OTD Capstone Projects

Abstract

This doctoral capstone project was completed through partnership with GiGi’s Playhouse Nashville, a non-profit that offers free educational and therapeutic programming to individuals of all ages with Down syndrome. The focus of this project was to create and implement an entire semester worth of curriculum for two adult education classes, GiGi Prep and U. The goal of GiGi Prep was to enhance various career readiness skills, while GiGi U builds upon these skills to prepare an individual for real-world settings like independent living, college, and/or working a job. Topics such as communication skills, emotional regulation, money management, coping strategies, self-advocacy, public speaking, and interviewing were all taught through an OT-lens. To enhance programing even more, mindfulness was introduced to students and practiced throughout the semester through mindfulness journaling. A resource for parents was also created to inform families of the mental health benefits and different types of mindfulness practices, as well as encourage carryover in home settings.

Publication Date

Spring 4-22-2025

Faculty Mentor

Whitney Dupree OTD, OTR/L, CPAM

Department

Occupational Therapy, School of

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree

Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD)

Degree Level

Doctoral

Degree Grantor

Belmont University

Keywords

Down syndrome, adult education, program development, career readiness, occupational therapy, mindfulness, life skills

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