Foster Care Training

Play is children’s occupation! Unfortunately, trauma, stress, and developmental challenges impact brain development and child’s play ability. We will explore activities based in occupational and play therapy designed to “retrain the brain,” improve children’s functioning in processing, regulation, and integration. This workshop combines tenets of Occupational and Play Therapy to address the impact of trauma on four key domains of functioning: sensory integration, self-regulation, relational, and cognitive (Barfield et al, 2011). Children’s occupation is play. Exposure to trauma and dysregulation in the four domains negatively impacts a child’s ability to play, find social/academic success, and develop a strong sense of self. This workshop focuses on developing somatosensory activities that meet children at their level of functioning to provide reparative experiences that “retrain the brain.”