Kelsey Puliafico

OCCT 657B
Evidence-Based Practice Final Reflection
I have never been much of a research enthusiast; however, over the course of my two
years in the occupational therapy program at Touro, I have gained a much greater appreciation
for the importance of understanding the research process.
During the initial research class, quantitative research was probably the worst type of
research course for an individual like myself to start in. The reason being is I hate math. Statistics
was a class that I took just because I had to have it fulfilled by my core classes to graduate.
During the quantitative research class, I took the time to try and better understand the meaning of
statistical analysis and connect it to outcomes in practice. It was not until the second semester in
my qualitative research class that I found myself beginning to come around and enjoy part of the
research process.
I learned the differences between quantitative and qualitative research lay in the type of
results they develop. While quantitative research can be broken down into numbers and statistics,
qualitative research is more concerned with reasoning and insight into a problem or idea. I found
that qualitative data is gathered a lot through discussion and survey, and analyzed for commonly
emerging themes. Going into a profession that is as client-centered and person-focused as
occupational therapy, I believe I enjoy engaging in the process of collecting data for qualitative
means because it allows me to make connections with others. I also believe reading qualitative
research articles are easier for my non-math brain to comprehend fully. When I read any research
article the first time through, I find myself looking for words that stand out such as methods,
participant groups, procedural protocols, and outcomes. If I can skim a research article and
determine its overall purpose, I am more likely to reread it a second time for meticulous details.
Another positive aspect of research studies includes those on topics of interest to me.

Kelsey Puliafico
OCCT 657B
During the final research course in the TUN academic program, systematic reviews, I had
the opportunity to take all of the knowledge that I have gained throughout my time in
occupational therapy school and apply it to a single research topic. I chose to examine the
literature to determine the effectiveness of interventions on socialization and communication
skills in children with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Overall the project was exciting
because I was able to look for evidence to support interventions for a population of interest to
me. After completing the systematic review and critical appraisal paper, I determined that
utilizing musical interventions for children with ASD has proven effective, although the numbers
of positive results are still small. I think it will be important to continue implementing research
studies with larger sample sizes or other populations to continue to see growth in its use as an
intervention modality.
Lastly, as my comfort level in the area of research has expanded from the beginning of the
occupational therapy program to now, I made an effort to engage in one final research
opportunity at TUNs 10th Annual Research Day. My systematic review partner and I submitted
an abstract of our literature review detailing the effectiveness of musical interventions for
children with ASD. We were selected to present our poster to the school during the morning
poster session. It was a great experience to share evidence-based research from occupational
therapists perspectives with other interdisciplinary students.
In the long run, engaging in research courses and utilizing evidence-based research
articles to support interventions for clients continues to prove useful. As the occupational
therapy profession continues to grow, I must do my clients and the profession justice by
providing high-quality and researched treatment approaches that will promote individualized
outcomes.