There is now evidence to understand Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children, and according to British national government legislation, health professionals should work together to form a supportive network for these children and their families in order to help children function at school successfully.

This paper firstly reviewed the literature regarding the effects of PTSD in school-aged children's (8-12years) school functioning and the intervention they are receiving for PTSD symptoms. Secondly, the paper proposed to carry out research into the perception of paediatric occupational therapists regarding their role in treating school-aged children (8-12yrs) with PTSD.

It was suggested that for gaining an in-depth understanding of occupational therapists views of their role, the qualitative methodology with phenomenological approach would be the most appropriate design. Participants for the study would represent a minimum of 3 NHS mental health trusts and semi-structured interviews would address three topic areas: - The referral reasons and presenting issues for children with PTSD when referred for OT. - The treatment modalities used for these children by occupational therapists. - Therapeutic tools used by occupational therapists when treating children with PTSD.

The strengths and limitations of the proposed study were discussed and it was concluded that although more research for this area of practice is required, this particular research project would provide valuable knowledge of the specific area of OT practice in treating school-aged children with a diagnosis or symptoms of PTSD.