Realizing, Recognizing, Responding, & Resisting Re-Traumatization: An Evidence-Based Toolkit for Occupational Therapists to Advocate for Their Role on Interprofessional Teams to Address the Impacts of Childhood Trauma

Many children in the United States experience childhood trauma and/or adverse childhood events which can have short-term and long-term impacts on a child. Childhood trauma is complex; therefore, the appropriate care needed is also complex, making an interprofessional collaborative approach necessary to address the impacts of childhood trauma, promote positive outcomes for those who have been impacted, and work towards a common goal. (Fraser, MacKenzie, & Versnel, 2019). Occupational therapists (OTs) are well suited to collaborate with other professionals such as mental health practitioners, however, OT’s role related to a trauma care team is still relatively unrecognized. There is a need for OTs to advocate for their role on interprofessional teams that address the impacts of childhood trauma to promote an overall increase in awareness and understanding from other mental health professionals regarding OTs’ role on the team. An extensive literature review, a theory-driven literature matrix, and a needs assessment were all conducted to guide the development of this product. To address the problem identified above, an evidence-based toolkit was created to help OTs advocate for their role on the healthcare team to address the impacts of childhood trauma. The purpose of the toolkit is to provide resources that increase the awareness and knowledge of other professionals such as mental health practitioners regarding the role of OT in addressing the impacts of childhood trauma and to increase interprofessional collaborative practice. It is anticipated that this toolkit will be implemented and promote increased use of trauma-informed interventions for children who have experienced trauma, ultimately increasing occupational performance and overall well-being

The Use of Sensory Integration to Mitigate the Traumatic Environment of the NICU: A Critically Appraised Topic (CAT)

In 2018, one in 10 infants were born premature in the United States, which is classified as being born prior to 37 weeks gestation (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2019). This includes an average of 7,303 babies each week (March of Dimes, 2020). The final months and weeks in utero are shown to be critical to typical development (CDC, 2019). The organs associated with the sensory system begin to develop within utero around eight weeks and the development of the senses continues well into childhood and adolescence (Mayo Clinic, 2020). Hearing and vision are the last two sensory systems to develop, thus are particularly immature in the preterm infant (Blackburn, 1998). As a result, those born premature are more likely to develop sensory processing disorder (SPD), vision and hearing problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety or developmental disability (CDC, 2019; March of Dimes, 2020). In one prospective longitudinal study of preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), it was found that half of preterm infants born less than 30 weeks developed SPD by ages four to six years old (Ryckman, Hilton, Rogers & Pineda, 2017)