Date of Award
7-2019
Document Status
Open Access
Degree Type
Project
Degree Name
Occupational Therapy (M.S.)
Department
Occupational Therapy
First Advisor
Scott Truskowski
Abstract
Background: Developmental trauma is a current issue facing the nation. It adversely affects participation in occupations across the lifespan. This paper examines how the clinical reasoning of practicing pediatric occupational therapists changes when treating clients who have experienced developmental trauma.
Methods: A phenomenological approach was applied using multiple cases. Four individuals, who identified as working with clients with developmental trauma, were interviewed using a series of semi-structured and open-ended questions on their experience treating these clients.
Results: Narrative transcripts were reviewed by the authors and organized into themes of performance patterns of the therapist and the context of developmental trauma which illustrate how clinical reasoning is affected. Conclusions: This study found a connection between the demonstrated clinical reasoning and the experience and education of the participants when treating clients of developmental trauma.
ScholarWorks Citation
Blake, Gwendolyn R.; Plantinga, Briar E.; and Shafer, Julie, "Exploring the connections between the presence of developmental trauma and clinical reasoning: The lived experience of pediatric occupational therapists" (2019). Pediatrics. 16.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/ot_pediatrics/16
