Trauma and the role of the school-based occupational therapist

Occupational therapists' practice with complex trauma: A profile

INTRODUCTION

Many children in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Australia experience complex trauma and its developmental impacts. Internationally, occupational therapists work with complex trauma and use sensory-based, integrative, and functional approaches. The practices of occupational therapists in Aotearoa and Australia with children experiencing complex trauma have not previously been described.

METHODS

This article reports the quantitative results of a mixed-methods study which profiled occupational therapists' practice in Aotearoa and Australia with children aged 0 to 12 years old who experienced complex trauma. Twenty-five participants completed the survey. The average age of participants was 43 years (SD = 10.65), all were female (n = 25), and most identified as New Zealand European (n = 11) or Australian European (n = 9). A survey was distributed via Occupational Therapy New Zealand - Whakaora Ngangahau Aotearoa and Occupational Therapy Australia.

RESULTS

The majority of participants had a bachelor's degree (64%) and worked in community settings (76%). Fourteen participants (56%) used sensory approaches. The most common assessments used were those of sensory processing (n = 12, 48%) and observation (n = 12, 48%). The Sensory Profile was the most popular standardised assessment (n = 8, 32%). The most common interventions used with children experiencing complex trauma were sensory (n = 13, 52%) and play based (n = 13, 52%). Most participants reported not adapting their practices for Māori or Aboriginal children. Most participants felt somewhat prepared (n = 15) for working with complex trauma, with most reporting a lack of experience in this area (n = 10). Supervision was suggested by 92% (n = 23) of the participants.

CONCLUSION

Sensory-based practices were most common among occupational therapists in Aotearoa and Australia who worked with children experiencing complex trauma. The participants suggested supervision, social support, and practical training when working with complex trauma. Advocacy and research are required within this subspecialty, and further professional engagement in the application of culturally safe practice.

Trauma informed occupational therapy school practice with adolescents with social emotional and behavioural difficulties: findings of standardised measures

Abstract Introduction Although non-standardized qualitative and quantitative reports from 39 Irish students aged 12 to 14 years, with complex social and emotional needs and their 13 teachers had established benefits of ‘Movement Matters’, an occupational therapy designed participatory curriculum for learning self-regulation in mainstream schools (National Behaviour Support Service, 2015a), standardized measures were required for quality assurance by the Irish Government funded service. Objective The relevance of findings of standardized attitude measurements on the impacts of an occupation focused intervention with a discrete school population in areas of social disadvantage are discussed. Method Findings of the ‘Pupil Attitude to Self and School’ (PASS) (Granada Learning, 2021) and ‘Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire’ (SDQ) (Youth in Mind, 2021), both well-established standardized measures of attitude and behaviours completed (pre and post intervention) by teachers, parents and students are presented. Results No statistically significant differences were found between the standardized pre and post intervention measures. However, findings indicate a disparity between how these students in complex environments experience school in comparison to large UK study populations. Conclusion This paper discusses the use of these standardized measures for capturing impacts of an occupation focused intervention in a school environment. It calls for an increased appreciation on outcomes measurement related to the intervention’s aim of providing experiences of meaningful participation and well-being. Further collaborative research on outcome measurement of participation of students in complex mainstream school environments is required.

Sensory Modulation Dysfunction in Child Victims of Trauma: a Scoping Review

Due to the high level of violence globally, providing intervention for child victims of trauma has become a priority for various government departments and health professionals including occupational therapists. Child appropriate sensory modulation intervention, which has its theoretical origins within the occupational therapy profession, has been suggested as a suitable treatment approach for children who are victims of trauma, since the initial experience of trauma occurs on a somatosensory level. Advances in trauma care indicate that children may experience the effects of trauma as an inability to appropriately regulate and organize sensory responses. This results in sensory modulation dysfunction associated with emotional and behavior difficulties. This scoping review provides an overview of the extent to which sensory modulation dysfunction has been identified and treated in child victims of trauma. Using the Arksey and O'Malley (2005) framework, five databases and three manual hand searches were conducted. This scoping review confirmed the scarcity of research available. The 13 studies which met the inclusion criteria indicated that child victims of trauma (CVT) present with a sensory modulation disorder (SMD). Sensory modulation intervention, within the theoretical framework of Ayres Sensory Integration® (ASI®), alone and in combination with psychotherapy approaches was found to be valuable for CVT, in the studies chartered. Identification and treatment of sensory modulation dysfunction in CVT has been researched and is becoming an area of increasing need. Therefore, to remain relevant to the violent contexts within communities, there is a need to expand research in this field.

Facilitating practices to support children's self-regulation in classrooms: a scoping review protocol

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this scoping review is to describe practices for supporting children's self-regulation in the classroom.

INTRODUCTION

Self-regulation is an integral component of children's well-being and learning in the classroom. Self-regulation is a broad concept that encompasses behavioral, emotional, cognitive, or sensory regulation processes. Children often struggle to self-regulate in class and teachers have difficulty supporting them, which impacts on children's participation and academic achievement, and teachers' self-efficacy and well-being.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

This review will consider studies that include mainstream primary school children regardless of diagnosis or disability, classroom teachers, and allied health professionals who provide services in mainstream public or private school settings. Self-regulation-support practices may include pedagogical, classroom- or curriculum-based practices, environmental modifications, class-management strategies, adult-child relationships, and trauma-informed classroom practices.

METHODS

The review will be conducted using the JBI three-step search strategy. The databases to be searched include MEDLINE (Ovid), PsycINFO (Ovid), Scopus, CINAHL (Ovid), OTSeeker, and ERIC (ProQuest). Documents from 2010 to the present in English will be included. Data will be extracted and charted by two reviewers using a data extraction tool based on JBI recommendations. Study findings will be presented in tabular or diagrammatic format that aligns with the objective and a narrative summary will be provided.