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Treating The Whole Child: Recognizing And Addressing Depression In Children With Physical Disabilities, Kathleen A. Koehn

Occupational Therapy Capstones

The purpose of this scholarly project was to develop a tool that would assist occupational therapy practitioners working with children with physical disabilities in recognizing and addressing symptoms of depression in that population. Ailey (2003) reported that symptoms of depression in children with developmental disabilities are frequently attributed incorrectly to a child's primary diagnosis, rather than depression. Because occupational therapists typically see these children more frequently than primary care physicians, they are in a prime position to assist in the screening and referral processes related to depression.

This project involved a comprehensive review of the literature, including data on the …