OTD Capstone Projects
Abstract
This doctoral capstone project was completed in partnership with the First Presbyterian Church of Nashville (FPCN), with the shared objective of fostering a more inclusive and sensory-friendly environment within its Children’s Ministry. In alignment with FPCN’s mission to nurture young disciples through holistic, age-appropriate faith formation, this project addressed the growing need to accommodate children’s diverse sensory needs. Key outcomes included improved staff confidence as measured through pre- and post-training surveys, the creation of a resource binder on sensory processing, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and concrete changes to curriculum structure and classroom environments to better support all children’s participation in church.
Publication Date
Spring 4-11-2025
Faculty Mentor
Sue Iliff, PhD, OTR/L, BCP
Department
Occupational Therapy, School of
College
Health Sciences & Nursing, Gordon E. Inman College of
Document Type
Scholarly Project
Degree
Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)
Degree Level
Doctoral
Degree Grantor
Belmont University
Keywords
sensory processing; children’s ministry; church accessibility; autism spectrum disorder; ADHD; sensory challenges; staff training; educational resources
Recommended Citation
Allen, Sarah, "Management of Sensory Processing Differences to Support Children’s Participation in Church" (2025). OTD Capstone Projects. 213.
https://repository.belmont.edu/otdcapstoneprojects/213
