and Speaker: Sarah A. Zurawski; Contributing Authors: Wendy Coster, Gael Orsmond