Introduction

2. Course Goal
 Increase student awareness and
understanding of children and family mental
health needs after experiencing trauma.

3. Course Objectives
 Identify and define sources of childhood trauma
 Understand and analyze the prevalence, etiology
and risk factors of childhood trauma
 Understand healthy child development to
differentiate against development related to
traumatic experiences
 Evaluate assessment criteria of child trauma and
understand best practices and intervention
 Identify supports and resources for trauma in the
community
 Understand the System of Care philosophy by
applying to case studies

4. Required Reading
 Perry, B. & Szalavitz, M. (2007). The Boy
Who Was Raised as a Dog.
 Various research articles. Articles will be
available on ecollege.

5. Grading Criterion
Percentage Points
Attendance 10% 20 (10 @ 2 point each)
Participation 15% 30 (15 @ 2 point each)
Article Reviews 35% 60 (12 @ 5 points each)
Discussion Lead 15% 30 (2 @ 15 points each)
Paper 20% 40 points
Presentation 10% 20 points
Total 100% 200 points

6. Attendance
 10% of grade
 20 points
 10 @ 2 point each

7. Participation
 15% of grade
 30 points
 15 @ 2 point each
 During classes in which your fellow students
are presenting or threaded discussions
 Participation points cannot be made up if you
are absent (even if the absence is
excused)!

8. Article Reviews
 35% of grade
 60 points
 12 @ 5 points each
 Every week students will be required to write a
review of the articles for that weeks reading
 All reviews must be completed prior to the start
of class and should be turned into the ecollege
dropbox
 Be sure to bring a copy to class as well

9. Discussion Lead
 15% of grade
 30 points
 2 @ 15 points each
 Students will be assigned to groups and a topic
twice during the semester
 Each group will be expected to lead threaded
discussion regarding the research articles and
the assigned topic in general for that week

10. Paper
 20% of grade or 40 points
 Identify one child trauma event (or theme) and
make up a case study.
 Locate a written resource that covers trauma, its
causes, consequences and possible interventions
to assist traumatized children
 Identify resources within your community
 Interview one resource.

11. Paper logistics
 No more than 7 pages double spaced
 One page is your list of resources
 One is your case study
 One is your reference page
 APA guidelines
 Due at start of class on 11/29/2011
 Dropbox

12. Presentation
 10% of grade
 20 points
 Presentation of paper
 10 -15 minutes

14. What is Development?
 Skill acquisition in physical, language, emotional,
cognitive, and adaptive areas throughout the
lifespan
 Based upon neurological maturation as well as
experience and environmental influences
 Most rapid during prenatal, infancy, and
adolescence

15. Key Concepts
 Wired for learning
 First two years are critical
 Brain Plasticity: Brain’s ability to change as the
result of experience
 Balance of risk and protective factors
 Within child
 Within environment

16. Risk Factors
 Co-exist and compound
 Generate secondary stresses
 Likelihood of disorders increase with number
of risk factors

17. Risk Factors for Children
 Premature birth
 Colic
 Physical disabilities
 Developmental disabilities
 Chronic illness
 Emotional/behavioral difficulties
 Unwanted child

18. Risk Factor for Parents
 Low self-esteem/depression
 Poor impulse control
 Substance abuse
 Abused as child
 Teen parent
 Unrealistic expectation of child
 Negative view of self and child
 Punitive child rearing

19. Family Factors
 Isolation
 Family/domestic violence
 Non-biologically related male in home
 Poverty
 Unemployment/financial problems
 Single parent
 Animal abuse

20. Community Risk Factors
 Poor access to health care
 Limited community
 Neighborhood safety

21. Protective Factors
 Parental Resilience
 Social Connections
 Knowledge of parenting and development
 Concrete support in times of need
 Social and emotional competence of children

22. What is Trauma?
 Person is exposed to traumatic event or events
that involve actual or threatened death or
serious injury
 Man-made and natural disasters
 Including war, abuse, violence, earthquakes,
mechanized accidents or medical
emergencies

23. Acute Trauma
 Psychological injury that results from singular
exposure
 Isolated experience

24. Complex Trauma
 Psychological injury that results from
protracted exposure to prolonged social
and/or interpersonal trauma with lack or loss
of control, disempowerment, and in the
context of either captivity or entrapment

25. Event Acute Complex Both
Jim’s fell out of a tree and broke his arm.
Aiden’s grandmother died in a car accident.
The Walsh family lost their home in a fire.
Sara and Jacob were abused by their father
throughout their childhood.
Eliza is a mother of three and has been stationed in
Iraq for the past nine months.
Jarod and his family were forced to evacuate during
a hurricane.
Mary was sexually assaulted at a party as a teen.

26. Acute Stress Reaction
 Immediate reaction to stress
 Symptoms
 Initial daze, withdrawal, agitation and
overactivity, anxiety, impaired judgment,
confusion, detachment, and depression
 Partial to complete amnesia of event
 Immediate – 3 days

27. Acute Stress Disorder
 Psychological condition arising in response
to a terrifying or traumatic event
 Symptoms
 Numbing, detachment, dissociative
amnesia, flashbacks, and avoidance of
reminders
 2 days to 4 weeks

28. Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder
 Severe anxiety disorder that can develop after
exposure to any event that results in psychological
trauma
 Overwhelming the ability to cope
 Symptoms
 Flashbacks, avoidance, hypervigilance,
disruption in functioning
 Last longer than 4 weeks
 50-90% expereince trauama, 8% develop PSTD

29. Reactions to Trauma:
5 and Younger
 Clinging to parent or caregiver
 Crying or screaming
 Whimpering or trembling
 Moving aimlessly
 Becoming immobile
 Returning to behaviors common to being younger
 Thumb sucking, bedwetting, fear of dark

30. Reaction to Trauma:
6 - 11
 Internalizing
 Isolate, withdraw, unable to concentrate,
unfounded fear, depression, guilt, numb
 Externalizing
 Irritable, disruptive, anger, starts fights
 Psychosomatic
 Sleep problems, unfounded physical complaints

31. Reactions to Trauma:
12 - 17
 Internalizing
 Avoid reminders, isolation, suicidal thoughts,
depression, guilt
 Externalizing
 Antisocial behavior, substance abuse
 Psychosomatic
 Sleep problems, physical complaints,
flashbacks, panic attacks

32. Hierarchy of Negative
Cognitions/Beliefs in PTSD
 Responsibility: “It was my fault, I should have done
something”
 Safety: “I am in danger/ I cannot protect myself/ I
cannot trust my judgement/ I can’t trust anyone”
 Results in hypervigilance
 Choice & Control: “I’m powerless”/ “I’m not in
control”
 Self-Defectiveness: “I am a failure/ I am
permanently damaged / I’m a bad person /I’m a
disappointment / I am shameful/ I’m good enough”

33. Brain Alterations
 Neuroendocrinology
 Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis
 Neuroanatomy
 Prefrontal cortex, amygdala and
hippocampus