Trauma Informed Care in Early Intervention Therapy

Trauma Informed Care – An Essential First Step Toward Successful Early Intervention Therapy

How does a traumatic event impact Childhood Development?

Traumatic events in a person’s past can affect how they cope with experiences in the future.  For a child, a traumatic experience early in life can have an even more profound impact on their development.  Research studies have shown that exposure to chronic stressors or trauma can have significant influence on the vital brain chemistry of a child and could result in childhood developmental delays.

A trauma is any situation or event for a child or adult, in which they feel overwhelmed and believe they have no control, even to the point they may believe their life is at risk.  The presence of abuse in the home, violence in the neighborhood, or the death of a loved one are a few examples of trauma that could dramatically impact a person’s ability to learn and cope with challenges.

“At the core of helping address the impact of trauma is recognizing it is there,” says Ann Logoyda, a teli Family and Community Worker, who has been trained in Trauma Informed Care.  “As we work with children with disabilities and developmental delays it is very important to develop a supportive and respectful relationship with the entire family.

Understanding the challenges a family is facing from their past as well as the trauma they may be living with, is essential to helping them help their child succeed.”

What Early Intervention Therapies can help children and their families who have been impacted by traumatic events?

teli Early Intervention Services are provided to meet the needs of the child by teli’s staff of Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Speech Therapists and Developmental Therapists.  With these services often provided in the home, therapists will have interactions with the family which can provide a window into their challenges and coping abilities.  Anger, withdrawal, and signs of depression on the part of the family may indicate the need for help that stems from a traumatic event.

“teli early intervention therapists will identify families that they may see struggling and ask me to help.  Understanding where they are and building a relationship of trust is the first step to supporting them where they need it.”

What is teli’s unique program of Trauma Informed Care for families?

To support these children and their families, Ann uses the framework of Trauma Informed Care, by teaching coping strategies and building a sense of empowerment.  Identifying necessary community resources to help address specific areas of need for the family, be it economical, social or behavioral is an important component as well. “The Nurturing Parent Program, developed by Dr. Stephen Bavolek, a recognized leader in the field of parenting, has been very successful in helping our families at teli,” says Ann.

At teli, Ann has works to help families “calm the chaos” in their lives and in turn enable them to partner in their child’s journey through Early Intervention Therapy.   With Ann’s support, these families can gain a new-found confidence in their abilities to better manage their challenges, strengthen their parenting skills, and help address their child’s developmental delays.