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Data sets from research in clinical practice professions often do not meet assumptions necessary for appropriate use of parametric statistics (Lezak and Gray, 1984). When assumptions underlying the use of the parametric tests are violated or cannot be documented, the power of the parametric test may be invalidated and consequently, the significance levels inaccurate (Gibbons, 1976). Much research has investigated the relative merits of parametric versus nonparametric procedures using simulation studies, but little has been done using actual data sets from a particular discipline. This study compared the application of parametric and nonparametric statistics using a body of literature in clinical occupational therapy. The most common parametric procedures in occupational therapy research literature from 1980 - 1984 were identified using methodology adapted from Goodwin and Goodwin (1985). Five small sample size data sets from published occupational therapy research articles typifying the most commonly used univariate parametric procedures were obtained, and subjected to exploratory data analyses (Tukey, 1977) in order to evaluate whether or not assumptions underlying appropriate use of the respective parametric procedures had been met. Subsequently, the nonparametric analogue test was identified and computed. Results revealed that in three of the five cases (paired t-test, one factor ANOVA and Pearson Correlation Coefficient) assumptions underlying the use of the parametric test were not met. In one case (independent t-test) the assumptions were met with a minor qualification. In only one case (simple linear regression) were assumptions clearly met. It was also found that in each of the two cases where parametric assumptions were met, no significant differences in p values between the parametric and the nonparametric tests were found. And conversely, in each of the three cases where parametric assumptions were not met, significant differences between the parametric a

Literature review written by University of Scranton undergraduate students Christina Gavalas and Marjorie Toron, as part of their coursework for Occupational Therapy 494: Evidence-Based Research. Gavalas and Toron were selected by a panel of faculty and staff as the winners of the University's 2016 undergraduate Library Research Prize., Proprioceptive interventions apply deep pressure to the body through weighted instruments or devices that deliver pressure, such as weighted vests, weighted blankets, and the Hug Machine. This project aims to present occupational therapists with an analysis of current proprioceptive interventions for children with autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as an evidence-based protocol for the implementation of specific proprioceptive intervention tools. Following the development of a PICO question, a search strategy was initiated using databases including OT Search, CINAHL, ProQuest Central, SpringerLink, Google Scholar, ERIC, OT Seeker, PubMed, and Science Direct. After a search of the literature, 45 articles from 22 journals were reviewed, and 12 articles met the inclusion criteria for this project. All 12 studies included in the matrix are Level III evidence or higher, published after the year 2000 (except articles on the Hug Machine), and conducted on children under the age of 18 with autism or ADHD focusing on outcomes of decreased stereotypical behaviors, increased attention, or decreased arousal. All 12 articles were analyzed to detect trends in the data, and four articles were carefully selected for critical appraisal. Data were synthesized following this analysis, and clinical implications and areas for future research were discussed. Findings indicate that weighted vests are the most practical to use in conjunction with academic activities, and a preliminary evidence-based protocol for weighted vest interventions was derived. Due to the little available evidence on the efficacy of weighted blankets and the Hug Machine, more research should be conducted on these intervention tools before a determination can be made about their usefulness in practice.

Literature review written by University of Scranton undergraduate students Christina Gavalas and Marjorie Toron, as part of their coursework for Occupational Therapy 494: Evidence-Based Research. Gavalas and Toron were selected by a panel of faculty and staff as the winners of the University's 2016 undergraduate Library Research Prize., Proprioceptive interventions apply deep pressure to the body through weighted instruments or devices that deliver pressure, such as weighted vests, weighted blankets, and the Hug Machine. This project aims to present occupational therapists with an analysis of current proprioceptive interventions for children with autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as an evidence-based protocol for the implementation of specific proprioceptive intervention tools. Following the development of a PICO question, a search strategy was initiated using databases including OT Search, CINAHL, ProQuest Central, SpringerLink, Google Scholar, ERIC, OT Seeker, PubMed, and Science Direct. After a search of the literature, 45 articles from 22 journals were reviewed, and 12 articles met the inclusion criteria for this project. All 12 studies included in the matrix are Level III evidence or higher, published after the year 2000 (except articles on the Hug Machine), and conducted on children under the age of 18 with autism or ADHD focusing on outcomes of decreased stereotypical behaviors, increased attention, or decreased arousal. All 12 articles were analyzed to detect trends in the data, and four articles were carefully selected for critical appraisal. Data were synthesized following this analysis, and clinical implications and areas for future research were discussed. Findings indicate that weighted vests are the most practical to use in conjunction with academic activities, and a preliminary evidence-based protocol for weighted vest interventions was derived. Due to the little available evidence on the efficacy of weighted blankets and the Hug Machine, more research should be conducted on these intervention tools before a determination can be made about their usefulness in practice.