Utilizing Trauma-Informed Brick Play in Occupational Therapy

Course overview

LEGO-based interventions are an evidence-informed, innovative, safe, transformative, predictable, and low-cost therapeutic tool and approach that uses the beloved building blocks to facilitate communication, social interaction, and emotional expression. These approaches can be especially helpful when working with children and adolescents who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), prenatal and early childhood trauma, anxiety disorders, depression, neurodevelopmental conditions, and attachment issues. This 2-hour, view-on-demand, recorded webinar introduces the core principles of LEGO-based therapy and ways to combine this approach with trauma-informed care practices. Participants learn how this information can be used in a collaborative, individualized, and/or group format through building tasks that target communication, problem-solving, regulation, and peer interaction among children with histories of trauma. As they construct, children and adolescents impacted by trauma often reveal feelings and thoughts, making it easier for therapists, coaches, teachers, and other support providers to identify underlying issues and allow for targeted interventions that can promote long-term health and growth. Furthermore, the collaborative aspect of this approach fosters teamwork that teaches essential social skills, such as negotiation, communication, and empathy. Integrating LEGO therapy with trauma-informed care offers a powerful, hands-on, and safe therapeutic tool for emotional regulation, expression, and healing. At the end of this course, you will be able to (1) state two ways to incorporate LEGO-based interventions into trauma-informed care practices; (2) identify trauma-informed care, the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) research, complex and developmental trauma, and toxic stress; (3) list three strategies from a behavioral health, neuroscience, attachment theory, and lifestyle medicine perspective; (4) state three play-based interventions that incorporate trauma-informed LEGO-based approaches into individual, group, and organizational settings; and (5) understand the integration between trauma-informed LEGO-based tools and other therapeutic models and approaches in occupational therapy. This distance-learning, independent format is offered at 0.2 CEUs, Introductory Level, OT Service Delivery, and targeted to introductory- to intermediate-level OTs, OTAs, SLPs, PTs, PTAs, counselors, parents, and other pediatric professionals. This distance-learning, interactive format is offered at 0.2 CEUs, Introductory Level, OT Service Delivery. The course instructor, Jerrod Brown, PhD, is a professor, trainer, and consultant with multiple years of experience teaching collegiate courses. Jerrod has also been employed with Pathways Counseling Center, Inc. in St. Paul, Minnesota, since 2003. For more information on our recorded courses, visit our website: https://www.sensationalbrain.com/ceu/on-demand-webinars. To stay abreast of our latest live and view-on-demand course offerings, sales, and FREEBIES, consider subscribing to our newsletter by scrolling to the bottom of our home page. Send questions to help@sensationalbrain.com.