Signs and Symptoms of Trauma in Children

Trauma in children can stem from various experiences, including accidents, natural disasters, loss of a loved one, abuse, or witnessing violence. The manifestations of trauma can vary widely among children, influenced by their age, personality, and the nature of the traumatic event. Common signs and symptoms include:

• Emotional and Behavioral Changes: Children may exhibit increased anxiety, sadness, or irritability. Some may show regression to earlier developmental stages, such as bedwetting or thumb-sucking.

• Changes in Eating and Sleeping Habits: Traumatized children might experience nightmares, difficulty falling asleep, or changes in appetite.

• Physical Symptoms: Complaints of unexplained physical symptoms such as headaches or stomachaches are common.

• Difficulty Concentrating: Trauma can impact a child's ability to focus in school, leading to declining grades or disinterest in learning.

• Withdrawal: Children may withdraw from friends, family, or activities they once enjoyed.

• Increased Startle Response: Traumatized children may appear jumpy or easily startled by loud noises or sudden movements.

• Reenactment of the Traumatic Event: Through play, drawing, or stories, children may repeatedly express the traumatic event, indicating their struggle to process the experience.

Parenting a Child with Trauma

Parenting a child who has experienced trauma requires knowledge, understanding, and a trauma-informed approach. Here are strategies to support a traumatized child:

• Establish Safety: Ensure the child feels physically and emotionally safe. Consistent routines and clear expectations can help create a sense of normalcy and security.

• Listen Actively: Encourage the child to express their feelings without fear of judgment. Active listening shows that you value their thoughts and emotions.

• Provide Reassurance: Regularly reassure the child of their safety and your love for them. Affirmations can help mitigate feelings of fear and insecurity.

• Promote Healthy Expressions of Emotions: Teach and model healthy ways to express feelings, such as talking, drawing, or engaging in physical activity.

• Seek Professional Support: Recognize when you need the assistance of mental health professionals to address the child's trauma effectively.

Therapy for Trauma

Several therapeutic approaches can help children heal from trauma:

• Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT): This framework for clinical thinking and planning, developed by Dr. Bruce Perry, helps clinicians assess the extent of a child's trauma across their development and its impact on the child's brain functioning. Starting with an NMT metric workup with a trained NMT assessor is considered to be the height of trauma-informed practice.

• Play Therapy: Utilizes play to help children express feelings, manage sensations, process trauma, and develop healthier relationship patterns.

• Family or Systemic Therapy: Addresses family dynamics, leverages community and family resources, improves communication and relationships, fostering a supportive environment for the child's recovery.

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): A therapy designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories, helping the child to process and integrate these experiences.

• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT): For older children and teens, TFCBT may help at later stages of therapy to process trauma and develop coping strategies, but only if the child is at a higher level of cognitive development.