Trauma occurs when children experience an event or series of events that causes harm to their emotional or physical well-being.
Possible Traumatic Experiences:
- Being neglected
- Being seriously hurt
- Seeing a loved one be seriously hurt
Why Is Understanding Childhood Trauma Important?
- Children who have experienced trauma are often misunderstood.
- Trauma and adversity in early childhood can impact them later in life.
The Good News is help is available and you can support your child to be resilient.
- Be responsive to your child’s needs.
- Try to understand the message of your child’s behavior. What is your child communicating?
- Provide reassurance that adults can help keep children safe.
- Encourage your child to talk about his/her feelings.
Young children are always watching, listening, and learning. They absorb the feelings of adults around them.
Signs and Symptoms of Trauma
| Infants & Toddlers | Preschoolers |
|---|---|
| Problems eating | Avoid adults |
| Trouble sleeping | Anxious, clings to caregivers |
| Clingy/difficulty separating from parent | Helpless, passive |
| Fearful/Upset | Restless, impulsive, hyperactive |
| Language delay | Aggressive and/or sexually acting out behavior |
| Easily startled | Sadness/Irritability |
| Aggression | Repetitive play about the trauma |
| Loss of skill (e.g., stops walking even after the child is able to walk) | Poor peer relationships and social problems |
| Inattention, difficulty problem solving | |
| Physical symptoms (e.g., headaches, etc.) |
« Go to Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Understanding the Basics
Last Updated: April 27, 2020