Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration to Promote Trauma-Informed Practices in Early Childhood and Primary Education

Educational contexts play a critical role in identifying and responding to children impacted by trauma. However, with the multifaceted challenges experienced by teachers, this responsibility should not reside solely with them. This systematic scoping review examines the integration of cross-disciplinary collaboration in existing trauma-informed initiatives in early childhood and primary school settings. A systematic search of five online databases (ERIC, PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL, and A+ Education) resulted in 28 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Characteristics, components, reported enablers and barriers, and outcomes evaluated of cross-disciplinary collaboration in the context of trauma-informed practice were explored. Findings suggest a limited understanding of cross-disciplinary collaboration as a specific approach to support trauma-impacted children in educational settings. Nevertheless, there is emerging evidence of its presence in trauma-informed initiatives, through forms including coaching, consultation, co-delivery of manualized curricula/interventions, and co-screening of students' trauma backgrounds. Notably, co-screening of student trauma is observed only in primary schools, highlighting a gap to explore in early childhood education. Meanwhile, our knowledge of the effectiveness of this approach is limited, suggesting a need for further exploration using rigorous methodologies to build a robust evidence base. This will inform the development of more comprehensive and sustainable trauma-informed practices that effectively support trauma-impacted children in educational settings. Further, understanding of the enablers and barriers to cross-disciplinary collaboration at both professional and agency levels remains insufficient. This review underscores the nascent yet promising role of cross-disciplinary collaboration to support trauma-impacted children in Early Childhood Education and Care and primary school settings and suggests key areas for future exploration.