OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PRACTITIONERS
use meaningful activities to help childrenand youth participate in what they need and or want to do in order to promote physical andmental health and well-being. Occupational therapy practitioners focus on participation inthe following areas: education, play and leisure, social participation, activities of daily liv-ing (ADLs; e.g., eating, dressing, hygiene), instrumental activities of daily living (e.g., mealpreparation, shopping), sleep and rest, and work. These are the usual occupations of child-hood. Task analysis is used to identify factors (e.g., sensory, motor, social–emotional, cogni-tive) that may limit successful participation across various settings, such as school, home, andcommunity. Activities and accommodations are used in intervention to promote successfulperformance in these settings.
GRIEF AND LOSS
is conicting feelings caused by a change in or an end to a familiar pattern of behavior(James, Friedman, & Landon Matthews, 2001).This broad denition encompasses a widevariety of losses that might result in grieving, including death of a loved one (e.g., parent,friend), parental divorce, a major move, death of a pet, military deployment of a parent, orloss of function as a result of illness or injury. It is estimated that 1 in 20 children will lose aparent by death before 18 years of age; 1 in 5 families will move each year; and 1 in 3 children18 years or younger have divorced parents (McGlauin, H. (1998). Given all of the possiblesituations that bring about loss for children and youth, it is likely that occupational therapy practitioners will routinely interact with children who are grieving.“The death of a loved one can be one of the most severe traumas one may encounterand the sense of loss and grief which follows is a natural and important part of life” (Ayyash-Abdo, 2001, p. 417). The grief process in children differs from adults because children donot have the communication skills to express how they feel (especially young children). Also,because of developmental changes, the grieving process tends to be more cyclical in youth,resulting in the child revisiting and processing feelings in different ways based on maturity (Willis, 2002). When addressing grief and loss with children and youth, it is important toremember that grief can manifest itself in many different ways, depending upon the indi-vidual experience of grief and where the person is in the grief process.It is important that all school personnel and adults involved in youth activities learnabout grieving as a normal response to signicant loss and also learn appropriate strategiesfor supporting healthy grieving and minimizing further stress. When children receive sup-port from parents and other adults around them, it helps the child and entire family cope(Schonfeld & Quackenbush, 2009).
Occupational Therapy’s Role in Mental Health Promotion, Prevention, & Intervention With Children & Youth
Grief and Loss
This information was prepared by AOTA’sSchool Mental Health Work Group (2012).
IMPACT ONOCCUPATIONAL PERFORMANCE:
Changes in behavior, such as irritability,acting out, social withdrawal, or clingingto parent.
Changes in appetite and the developmento unhealthy eating habits, bedwetting, oralcohol or drug abuse.
Difculty ollowing directions or con-centrating on schoolwork or changes inacademic perormance. and challengesassuming responsibility at internships orvolunteer or paid opportunities.
Limited participation in activities ointerest (Ayyash-Abdo, 2001).
Altered sleeping patterns.
Because of issues unique to military families, all school personnel need education about how to support grief and loss particular to childrenin military families (Swank & Robinson, 2009). These children experience many challenges, including deployment and the potential deathof a parent. Deployment may cause feelings of loss for children. Families may only have a short period of time to emotionally and physically prepare for the change. Experiences associated with the death of a parent in the military are unique because of the number of changes thatoccur following a funeral. If families live in military housing, they generally have a limited time to move, which reduces the time that childrenhave to say good-bye to friends. Children may attend a new school that is not a Department of Defense School, resulting in the loss of sup-port from other military children. Professionals in the new school may lack an awareness of issues specic to military families.
Educator’s Guide to the Military Child During Deployment—http://www2.ed.gov/about/ofces/list/os/homefront/homefront.pdf
Working with Military Children: A Primer for School Personnel—http://nmfa.convio.net/site/DocServer?docID=642]
This information sheet is part of a School Mental Health Toolkit at http://www.aota.org/Practitioners-Section/Children-and-Youth/Browse/School/Toolkit.aspx
The stress associated with grieving maynegatively affect health in the followingways:
•Physical symptoms: headaches,stomachaches•Emotional symptoms: anxiety, panicattacks, depression, irritability,absence o emotionThese expressions o grie can maniestthemselves in many areas o a child’s lie,including home, school, and community.