As part of engaging with the community and minimizing the gap between theory and practice, Professor Sana Abu-Dahab from the Department of Occupational Therapy hosted a lecture on Childhood Trauma by one of the department’s distinguished graduates, Ms. Hana’a Abu Attieh. Abu Attieh graduated from the Occupational Therapy Department in 2012 and has 10+ years of experience providing therapeutic interventions for children.
Ms. Abu Attieh spoke to the students about the definition and classification of childhood traumas, the signs that appear on children who have been exposed to traumas, the effect of traumas on the central nervous system, and the typical development of the child. She also shed light on the role of the occupational therapist in intervening with these children and directed the therapists to general strategies and important considerations when dealing with children after trauma.
The meeting ended with an interesting discussion between the students and therapist Abu Attieh, during which the students commented and asked about the presentation and projected what they heard in the lecture onto real practical life.