Outcomes of Occupational Therapy in Trauma-Informed Care

A retrospective chart review was utilized to gather the outcomes of occupational therapy services for young children who experienced trauma. Subjects (n = 22) were between the ages of 0–5 years, had at least two adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) reported, and received treatment from an occupational therapist and, either or both, a recognized mental health provider or speech-language pathologist. Caregivers of 22 subjects completed an initial Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) with the most frequently identified problem area categories of Regulation and Developmental Skill Growth. For the 10 subjects for whom a final COPM assessment was available, caregiver perception of child performance and caregiver satisfaction improved by an average of two points. Results from three additional standardized assessments showed varying results in areas tested. Results suggested receiving occupational therapy treatment within an interprofessional team led to positive outcomes for children who experienced trauma. However, further research is needed to determine the specific and most effective means to measure the outcomes of occupational therapy interventions for this population.