Pediatric TBI and OT

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Children are not little adults.

Their brains are actively developing. Because of this neuroplasticity, one might assume they would more quickly and fully recover from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). 

This is not the case. 

A brain injury can have a more devastating impact on a child than a similar injury in a mature adult. (Brain Injury Association of America) 

This is what makes comprehensive, ongoing rehab for pediatric TBI so important. But, unfortunately, as we will see in our primary research, many children who experience TBI have substantial unmet rehab needs. 

After reviewing the research, we are thankful to welcome to the podcast, Nelson Gonzalez OTR/L, RFS, CHHC, CCT, CPMT, CORE, CLT to discuss OT and TBI assessment, treatment, and what’s on the horizon in this practice area.

Primary Journal Article Explored

When you log in, be sure to check out the OT Potential Club’s written breakdown of the following research article. Then, share your questions and thoughts with fellow practitioners.

• Unmet Rehabilitation Needs After Hospitalization for Traumatic Brain Injury

Mentioned Resources for Pediatric TBI

Assessments for Pediatric TBI:

• Mayo Portland Adaptability Inventory
• The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL)
• PROMIS Anxiety
• PROMIS Depression
• PROMIS Physical Function Mobility short form
• UCLA PTSD Reaction Index

Learning about Neuroscience and health:

• Huberman Lab podcast
• Dr. Mark Hyman
• Dr. Rhonda Patrick

Supporting Research and Journal Articles

• Use of motor learning strategies in occupational therapy for children and youth with acquired Brain Injury
• Clinical practice guidelines for occupational therapists in the evaluation and treatment of oculomotor impairment following traumatic brain injury

Learning Objectives

• You will be able to recognize which pediatric TBI patients tend to have the highest levels of unmet OT service needs post hospitalization.
• You will be able to identify assessments you can use to ascertain service needs in different functional domains. 

Agenda

Intro (5 minutes)

Breakdown and analysis of journal article (5 minutes)

• Intro to unmet rehab needs following pediatric TBI
• What was the intent of this paper?
• Methods
• Results
• Discussion
• Takeaways for OT practitioners

Discussion on practical implications for OTs (with Nelson Gonzalez) (50 minutes)

• How did you first find OT? 
• How did you become interested in neuro OT?
• What were your initial impressions of the article? Did it align with what you’ve seen in practice?
• Did you find the list of the screens helpful? What do you all use?
• What advice do you have for approaching TBI as a team, and looping in other professionals as needed?
• The article did not go into specific TBI treatment, how do you approach a pediatric TBI and what are your go-to interventions?
• What skills/resources do you recommend for OTs looking to improve their TBI care? 
• How can we extend our follow-up period for TBI patients?
• It feels like overall there are so many unmet neuro needs- how do we as a profession need to change to meet them?
• You went to ACRM this year, what made you excited about the future of OT for TBI and/or neuro OT? 

Target Audience/Educational Level

Our target audience is occupational therapy practitioners who are looking to learn about Pediatric TBI and OT with Nelson Gonzalez.  The educational level is introductory.

Financial and Non-financial Disclosures

It is the policy of OT Potential to disclose any financial and non-financial interest the provider or instructor may have in a product or service mentioned during an activity. This is to ensure that the audience is made aware of any bias of the speaker.

We here at OT Potential have no financial stake in this topic.  Our guest, Nelson Gonzalez also has no financial disclosures.

Speakers

Nelson Gonzalez, OTR/L, RFS, CHHC, CCT, CPMT, CORE, CLT

Nelson been an occupational therapy practitioner for over 18 years with an array of certifications and specialties including Rehabilitation Fitness Specialist, Certified Holistic Health Coach, Certified Cupping Therapist, Certified Pediatric Massage Therapist, Certified Oncology Rehabilitation Expert, and Certified Lymphedema Therapist. Nelson is the Executive Director / Administrator of Rehab Without Walls® NeuroSolutions (Florida division). Nelson is the Co-Chair of the Administration and Management Special Interest Section for the Florida Occupational Therapy Association and serves on the Sabrina Cohen Foundation Advisory Board and Campaign Leadership Team.

Nelson has presented at several national and international conferences and symposiums including ACRM on topics including Chronic Stress, Intensive Therapy for the Neuro Population, Timing & Rhythm in the Brain and Body, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. As a clinician and therapy leader, he has restored function for clients and decreased disabilities following disease or profound injury including congenital dysfunctions, developmental disorders, spinal cord injuries (SCI), traumatic brain injury (TBI), acquired brain injury (ABI), cerebral palsy, paralysis, Anxiety Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Chronic Stress, etc. Nelson has written several articles for various publications and co-authored a medical book that focused on topics that highlight the importance of taking not only an holistic approach to treatment but a whole-person and environmental approach as well. Read full bio.

Sarah Lyon, OTR/L

Sarah’s passion is helping fellow OT practitioners translate evidence into daily practice. Sarah earned her BA in religion from St. Olaf College, then earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy from New York University in 2011.

Since then, she’s worked in numerous facilities, including a critical access hospital, an acute trauma hospital, and a state inpatient psychiatric hospital. Sarah is the founder/owner of OT Potential. Read more about OT Potential here.

This course was designed to meet your continuing education requirements

We designed the courses in the Club to meet the requirements for “online” and “independent/self-study” courses. To verify the requirements from your specific state (within the US), check out our post, OT Continuing Education Requirements. If you are outside of the United States and have questions, please contact us.

We are proud to be an AOTA Approved Provider and to meet the requirements for your NBCOT renewal.

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