When Trauma Grips Our Children

Book excerpt: Aimed at school staff and other caregivers on the front lines of providing assistance without in-depth training or an understanding of how trauma manifests, this book offers a detailed approach to helping children who have experienced trauma. Trauma in children varies in how it presents-in behavior, emotions, learning, and social interactions-and how to address it depends largely on its presentation. Children may exhibit many types of behavior that could be attributed to trauma, such as telling lies and feeling shame, lacking focus or having outbursts in class, and distrusting peers and adults, among many more. With a sensitive yet structured approach, this book teaches parents and caregivers how to support a child with severe trauma. Discussion of a kaleidoscope of case studies using the new Basic Pyramid model, developed by the author, helps practitioners to determine appropriate intervention.