Ashley Wagner Email & Phone Number

As the founding Director of Occupational Therapy at the FamilyForward’s Developmental Trauma Center in St. Louis, MO, my favorite aspect of my job is creating a space where my amazing OT team gets to innovate and creating meaningful change in the lives of children who have experienced trauma through occupational therapy. I love leading, teaching, and public speaking on topics of both trauma informed care and professional ethics. My diverse background in inpatient rehab, school-based treatment, early-childhood assessment, and graduate-level academia has given me a great foundation to find the role of occupational therapy in so many different settings. However, my personal experience as a foster/adoptive parent has provided me with possibly the best insight into the role of occupational therapy in the emerging practice area of trauma-focused OT. I bring a unique perspective on how families, teachers, and therapists can adjust their habits, routines, and surroundings to support the development and engagement of children who have experienced trauma to the many training opportunities that I lead across the United States. My love of public speaking has also launched me in an unexpected direction since taking on a volunteer role with the AOTA ethics commission in 2020 and I now provide multiple presentations annually on ethics-related topics, especially on the ethical inclusion of LGBTQIA+ and other targeted individuals who are underserved and often re-traumatized in health care.