# data[].attributes.headline
Podcast: Early Trauma and the Importance of Early Relationships (30 mins)

# data[].attributes.subject
Podcast: Early Trauma and the Importance of Early Relationships (30 mins)

# data[].attributes.body
In this podcast, Sally Hogg, Deputy CEO at the Parent Infant Foundation, discusses early trauma and the importance of early relationships.

To set the scene, Sally starts by providing details about the 1001 days movement, which she coordinates, and details what it is about the first 1001 days of a child’s life that is so critical.

Sally discusses the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on mental and physical health and explores why we should be especially concerned about adversity that occurs early in a child’s life.

Sally talks about how early trauma impacts emotional, behavioural, cognitive, and social functioning, as well as tells us more about the importance of nurturing parent/infant relationships, and how its presence can help a child to be more resilient to negative events.

Sally then discusses how the relationship between babies and their parents can be strengthened, what her message is to CAMH professionals in terms of the role they can play, and her message to policymakers in terms of what they should be doing.

Furthermore, Sally shares her tips on how to reach those parents where there is disorganised attachment, who don’t access services, and how to signpost those families to services.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Early Trauma and the Importance of Early Relationships - ACAMH

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this podcast, we are joined by Sally Hogg to discuss early trauma and the importance of early relationships.

# data[].attributes.headline
Audit you might like to complete with staff:

# data[].attributes.subject
Audit you might like to complete with staff:

# data[].attributes.headline
Reading material: Why Love Matters by Sue Gerhardt

# data[].attributes.subject
Reading material: Why Love Matters by Sue Gerhardt

# data[].attributes.headline
Understanding trauma (Training material Part 1/3): What is trauma and how can it effect brain function?

# data[].attributes.subject
Understanding trauma (Training material Part 1/3): What is trauma and how can it effect brain function?

# data[].attributes.body
A 5 minute video introduction to basic brain function, explaining how the cortex and limbic system impact on learning and the effect that trauma can have to the brain.

# data[].attributes.headline
Understanding trauma (Training material Part 2/3): Recognising trauma

# data[].attributes.subject
Understanding trauma (Training material Part 2/3): Recognising trauma

# data[].attributes.body
A 14 minute video overview to help practitioners consider how to recognise trauma the varied ways that trauma might present in a setting.

# data[].attributes.headline
Understanding trauma (Training material Part 3/3): Practical strategies

# data[].attributes.subject
Understanding trauma (Training material Part 3/3): Practical strategies

# data[].attributes.body
A 15 minute video highlighting some practical strategies to develop trauma informed practice within an early years setting.

# data[].attributes.headline
Supporting a bereaved child in an early years setting

# data[].attributes.subject
Supporting a bereaved child in an early years setting

# data[].attributes.body
A easily accessible resource with succinct top tips to support bereaved children in early years settings

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Every 22 minutes a parent of dependent children dies in the UK

Up to 70% of schools have a bereaved pupil on their roll at any given time

92% of young people will experience a significant bereavement before the age of 16 years

Contact with home

Having good contact with the family will enable you to access accurate information, to understand what the child has been told and to reassure those caring for the child.

Remember to share the child's successes as well as any concerns you may have. Grieving children can display altered behaviours in different situations and good communication with home will provide a more realistic picture of how the child is coping.

Even very young children need information

When someone dies, adults often, with the best of intentions, do not tell children the truth, assuming that under 5s are too young to be aware, or understand.

Do not be afraid to use the word "dead." It may feel harsh but euphemisms such as "lost" or "gone away" only create confusion and misunderstanding in young children who take what they hear very much at face value. The explanation may need to be repeated many times for this age group.

Children mature at different rates and their understanding and responses to bereavement are likely to be based as much on their experience of life as on their chronological age.

A child of 3 or 4 may use the word dead in context and will begin to differentiate between things which are dead and alive, but they will not understand abstract concepts like 'forever' and cannot grasp that death is permanent and irreversible.

Children, like adults, will grieve in different ways and their responses to a bereavement will depend on their age, understanding and relationship with the person who died.

Very few young children know what a funeral is unless they have previously experienced the death of someone they know. You may be asked by a family for advice about taking young children to funerals and some families are concerned that a funeral is too "adult" a ritual.

When someone dies, most people gain some comfort from an opportunity to say goodbye at a funeral. It is no different for children. As long as they have been prepared and given the choice whether to be there or not, they find it a helpful experience.

You could reassure them that none of the children and young people that we support at Child Bereavement UK regretted choosing to attend the funeral of someone special to them. Those who were not given the option deeply resent not being included, despite this decision having been made with the best of intentions.

Acknowledge what has happened

The most helpful thing that you can do for grieving children, even when very young, is to acknowledge what has happened. Keep it very simple, "I was very sorry to hear that *** has died, that is a very sad thing to have happened."

Don't assume that they understand what has been said. Try to check out their understanding of what being dead means. Using some of the suggested storybooks or exploring the life cycle with examples from the natural world, may help a young child to start to grasp the reality of what being dead means.

Try to answer questions honestly

Keep the language simple and age appropriate. It is important to find out what has been said to the child at home as it will be confusing if explanations differ. Adults act as a role model so it is helpful if everyone can take the same approach. Children need an accepting and supportive environment where they feel safe to ask questions and share feelings. When they ask difficult questions which you are unable to answer, ask the child what they think or ask them what they have been told.

Adults as role models

If the adults around them can express their emotions, a young child will know it is OK to do the same. Encourage and help them to express feelings by giving opportunities through play and other activities. They may play at being dead and although adults might find this disturbing, it is how very young children make sense of the world around them. Messy painting or drawing can help a child who is too young to have acquired the vocabulary of loss and grief.

Be prepared to repeat explanations and information

What they understood as a two-year-old will be different from their understanding at age three and at various other stages in their development. The meaning and the impact of what has happened will change and deepen. Questions asked previously may be asked again and again, in response to their need for more detailed explanations.

Give reassurance

When someone close to them dies, the world can become a very scary place for a young child, and they may start to wonder who else is going to leave them. If you make a promise, stick to it and continue to reassure an anxious child.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
charity bereavement child death grief loss baby stillbirth miscarriage suicide young people

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Supporting a bereaved child in an Early Years setting

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Every 22 minutes a parent of dependent children dies in the UK Up to 70% of schools have a bereaved pupil on their roll at any given time 92% of young people will experience a significant bereavement before the age of 16 years Having good contact with the family will enable you to access accurate information, to understand what the child has been told and to reassure those caring for the child.

# data[].attributes.body
This podcast can also be found on spotify. This episode talks about what we mean by the term ‘trauma’, examines how trauma shapes the way children learn to communicate, and discuss how practitioners can support children to heal from trauma, by building long-lasting and meaningful connections.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Episode 03: Let’s Talk… Trauma Recovery & Language Development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Podcast Episode · The Norfolk Early Years Podcast · 17 September 2025 · 47min

# data[].attributes.body
Early Years in Mind is a free online network for early years practitioners. The network provides easy to read and easy to use guidance on supporting the mental health of babies, young children and their families. The network was developed by mental health experts and shares practical and clinical expertise, and advice on using attachment-informed practice.

# data[].attributes.headline
Reading material: Healing Trauma: Attachment, Mindy, Body and Brain by Daniel J Siege

# data[].attributes.subject
Reading material: Healing Trauma: Attachment, Mindy, Body and Brain by Daniel J Siege

# data[].attributes.body
A superb resource written for professionals who are working hard to support or teach vulnerable children, but who often feel disarmed and at a loss with how to effectively help the profound and complex difficulties they observe.

# data[].attributes.body
Symptoms, behaviours and protective factors

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Young children depend exclusively on parents/caregivers for survival and protection—both physical and emotional. When trauma also impacts the parent/caregiver, the relationship between that person and the child may be strongly affected.

# data[].attributes.headline
Top tips to support children through trauma

# data[].attributes.subject
Top tips to support children through trauma

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Most children experience psychological trauma at some stage in their lives - perhaps as a result of parental separation or divorce, maybe due to a family bereavement or as a reaction to terrible events in the news.

It is always difficult to know what to say to children in these situations. Knowing it's ok to talk about it honestly/answer any questions truthfully and how to watch for various signs of stress have enabled us to confidently engage with children around recent issues. Kate, Fairways Pre-school, Southend.

Just like adults, children often struggle to cope with the emotional impact of such life-changing events - they can become distressed, disorientated and unfocussed, to such an extent that they have difficulty maintaining their normal daily routine.

Every child is different, and each copes with stressful life events in their own way. However, watch out for changes in the behaviour of a child you care for. Their response to trauma might be to change from outgoing to withdrawn or from introverted to exuberant, or from placid to irritable - the change in behaviour is the child's way of telling you that something is wrong.

Reactions to emotionally draining experiences vary depending on a child's resilience, their previous experience of dealing with stress, their age and stage of development, and their personality.

Children deal with trauma emotionally in five common ways:

1. Obvious distress. The child cries frequently, looks pale and drawn, and openly tells you that they are unhappy about what has happened.

2. Passivity. When they are with you, the child is emotionally flat, quiet and withdrawn. They are hard to engage in conversation and they have no interest in play activities.

3. Non-specific fear. The child is unusually afraid, perhaps telling you they are worried that something terrible is going to happen to them.

4. Personal responsibility. Sometimes children react to trauma by blaming themselves for what has happened; they are convinced it is their fault.

5. Psychological regression. They start to behave like a younger child, for instance wetting themselves during the day when they were previously dry.

Actions and words

As you will know if you look after children of different ages, the under-5s are less able than older children to express themselves using words. While a 10-year-old might confide in you that they feel dreadful because they miss their granddad terribly, or that they're scared after a recent terror attack, a 4-year-old might go for weeks or months without saying a word.

So pay close attention to body language as well as to spoken language. You can learn a great deal from a child's non-verbal communication, for example, the way that they make eye contact, the way they hold their head and shoulders and the distance they keep between themselves and others.

Be aware of what adults around the children are talking about too. Consider not having the news on all the time when there's been an incident - news features aimed at adults may confuse and distress children. This BBC Newsround advice for talking to children about distressing events is useful, too.

Whatever the age and developmental stage of the children in your care, always encourage open communication. If you create an atmosphere in your childcare setting where the children feel confident that they can discuss their concerns and anxieties at any time, then they will be much more likely to talk to you when they experience traumatic events.

10 tips for helping children through trauma

1. Offer reassurance. The child wants to hear you tell them that they are safe and well, and that everything will be OK.

2. Hugs and cuddles. Young children are usually comforted more by gentle, caring physical gestures than they are by words alone.

3. Listen. Allow - and encourage - children to voice their concerns. Listen respectfully and give them space to talk about the traumatic event.

4. Take concerns seriously. You know that a child has had nothing to do with her parents' divorce, but she might feel responsible. Don't trivialise their comments.

5. Show empathy. Let the child see that you understand what they are going through, for instance, saying to them "I can see that this is a difficult time for you".

6. Answer honestly. If they ask you questions about what lies ahead for them, give a suitable answer. And if you don't know, say so.

7. Draw them in. A child might need time and space to compose himself - that's fine, but do encourage them to interact with the other children in your care.

8. Focus on the positives. No matter how awful the trauma has been, find something positive for the child to focus on.

9. Monitor progress. Keep a close watch over the child during the next few weeks and months. Look out for any sign that they are not coping or are troubled again.

10. Work with parents. A child will be further reassured to know that you and their parents have a close connection.

Other useful resources

Free resources for PACEY members
This spotlight is based on content originally published by PACEY in Who Minds? magazine in 2010 and was written by Dr Richard Woolfson.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Spotlight on Supporting Children Through Trauma

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Most children experience psychological trauma at some stage in their lives - perhaps as a result of parental separation or divorce, maybe due to a family bereavement or as a reaction to terrible events in the news. It is always difficult to know what to say to children in these situations.

# data[].attributes.headline
Traumatic bereavement - UK Trauma Council

# data[].attributes.subject
Traumatic bereavement - UK Trauma Council

# data[].attributes.body
Free, evidence-based resources to support practitioners working with traumatically bereaved children and young people.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Free, evidence-based resources to support schools, colleges and practitioners working with traumatically bereaved children and young people.

Traumatically bereaved children and young people experience significant distress and difficulties, over and above a more typical grief. Traumatic bereavement can be easily missed or misunderstood by parents, teachers and even bereavement practitioners, meaning that children's difficulties are not recognised.

These resources will give school staff and practitioners the knowledge and tools they need to identify, help and support children and young people experiencing a traumatic bereavement.

Traumatic bereavement animation

Traumatic bereavement overview

Resources

These resources will give school staff and practitioners the knowledge and tools they need to identify, help and support children and young people experiencing a traumatic bereavement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free resources for school staff and practitioners to identify, help and support children and young people experiencing a traumatic bereavement.

# data[].attributes.body
Further support can be found on the Norfolk EPSS website

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Educational Psychology & Specialist Support

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Children who experience a traumatic event need to be carefully monitored to see how they deal with what happened. It is normal for children to experience acute stress symptoms immediately after the event, but with time they should return back to their normal self. If symptoms continue they may need professional support.

Please log in for further information on how you can support children through traumatic experiences.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Supporting children following trauma- Early Years - Educational Psychology & Specialist Support

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Children who experience a traumatic event need to be carefully monitored to see how they deal with what happened. It is normal for children to experience acute stress symptoms immediately after the event, but with time they should return back to their normal self. If symptoms continue they may need professional support.

# data[].attributes.headline
Linking childhood trauma to mental health

# data[].attributes.subject
Linking childhood trauma to mental health

# data[].attributes.body
In this video, Professor Eamon McCrory explains what scientists have learned about how mental health problems develop over time. While childhood trauma puts children on a more risky path, many children go on to become resilient adults

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We know the children who have experienced abuse neglect are more at risk of later mental health problems. How can we understand this link? How does vulnerability affect a child's everyday behaviour?

When a child grows up in an environment where there's abuse and neglect, their brain is shaped by those experiences. These brain changes are unlikely to lead to an immediate diagnosible problem. They are also not brain damage. Rather, they may help the child survive in the short-term. But over time, these changes may make a child more vulnerable to mental health problems in the future. This unseen link between childhood trauma and later mental health problems is what we call latent vulnerability.

While latent vulnerability is a cause for concern, it does not determine anyone's future. Brain changes aren't fixed nor is the child's destiny. While childhood trauma puts children on a more risky path, many children go on to become resilient adults.

Research tells us that mental health problems after abuse and neglect are not inevitable. Many children show a resilient outcome, yet a substantial number do not. Why are some children at more risk? Well, we know that a child doesn't suddenly wake up one day with a mental health problem.

Well-being is created over time and maintained through our everyday experiences and our everyday relationships. These nurture our development and shape the way we think and feel about ourselves, other people, and the world around us. Stress susceptibility, stress generation, and social thinning are three pathways by which mental health problems may begin to develop slowly over time following abuse and neglect.
Stress Susceptibility (01:58)
Everyday challenges, such as taking an exam, moving to a new school or even making new friends can be stressful for anyone. However, for a child who has experienced abuse and neglect, they may find these situations even more difficult to manage. Scientists call this stress susceptibility.

Changes in the threat, reward, and memory systems can mean that everyday life takes a greater toll. Being on high alert, for example, may help a child stay safe in a threatening home environment, but it may not be so helpful at school or in a safe foster placement. Over time, it can lead to heightened stress responses in the body and may even affect the functioning of the immune system. Reduced response to reward and more focus on negative memories can make life feel more challenging and threatening.
Stress Generation (02:53)
It is really important not to think of brain changes as just happening inside the child. Mental health vulnerability can also arise because those same brain changes play out in the real world affecting a child's future experience. In particular, their likelihood of experiencing future stress. While children who have experienced abuse and neglect have already experienced significant stress, we are learning that these same children continue to experience new stressful events more frequently than their peers. And we know that this happens even into adulthood.

For example we know that they are more likely to be bullied, more likely to experience relationship problems or exclusion. These are all examples of stress generation. Now why this happens is not straightforward. Scientists are working to understand what is likely to be a complex process involving a child's genetic makeup, alterations in brain systems, and social behaviour. One possibility is that changes in the brain's threat, reward, and memory systems may lead children to behave in ways that we as adults find challenging. Indeed how peers and adults respond to this behaviour influences whether new stressful experiences are created for the child.

In the Childhood Trauma and the Brain animation, Jon overreacted in the pool and began to fight after what was just a friendly nudge. What happened next was not up to Jon, but up to his coach. She had a choice to make and the outcome of that choice determined whether Jon experienced a new stressful event or whether he had an opportunity for learning and development.

We know that experiencing stressful events increases anxiety and depression for all of us. If a child experiences more stressful events, it's unsurprising that they are at a greater risk of mental health problems. It is possible that brain changes associated with abuse and neglect lead to brain changes that result in misinterpreting or overreacting to situations as well as poor social skills or difficulty regulating emotions. This can lead to behaviour that we, as adults, can find challenging. Our ability to step back and reflect and consider how to respond is crucial as we may, often with the best of intentions, be contributing to the generation of new stressful experiences for the children in our care.
Social Thinning (05:41)
Another way that we believe mental health vulnerability is linked to brain changes following abuse and neglect is through the impact these changes can have on everyday relationships. We know that supportive relationships are key to our well-being. They help us regulate our emotions and think through our everyday worries and problems. Adults also have an important role to play in creating opportunities for learning and growth for children.

Studies have shown that abuse and neglect in childhood can lead to reduced social support over time, even into adulthood. Conversely, it can lead them to develop relationships that are harmful and may lead to further experiences of victimisation. This has been recently been termed social thinning.

Over time, social thinning may make children more vulnerable to mental health problems. We all rely on others to manage stress and everyday challenges. Changes in the threat, reward, and memory systems may make it harder for children to build and maintain relationships. A child may focus on danger, on threat while missing out on other more positive social cues such as a friendly nudge or a positive remark. They may also be less able to draw on past experiences to solve current social problems or relationship conflicts. This may increase the risk of being excluded from a friendship group after an argument, being removed from a sports team after a fight, or being moved from a foster placement after sustained behavioural challenges.

While evidence points to social thinning for some children following abuse and neglect, how this contributes to mental health vulnerability is less clear. New stressful events may increase the likelihood of disrupting current relationships with peers or adults. At the same time, poor social problem solving may make it harder to resolve and repair social relationship difficulties. These difficulties can be compounded when it is harder to trust others.

Over time, through social thinning, a child may lose friends and relationships with supportive peers and adults. Reduced support from friends and family may make a child more vulnerable to the negative impact of new stressful events. If Jon had been excluded from the swim team, not only would he have lost the support of his peers, he would also have lost out on new experiences that could have helped him develop a sense of agency and a sense of confidence.
Conclusion (08:18)
So, we have seen that changes in the brain following abuse in neglect can not only affect how a child experiences the world, but also how the social world around them is shaped over time. This includes both their experience of new stressful events, as well as the social network of peers and adults around them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Linking childhood trauma to mental health | UKTC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We know the children who have experienced abuse neglect are more at risk of later mental health problems. How can we understand this link? How does vulnerability affect a child's everyday behaviour? When a child grows up in an environment where there's abuse and neglect, their brain is shaped by those experiences.

# data[].attributes.headline
Reading material: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk

# data[].attributes.subject
Reading material: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk

# data[].attributes.headline
Quick explanation about our brain function in relation to emotions:

# data[].attributes.subject
Quick explanation about our brain function in relation to emotions:

# data[].attributes.body
What is neuroscience and why do we study the brain to understand childhood trauma? In this short easy-to-understand video, Professor Pasco Fearon, Dr. Niko Steinbeis, and Dr. Vanessa Puetz explain how neuroscience can help us to better understand the thoughts and behaviours of children who have experienced trauma. Learn more about the brain’s role in child development, what we know and don’t know from current research, and explore what directions future research may take

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Professor Eamon McCrory, UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences: What is neuroscience and what do we know about brain development? What challenges do we face and what are the limitations of current research? In this short video, we hear from several leading neuroscientists who reflect on these questions and consider remaining gaps in our knowledge that we still need to address.

# data[].attributes.body
The significance of attachment and empathy - the need to understand.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Showing empathy creates calm

I heard Dr Margot Sunderland speak at a conference about helping children in their emotions by showing and demonstrating empathy. She is a powerful advocate for giving empathy to children and shows how this can heal and change children who have experienced trauma and have attachment difficulties. Dr Margot Sunderland is a child psychotherapist and Director of Education and Training at The Centre for Child Mental Health in London. She has published over 20 books in the area of child mental health.

Empathic listening has a healing impact on the brain and mind

It leads to good vagal tone, calming down the heart rate and supporting emotional regualtion. When a child is emotionally regulated, the medulla in the brain is calmed and a trauma response is lessened.

Vagal tone is about an internal process in the body involving the vagus nerve which originates from the medulla part of the brain that is a key component of the nervous system operating our heart, lungs and digestion. An increase in vagal tone slows the heart down. So this means that empathy from an adult to a child creates good vagal tone and thus helps the child to calm down and emotionally regalate.

I recently saw a little girl in a setting who was shouting, "Go away, go away!" to an adult. She was loud, vocal and seemed angry. The adult was trying to talk to her and encourage her to come into a room but the child stayed outside the room. There was a meeting going on inside the room and a voice said, "Just ignore her, she gets like that." It was all I could do not to say to the little girl, "Oh.... are you feeling cross?" I wanted so much to give her empathy, suggest how she might be feeling and try to reach her in her place of high emotion. I could sense her upset but as a bystander, I felt I could not help or intervene at the time. If I had been a practitioner supporting this child, or a leader in this provision, I would have considered it vital to show empathy to her and help her to become calm. This would be a form of co-regulation, and would in time help to support a langauge of emoption, and an empathic connected relationship.

There must be many children we can help inthis way, by simply responding to them diffferently, in an attuned way and with calming empathy.

Trauma in early childhood can cause attachment disorders

Dr Margot Sunderland talked about forms of attachment that children might demonstrate depending on their past experiences and trauma that they might have had. Trauma in a baby or young child can affect the brain development and emotions. She said that a child that has experienced traumatic loss could exhibit signs similar to ADHD or conduct disorder and that this loss could be due to grief, separation, adoption, fostering or abuse. She said that children who experience divorce or separation can move children into insecure attachment.

All behaviour is understandable in the context of what happened to that child

Often a child behaves out of flight or fight response, which is from a part of the brain that is hard to over-ride, particularly in young children and children who find it hard to emotionally regulate. Young children of course also find it hard to self regulate because they are learning about feelings and emotions. It is easy to see how early experiences, empathy, trauma and loss all can have such significant impact on how the brain learns to respond in emotion.

The amygdala part of the brain can be triggered to react by an incident that a child experiences which then takes the child back into their traumatic experience. For example, this might happen if a child is shouted at, or if someone is taken away from them. This is a core feeling when the child responds by fight or flight and they might demonstrate panic or anger or aggression.

In this heightened emotion, a child who is responded to with empathy, listening and responding by validating the child's emotions will feel contained and will be helped to calm down. Children might often be expected to be in control of their emotional regulation but when something triggers that amygdala part of the brain from a traumatic past experience, there is no reason or rationalisation. There is no ability to regulate in that moment. There is just a huge surge of emotion which has to be expressed.

Being attachment aware

I was very encouraged to hear that repair and healing can happen if adults provide empathic responses, play and attunement. I felt that we can help to make a difference. Dr Margot Sunderland recommends that schools (and I would add all settings) must help to build up the child's self. Being attachment and trauma aware as practitioners can help in this process.

If we can support children to regulate then they can calm down and strong emotions will lessen or be controlled. Otherwise it is possible that in later life, the child will turn to other sources to help calm down, like drugs and alcohol. We can also help to support children to learn about alternative responses for stress, giving them other options to stimulate endorphins to help them feel good. For example, running, being outside in a green space and music can all induce oxytocin which is a feel good factor and an excellent alternative to a stress response.

A recent joint paper by Adoption UK and NAHT Understanding attachment difficulties is being sent to all schools following recent NICE guidance (October 16) on attachment difficulties. Let us hope that becoming more attachment aware, attuning to children and giving them empathic responses can help in their journey towards help and healing.

A must listen to link

Further reading and resources

To be able to understand what a child is trying to communicate is the most satisfying feeling one can have. There is no kid or situation that is hopeless; it is simply a matter of us taking a step back to assess what language is being spoken. Kids and adults from traumatic and dysfunctional childhoods often speak the language of hurt, pain, loss and mistrust. We need to put our preconceptions aside to be receptive to their communication. Only then can we truly understand their needs.

Some of our Associates have expertise in this area and can provide training, please contact us to find out more.

Please let us know if you are an Attachment Aware school, we would love you to email us about your work in this area.
This page was updated in Autumn 2019.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I heard Dr Margot Sunderland speak at a conference about helping children in their emotions by showing and demonstrating empathy. She is a powerful advocate for giving empathy to children and shows how this can heal and change children who have experienced trauma and have attachment difficulties.

# data[].attributes.headline
Anna Freud Centre: Bereavement in early years

# data[].attributes.subject
Anna Freud Centre: Bereavement in early years

# data[].attributes.body
Reactions, considerations and support for children who have experienced bereavement in your early years setting

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Around 90% of children will experience a significant bereavement before the age of sixteen years. For some, the death of a parent, carer, sibling or grandparent will happen in the early years of their life. Because babies and young children are very aware of their environment and the emotions of those around them, it's likely that they will notice if someone is no longer there - or if the adults in their life are grieving. If they are not given information from adults, they may attempt to make sense of the situation on their own.
Some reactions to bereavement: Babies
Babies can notice the absence of a regular caregiver, for example a grandparent. They might become unsettled and upset and start looking for their return.

When their normal routines or environments change as a result of the death of a loved one, they may pick up on this. They are also especially sensitive to the mood of their carers. If they do feel distressed, they might show it by being clingy or changing their eating or sleeping habits.
Toddlers
Toddlers might express their feelings through increased tantrums or restlessness (i.e. difficulties staying still). Or they might develop a fear of being alone or become more whiney or grizzly. It is possible that some may regress to a younger age, for example by losing their toilet training. They might also play out 'loss related' stories with their toys.
Pre-school children
As well as the normal reactions mentioned above, pre-school aged children can sometimes think of a death as their fault. Also, they may not yet understand that death is permanent (for example, they may think the person will return). They might also think of death as something that would happen to others, but not to their family.

It is important to reassure them that they are not responsible and that adults will keep them safe.

Things to consider when supporting families affected by bereavement

The death of a loved one involves suffering and pain, and so it is understandable that adults find it difficult to talk about. Parents and carers might therefore think that avoiding the discussion is the best way to protect themselves and their child from any distress. Also, some may assume that very young children have not noticed what has happened or would not be able to understand. But they should be aware that this is far from reality.

Losing a parent or sibling can be especially devastating for children. Since the loss will be acutely felt by the child, it may be appropriate for you to acknowledge that loss and talk about the person who has died. You could allow some time together for giving comfort and support, and let the child know it is OK to be sad. When a young child has lost a sibling, keep in mind they may have feelings of guilt. Young children might think that they should have died instead or that they are responsible. If you think that this might be the case with a child in your care, discuss this with their parents and encourage them to reassure the child.

How you can support children in your setting

Acknowledge the child's grief: support the child to feel safe to express their emotions and let them know it's ok to be upset.

Comfort and reassure them that it's not their fault and that there are no 'wrong' feelings.

Try to create stability in the early years setting. It can help to continue with some of their existing routines. This will provide them with a sense of security.

Ensure there is good communication with the family. This will help the parents and carers to feel reassured when their child is away from them and to be consistent in what's been talked about to the child about the bereavement.

Let them know it's ok to have fun. Children often make sense of difficult events through play.

Helping parents and carers to support their bereaved child

To support parents to begin these challenging discussions, the simplest first step is to acknowledge with them that it is completely understandable that they want to protect their children from this news.

Emphasise to parents that talking with young children about death allows them to understand and express feelings of sadness, anger, and pain that might be associated with the loss, and ultimately it allows them to grieve.

Advise parents to tell children in person as soon as they can about the bereavement, and to do so in an intimate and safe place, where the child can freely express what they feel.

Support parents in providing a clear and simple explanation to their child that is based on the real situation and which considers their stage of developmental. This will avoid them jumping to their own conclusions.

If necessary, gently acknowledge with parents and carers that it's important they remain in control of their feelings, because children can find it frightening if they see them very overwhelmed.

Bereavement in the context of the health crisis

During lockdown, loss is a theme in all children's lives, like the loss of rewarding routines and relationships with significant people. But of course, the pandemic has also resulted in many permanent losses through bereavement. These abrupt, rapid, and unexpected bereavements can cause fear and anguish and lead to grief difficulties in both children and adults.

Tips to share with parents

Young children, and even small babies, will be aware that someone has died and that the adults in their life are grieving. They might express their feelings in lots of different ways, like being clingy, changing their eating or sleeping habits, being restless or having more tantrums. It's important to talk about the loss with them.

Tell your child in person as soon as you can about the bereavement. Try to do this in an intimate and safe place, where the child can freely express what they feel. You might want to explain that the loved one has died and that they will not be able to see that person again. Give space for a child to ask questions. If a child asks a question that you don't know how to answer, it is OK to say that you will think about it and talk to them again later when you have more information.

Keep your routines at home as stable and predictable as you can, and as easy for you as possible.

Share time together with your child and try to make time for play. Play is a good way to help children process their feelings.

Try to look after yourself as much as you can. That way, you will have more resources to look after your child too.

If someone has died as a result of coronavirus, you might not have had the opportunity to say goodbye or to mark the death as you usually might. It might help your child and the whole family to perform grief rituals, like drawing pictures, planting a tree in memory of the person or starting a memory box with significant objects such as photos, pieces of cloth, bracelets.

Stories can be used to shape a child's understanding. For example, take a look at: Someone I Know Has Died (Trish Phillips), Never Too Young to Grieve: Supporting Children Under 5 After the Death of a Parent (Winston's Wish), Missing Mummy (Rebecca Cobb), I Miss You: a First Look at Death (Pat Thomas), Dear Grandma Bunny (Dick Bruna), The Little Flower Bulb: Helping Children Bereaved by Suicide (Eleanor Gormally), Someone has died suddenly and support guide (Brake, Sudden charities).
Useful links:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Around 90% of children will experience a significant bereavement before the age of sixteen years. For some, the death of a parent, carer, sibling or grandparent will happen in the early years of their life.

# data[].attributes.headline
Reading material: Getting Past your Past by Francine Shapiro

# data[].attributes.subject
Reading material: Getting Past your Past by Francine Shapiro

# data[].attributes.body
The Childhood Trauma and the Brain animation provides information from neuroscience research for practitioners. Learn what neuroscience can tell us, the implications for practice, and the link between childhood trauma and mental health problems.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Childhood Trauma and the Brain animation and accompanying educational materials for professionals and carers supporting children and young people.

# data[].attributes.body
In this video, Professor Eamon McCrory uses the Childhood Trauma and the Brain animation to help explain what scientists have discovered from studying the brain about the impact of abuse and neglect.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When children face traumatic experiences, like abuse and neglect, the brain can adapt to help them cope. These changes may be helpful in the short-term, in an unpredictable or dangerous home environment, but in the longer term, in more ordinary environments, these changes can play out in ways that increase risk of mental health problems. We call this latent vulnerability.

Neuroscientists have observed brain changes in a range of systems and here we're going to focus on what we have learned about the threat, reward, and memory systems.
THREAT SYSTEM (0:48)
We probably know more about how experiences of abuse and neglect affect threat processing than any other brain system.

The threat system essentially allows us to detect and respond to danger. It helps us spot danger early in our environment and keep us safe - from a speeding car to avoiding a scary looking spider. These responses are a normal part of life for all of us.

But abuse and neglect create a world where danger is often unpredictable and punishment is extreme. Researchers have shown that over time such experiences can lead to long-lasting changes in how the brain responds to danger, even in everyday environments. Scientists have observed heightened response in key threat regions of the brain, including the amygdala and the insula. This heightened response has been observed even when the threat is outside of conscious awareness. It is also similar to the pattern of response that has been seen in soldiers before and after they have been exposed to combat. This pattern of response is called hyper-vigilance and in the Childhood Trauma and the Brain animation, we saw John who frequently witnessed domestic abuse as a child. Heightened reactivity to threat can lead to overreaction and sometimes violence. When John overreacted to a playful nudge in the pool, the consequences had the potential to negatively impact his sense of self-worth as well as his network of friends and peers.

In some context, however, children - especially those with chronic experiences of abuse - show patterns of threat avoidance. This is associated with unusually low brain activation in the threat system. This may lead to a child withdrawing or feeling anxious even in safe environments and this could reduce their opportunities to learn and build relationships.

We know the changes in the threat system can impact how a child experiences everyday life increasing reactivity to stress and rejection. It may also reduce the amount of attentional resources that the child has for learning and paying attention, for example, in class. As we saw with John, it can also increase the intensity of emotion and emotional response and may be linked to poor emotion regulation. As we will see later, this can trigger more stressful experiences. Over time, scientists believe that changes in the threat system may increase vulnerability to later mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

Scientists have also been interested in how abuse and neglect impact on the way that children respond to positive or rewarding aspects of their environment.
THE REWARD SYSTEM (3:27)
The reward system in the brain is what helps us learn about positive aspects of the world around us. it motivates our behavior and guides decision making.

From the earliest years, our brain is able to learn what is rewarding and how to elicit rewards - a mother's smile, a cuddle, as well as basic rewards such as food. Abuse and neglect create a world where these kind of rewards are inconsistent or even absent. Over time scientists believe that this may reduce the brain's responsiveness to rewards. One suggestion is that this may help a child manage the likelihood of constant disappointment as they align their expectations to a world that shows them little care or attention.

The reward system comprises a range of brain areas, including the brain stem, the striatum, and frontal regions. These brain regions use dopamine an important chemical in the brain to communicate when processing reward cues.

Research shows the children like Jasmine have reduced sensitivity to reward in these regions compared to their peers. We believe that this may impact their ability to negotiate and maintain relationships. We know the changes in the reward system are also associated with problems learning about new rewards in the environment, including social rewards. There may also be an impact on the child's motivation and their ability to experience pleasure.

Again, scientists believe the changes in the reward system following abuse and neglect may increase vulnerability to future mental health problems including anxiety and depression.
THE MEMORY SYSTEM (5:21)
While we know quite a bit about the threat and reward systems, we are only just beginning to learn how early experiences can affect the memory system in the brain. The autobiographical memory system is important because it allows us to store information about past experiences. We need to access these past experiences to help us negotiate new challenges in the future. Our past memories are essential to help us plan, to problem-solve, and to make decisions. They also have a role in helping us regulate our emotions and, overtime, developing a sense of who we are.

Experiences of neglect and physical abuse create negative memories that may be overwhelming. We believe this might be one reason that contributes to changes in how a child's brain processes memories in the future. We know that the autobiographical memory system is comprised of a network of brain regions, including the temporal and frontal areas. This includes the hippocampus, a key brain structure involved in storing memories.

Research shows us that children who experience trauma can develop a pattern of what we call overgeneral memory. Everyday memories become less detailed and we believe that this impacts a child's ability to solve social problems, especially in new or challenging situations.

Brain imaging studies also suggest that everyday negative memories might also become more prominent than positive ones. This is seen in the brain as an increased activation of areas involved in negative memory recall, such as the amygdala. We've also seen decreased activation of the hippocampus when children recall positive memories. Scientists have suggested that the changes in the autobiographical memory system ultimately impacts a child's ability to effectively negotiate their social world. They believe that the tendency to focus on negative memories and thoughts may also increase the risk of rumination. This may be particularly relevant during adolescence, a very formative period where we create our sense of self and our identity.

So, we briefly looked at evidence for how childhood trauma can impact the functioning of three different brain systems. It is important to note that many of these brain changes are observed even before mental health problems arise. That is, we see them in children with no obvious mental health disorder. This suggests that we have an important opportunity to take preventative action to reduce the likelihood that mental health problems will emerge at all. To do this, we need to understand how these brain changes increase latent vulnerability to future mental health problems.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How the brain adapts to adversity | UKTC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When children face traumatic experiences, like abuse and neglect, the brain can adapt to help them cope. These changes may be helpful in the short-term, in an unpredictable or dangerous home environment, but in the longer term, in more ordinary environments, these changes can play out in ways that increase risk of mental health problems. We call this latent vulnerability.

# data[].attributes.headline
Supporting children who may have experienced trauma or abuse [Anna Freud Centre webinar]

# data[].attributes.subject
Supporting children who may have experienced trauma or abuse [Anna Freud Centre webinar]

# data[].attributes.body
An excellent webinar, lasting 1.5 hrs. A useful training resource for all early years practitioners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Supporting children in early years settings who may have experienced trauma or abuse

# data[].attributes.headline
This article relates to the bereavement of children during the pandemic:

# data[].attributes.subject
This article relates to the bereavement of children during the pandemic:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
5th May 2021 | By: Michelle Cunliffe
Today, the UK Trauma Council (UKTC) and three child bereavement charities appeal for more awareness of traumatic bereavement, particularly in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
There have been more than 120,000 deaths in the UK due to the pandemic, with a large number of children and young people being affected through the death of a family member or someone else important in their life. The pandemic has created situations in which a death comes unexpectedly, without the chance to say goodbye, or where family members feel guilt that they may have brought the virus into the home. These factors may increase the likelihood of a traumatic bereavement.

In a traumatic bereavement, the trauma gets in the way of the typical process of grieving. It blocks the child or young person's ability to 'make sense' of the death and adjust to their loss. As a result, how the child or young person experiences or understands the death - the meaning they make of it - results in it being experienced as traumatic. This can happen to children and young people in any circumstance and at any age.

David Trickey, Co-Director of the UKTC, explains: "Traumatically bereaved children and young people experience significant distress and difficulties, over and above a more typical grief. Traumatic bereavement may be easily missed or misunderstood, meaning that children's difficulties are not recognised by even the most supportive adults including parents, teachers and bereavement practitioners. It is vital that these children are identified and given the appropriate help and support."

In collaboration with leading bereavement charities, Child Bereavement UK, Winston's Wish and the Childhood Bereavement Network, the UKTC is supporting efforts to provide specialist and timely help for children affected by traumatic bereavement. The UKTC is hosted and supported by the Anna Freud Centre, and funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.

This new initiative has been prompted by the pandemic, which has had a profound impact on children and young people's mental health. In England, the proportion of children and young people with a probable mental health disorder rose to one in six in July 2020 (from one in nine in 2017). To support those working with bereaved children and young people, a new portfolio of free, evidence-based resources for school staff, bereavement services and NHS mental health services are launched today. The development of the portfolio has been funded by the Government's Coronavirus Community Support Fund, distributed by The National Lottery Community Fund.

These new resources will give schools and clinical staff the knowledge to recognise traumatic bereavement, advice on how to put appropriate support in place, and guidance on how to refer on to more specialist services. David Trickey explains: "As our new resources show, young people often grieve in puddles, dipping in and out of their grief. But if the grief becomes traumatic, it is more like a deep well, and much harder for the young person to step out of. These resources should help identify traumatic bereavement, provide effective support, and allow trusted adults to hold the hope for the child or young person."

As awareness increases of the impact of the pandemic, the UKTC welcomes the efforts to address children and young people's experiences of trauma within the UK Government's mental health recovery plans. Building on these measures, the UKTC encourages the UK Government, and those of the four nations, to support schools, NHS mental health services and bereavement services to use evidence-based approaches to address the impacts of traumatic bereavement during the pandemic on children and young people's mental health and lives.

Professor Eamon McCrory, Co-Director of the UKTC, says: "Working together, we can begin to address the impact of the current pandemic on the wellbeing of children and young people. The easing of lockdown and return of schools creates more of a sense of normality for children, but some will have been intensely affected by what they have been through. An immediate priority is to ensure parents, teachers and professionals have the support and guidance they need to help those children who have experienced a traumatic bereavement."

The UK Trauma Council brings together 22 experts in the field of childhood trauma, drawn from across all four nations of the UK. The members represent a range of disciplines and sectors, including research, clinical practice, education, policy, and experts by experience.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Leading experts appeal for an understanding of childhood traumatic bereavement during and beyond the pandemic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
5th May 2021 | By: Michelle Cunliffe Today, the UK Trauma Council (UKTC) and three child bereavement charities appeal for more awareness of traumatic bereavement, particularly in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

# data[].attributes.body
This report finds that the low numbers of children who attended school during the first national lockdown, combined with disruption to community health services, directly affected the ability of local safeguarding partners to identify children and families in need of early help and protection. As a result, local authorities are now more likely to be responding to a legacy of abuse and neglect. The Chief Inspector said it is imperative that all agencies now work together to prioritise the most urgent cases.’ (Published by Ofsted, 1st Dec 2020)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tell us whether you accept cookies

We use cookies to collect information about how you use GOV.UK. We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and improve government services.

Ofsted's Annual Report presents our findings for the areas we inspect in early years childcare, schools, further education and skills and social care.

Details

The Annual Report looks at schools, early years, further education and skills and children's social care for the academic year 2019 to 2020.

Ofsted's findings are based on inspection evidence from inspections of, and visits to, schools, colleges and providers of social care, early years and further education and skills. The report also draws on findings from our research and analysis this year.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ofsted Annual Report 2019/20: education, children's services and skills

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We use cookies to collect information about how you use GOV.UK. We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and improve government services. Ofsted's Annual Report presents our findings for the areas we inspect in early years childcare, schools, further education and skills and social care.

# data[].attributes.headline
Reading Material: Dandelion on my Pillow, Butchers Knife Beneath by Nancy Thomas

# data[].attributes.subject
Reading Material: Dandelion on my Pillow, Butchers Knife Beneath by Nancy Thomas

# data[].attributes.body
An infographic to summarise the causes and impacts of childhood trauma.

# data[].attributes.headline
Flipping your lid - the effects of trauma on a child's brain

# data[].attributes.subject
Flipping your lid - the effects of trauma on a child's brain

# data[].attributes.body
Dan Siegel is a psychologist that has conducted significant research on the effects of trauma and other types of events on the brain. For more information about Dan Siegel and his brain model, check out his books: The Whole Brain Child, Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation or his website: https://www.drdansiegel.com/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Hurricanes, mass shootings, war, famine, cancer, car accidents...it seems like everywhere we turn we are bombarded by negative or upsetting events. The phrase "traumatic event" is often attached to these kinds of stories and trauma is currently an area of study and research in numerous professional fields including mental health and education. But what exactly is trauma and what does it do to the brain of a child?

A traumatic event is any incident experienced by someone that is perceived to be dangerous or that threatens serious injury or death. It could be a large-scale disaster or may only happen to an individual. When someone experiences trauma, they lose their sense of control and safety and frequently become hyperaware of their surroundings. Trauma is a sensory experience, so the body remembers the event even if the individual doesn't have words to describe what happened. It is also a very individual experience, so people that have experienced the same traumatic event may have different reactions in the aftermath. Some people return to normal functioning within a few days or weeks, while others may have difficulty for years afterward.

There has been extensive research into the effects of trauma on the brain. Studies show there are three major parts of the brain involved in a response to trauma. The first part is the brain stem, often referred to as the "reptilian brain." This part of the brain takes care of bodily functions that we need to survive (e.g. regulating heartbeat, lung function, and levels of arousal). The brain stem also maintains energy levels for the other parts. The limbic is the second part of the brain impacted by trauma. The limbic is largely responsible for emotions and relationships/attachment to others. It works with the brain stem to assess situations and determine if those situations are good or bad. Three important parts of the limbic system are (a) hypothalamus, the command center for hormones, (b) amygdala, the emotional switchboard, and (c) hippocampus, or the memory maker. The final trauma impacted brain part is the cortex, or the outer layer of the brain, which controls rational thinking.

When we are calm, all three parts of the brain are working in sync and in harmony. When a child experiences a trauma, there is a disconnect between these parts of the brain, and emotions take over.

Here is what happens in the brain when a child experiences a traumatic event:

1. Brain stem- This part of the brain initiates the "fight, flight, or freeze" response when in times of stress, or trauma.

2. Limbic system- When a child experiences a traumatic event, the hypothalamus releases higher levels of cortisol, the "stress hormone." Higher levels of cortisol results in higher alertness to danger. When a child experiences trauma, the amygdala may go into overdrive and cause fear responses to even "normal" situations, such as doors slamming or loud voices. The hippocampus may stitch together memories of the traumatic event in a way that causes the child to be more fearful.

3. Cortex-There is a disconnect between the cortex and the other parts of the brain. This may make it hard for a child to describe an experience.

Dan Siegel is a psychologist that has conducted significant research on the effects of trauma and other types of events on the brain. He has written several books on this topic including The Whole Brain Child and Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation. Dr Siegel describes a great way to use your hand as a model of the brain to describe what happens when a child experiences a temper tantrum or is stuck on a negative emotion. In this model, the wrist represents the spinal cord rising from the backbone and supporting the brain. The inner brain stem is represented by your palm. The thumb represents the limbic system and you can simulate its approximate position when you rest your thumb across your palm. Curling your fingers back over the top creates the cortex in its place.

In the wake of a trauma, a child's cortex is disconnected, or the fingers of the "hand brain" are flipped up. The emotional parts of the brain are running the show and higher-level thinking is not part of a child's response. Living in a fear-activated state of hyper-awareness causes a child to be quick to anger. In their subconscious efforts to self-protect, a child might be viewed as defiant, disrespectful or overly aggressive. Other children may appear to be zoning out or drifting off following a traumatic event. These children are seen as shutting down, but their brain is telling them, 'you need to be safe.' This has come to be called "flipping your lid." When a child is in this elevated state, using language may not be an effective tool to help them calm down and self-regulate.

But everything is not lost! As trauma is a sensory experience, using kinesthetic strategies, such as deep breathing, yoga, physical exercise, and other activities that engage the senses can help a child reach a calmer place where they can process their emotions and their experiences. Play therapy is also an excellent option!

For more information about trauma, check out The National Child Traumatic Stress Network at www.nctsn.org.

For more information about Dan Siegel and his brain model, check out his books: The Whole Brain Child, Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation or his website: https://www.drdansiegel.com/
Michelle Wenz is a licensed clinical social worker and clinical certified trauma practitioner. She received her trauma certification through Starr Commonwealth in 2016 after working with children and families that struggled with complex trauma involved child welfare and Title I schools for over 5 years. For more information, you can reach Michelle at mwenz@familyandchildtherapy.com or (571) 408-8766.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Flipping Your Lid-The Effects of Trauma on a Child's Brain

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Hurricanes, mass shootings, war, famine, cancer, car accidents...it seems like everywhere we turn we are bombarded by negative or upsetting events. The phrase "traumatic event" is often attached to these kinds of stories and trauma is currently an area of study and research in numerous professional fields including mental health and education.

# data[].attributes.headline
Supporting bereaved children in early years settings - Anna Freud Centre

# data[].attributes.subject
Supporting bereaved children in early years settings - Anna Freud Centre

# data[].attributes.body
An excellent 1.5 hr webinar from experts at the Anna Freud Centre, providing useful training for all early years practitioners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Supporting bereaved children in the early years

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Training courses for those working with children and young people with experience of trauma.

The UK Trauma Council has developed training courses, based on the best available evidence, to support you in your work with children and young people. Select one of the available courses below. Please note the course links will direct you to the Anna Freud Centre's website.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The UK Trauma Council has developed training courses, based on the best available evidence, to support you in your work with children and young people. Select one of the available courses below. Please note the course links will direct you to the Anna Freud Centre's website.

# data[].attributes.headline
Common behavioural difficulties in young children and babies

# data[].attributes.subject
Common behavioural difficulties in young children and babies

# data[].attributes.body
An attachment and trauma informed approach to some of the common behavioural difficulties practitioners experience with young children and babies. A great resource to use alongside families.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Common Difficulties In Early Years Children & Babies | Common Mental Health Difficulties Early Years | Anna Freud

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Early years children can experience a range of difficulties including agression, anxiety, and tantrums. Find out more about some of the common difficulties that arise and how you can help with them.

# data[].attributes.headline
Latest Research Roundup: UK Trauma Council

# data[].attributes.subject
Latest Research Roundup: UK Trauma Council

# data[].attributes.body
The Research Round Up series helps to bridge the gap between academic researchers and busy professionals working with children and young people. This quarterly publication provides short summaries of ten research studies from the field of trauma and childhood maltreatment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Research Round Up series helps to bridge the gap between academic researchers and busy professionals working with children and young people. This quarterly publication provides short summaries of ten research studies from the field of trauma and childhood maltreatment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Research Round Up series helps to bridge the gap between academic researchers and busy professionals working with children and young people. This quarterly publication provides short summaries of ten research studies from the field of trauma and childhood maltreatment.

# data[].attributes.headline
Supporting positive behaviour: Norfolk Steps

# data[].attributes.subject
Supporting positive behaviour: Norfolk Steps

# data[].attributes.body
A Norfolk approach to recognising, understanding and promoting effective behaviour support in the early years - Steps

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Early years and childcare - inclusion: behaviour

# data[].attributes.headline
Trauma informed care in child care settings

# data[].attributes.subject
Trauma informed care in child care settings

# data[].attributes.body
Exposure to trauma presents significant concerns for children during crucial developmental stages and can have an impact on their cognitive, social, physical, and emotional development.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Know

Take a moment to think about a time that you have struggled when working with a child. Perhaps the child was irritable, wasn't paying attention, or argued and fought with other children. Think about how a child that exhibits these behaviors can be labeled as a "difficult child" or a "bad kid" and how that label can influence the way they think or feel about themselves, their abilities, and how others view them.

As a caregiver, you play an important role in shaping a child's initial experiences outside of the home environment. While it can be difficult to work with a child that exhibits challenging behaviors, it's important to take a step back and consider other factors that may be contributing to the behaviors you experience in your settings. For more information about working with children that exhibit challenging behaviors, review the Virtual Lab School Focused Topics course, Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviors.

Recently, you may have read about or heard the term "trauma-informed care" or "trauma-sensitive schools." Trauma-informed care is especially relevant for individuals working with young children. The federal government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines "trauma-informed care" as an approach that is grounded in understanding and responding to the impact of trauma in a way which focuses on the strengths of the survivor and prioritizes the physical, psychological, and emotional safety for all involved (2014).

Trauma-informed care seeks to help survivors of trauma feel safe and secure in their settings and to encourage and construct opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment in their lives. In order to incorporate a trauma-informed approach, it's necessary to understand trauma and how survivors of trauma may process their experiences.

What is Trauma?

We may think of trauma as affecting an individual child or family, however, it's important to consider trauma that occurs on a community level. The Johns Hopkins Urban Health Institute says that whole communities endure trauma through experiences of oppression, racial discrimination, pervasive poverty, or neighborhood violence. Because trauma occurs at these various levels and in a multitude of environments, trauma-informed care is starting to appear in areas such as the criminal justice system, schools, and health-care settings (2013).

Another assumption we may have regarding trauma is that it occurs as a single, one-time event that a survivor has witnessed or experienced. However, trauma is complicated and can be experienced in several ways. Trauma can be acute, appearing as a single one-time event such as a home burglary or a serious car accident, or it can be chronic, occurring repetitively and over an extended period of time. Chronic trauma may include exposure to war, repetitively witnessing community violence, or extended displacement from a natural disaster.

Complex trauma adds an additional layer to traumatic experiences and is considered to be especially invasive and disruptive to a child's development. Complex trauma consists of varied and multiple traumas and often stems from experiences with trusted caregivers in early childhood. Children that have been neglected, or emotionally, sexually, or physically abused may be dealing with complex trauma.

Complex trauma can be especially harmful for young children because it occurs within the caregiving system, or with the individual that is supposed to be a source of safety and stability in a child's life. Complex trauma in early childhood can interfere with a child's ability to form a secure attachment to a caregiver. Attachment theory suggests that children's early experiences with their primary caregivers are critical and have a lasting impact on children's lives (Bowlby, 1969). Children that struggle to form a positive secure attachment to their caregivers within the first few years of life due to complex trauma may have difficulties forming healthy intimate relationships or establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries in adulthood. For more information on attachment theory in early childhood, see these Virtual Lab School lessons in the Infant-Toddler track: Cognitive Development Lesson Three and Self and Cultural Understanding Lesson One.

Trauma in Families

Trauma can occur on a variety of levels and is experienced by individuals, families, and entire communities. There is a wide-range of potential traumatic situations or experiences that some families endure. For example, parental divorce, incarceration of a family member, or the diagnosis of a terminal illness all have the potential to be traumatic experiences for families. Another pervasive traumatic experience that some families may be faced with is homelessness, with an estimated 1.3 million children experiencing homelessness at a given time in the United States. Chronic homelessness can be traumatic for young children and place them at risk for encountering other traumatic experiences, and it can adversely affect their development. For more information about how homelessness specifically can impact the children and families that you work with, review the References & Resources section at the end of this lesson. Consider Britney's story:

Britney is a 6-year-old child in your program. She lives with her mother, father, and 18-month-old brother. Britney's family has struggled with finances over the years and have been in and out of homelessness. Typically, Britney's family rotates from home to home, staying with friends of the family for a week or two at a time. Occasionally, Britney's family has to resort to living out of their car for several days or weeks until they can find a place to stay.

Remember, families are incredibly resilient and can serve as a significant source of support for one another when experiencing trauma. Keep in mind that trauma can occur on various levels, and is experienced not only by individual children but may also affect families or communities as well.

Symptoms of Trauma

Each child uniquely experiences and processes trauma. Because there is no standard or expected way in which children process traumatic experiences, there is a wide range of cognitive, social, emotional, or physical symptoms that a child may or may not demonstrate.

To understand the range of symptoms that children may exhibit following exposure to trauma, it's necessary to consider the developmental stage of the child. Children develop at an astounding rate during the first years of their lives, each with unique challenges and important developmental milestones. Some symptoms of trauma can affect children of all ages without regard to developmental stages. Examples include major changes in eating or sleeping, nightmares, anger or rage, unreasonable fear, or unusually strong startle reactions. Other symptoms may be tied to certain developmental stages.

The following list identifies common symptoms that children may exhibit following exposure to trauma, broken down by developmental stage. It's important to note that not all children exposed to trauma will experience these symptoms and several of the symptoms listed can be part of typical development or unrelated to trauma. When considering the symptoms that survivors of trauma may experience, it's important to consider the severity of the symptoms and the impact these symptoms can have on the everyday lives of children and their families.

Symptoms of Childhood Trauma Across Developmental Stages
Source: Mental Health Connection of Tarrant County, Texas.
While there is a range of symptoms that children may exhibit as a result of trauma, the most common symptoms that program staff see displayed by children are: clinginess, anxiety, irritability, impulsivity, difficulty concentrating, aggression and challenging behavior. Exposure to trauma can manifest itself as challenging behaviors that are overwhelming and frustrating to staff members. It is important for you to remember that children use behavior as a form of communication, and they may be expressing difficult or challenging behavior as a result of the trauma that they have experienced. Understanding the impact that trauma can have on children's development and behavior is critical so that you can be sensitive and responsive to their needs. For more information on understanding and responding to challenging behavior, see the VLS Focused Topics Courses: Supporting Children with Challenging Behavior and Sexual Development & Behavior in Children and Youth.

Traumatic Stress

When we encounter a stressful situation, our bodies react to protect us from the perceived threat; you may have heard this referred to as the "fight or flight" reaction. It's normal for our bodies to increase heart rate, begin to sweat, or become hyper-alert following a situation we believe to be dangerous. These immediate physiological reactions return to normal once we feel that the danger has passed. However, some children that have experienced trauma can have longer-lasting reactions that interfere with their daily lives and their physical and emotional development (NTCSN, 2003).

Children that have endured trauma are at an increased risk of developing childhood traumatic stress. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network describes traumatic stress as a response to trauma that significantly interferes with a child's ability to function and complete daily activities. Children with traumatic stress may experience significant symptoms, such as intense emotional upset, depression or anxiety, severe behavioral changes, attention difficulties, and problems with eating or sleeping.

The pain associated with trauma can persist for years. Reminders of the trauma, such as persons, places, objects, smells, or anniversaries, may bring forth difficult or intense emotions associated with the trauma and can be expected to some extent. For example, an adult that experienced early childhood trauma by witnessing domestic violence in the home may experience intense anxiety when they are reminded of the past traumatic event in some way (e.g., adults yelling at one another or seeing an individual get hit).

While trauma can be a life-altering experience, not all children develop traumatic stress that interferes with their daily lives. In fact, there are several factors that can influence the severity of symptoms that children may experience. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network outlines several factors that may affect the way a survivor may process or experience the trauma.

Severity of the event

How serious was the event? How badly was the child or someone they love hurt? Did anyone go to the hospital? Were police involved? Was the child separated from a caregiver? Did a family member die?

Proximity to the event

Was the child actually at the place where the event occurred? Did they see the event happen to someone or were they a victim? Did they watch the event on TV? Did they hear someone talk about the event?

Caregivers' reactions

Did the family believe the child was telling the truth? How did caregivers respond to the child's needs, how did they cope with the event themselves?

Prior history of trauma

Children repetitively exposed to trauma are more likely to develop traumatic stress reactions.

Family and community factors

Culture, race, and ethnicity of children, their families and communities can be a protective factor.

While there are several factors that may increase a child's risk for developing traumatic stress symptoms, there are also various protective factors that serve to encourage healthy coping and buffer against developing harmful and lasting symptoms associated with trauma. Some important protective factors within the family or community that can help promote resilience or healing in children that have survived trauma include a strong cultural identity, stable housing, economic stability, access to health care, affiliation with a supportive faith community, and connections to family and friends, according to the Futures Without Violence organization. Consider the protective factors for Maria and her family:

Maria, one of the children in your care, recently lost her mother to cancer. While this experience was clearly a traumatic experience for Maria, her close-knit family and community came together to help support her and encourage healthy coping. Maria's neighbors and members from her faith community showed their support by assisting the family with immediate needs. Maria's father created a safe environment for Maria to express her feelings and even signed the family up for counseling services. Maria's father has communicated with you so that you are aware of the situation at home.

As a caretaker and educator, you play an important role in helping children develop resilience to better protect them from experiencing any harmful symptoms associated with exposure to trauma. By using trauma-informed care in your setting, you can help a child feel safe, build trust, and have voice and choice in your room, all of which support healthy coping and promote resilience following exposure to trauma.

Assessing Trauma: The ACE Study

One prominent study that has explored the far-reaching impact of exposure to trauma during childhood is The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACE). The ACE study is one of the most expansive investigations to date and explores the connection between adversity in childhood and later-life health and well-being (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). In 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Kaiser Permanente collected data from over 17,000 individuals in California. The participants of this study were asked to complete surveys about their childhood experiences as well as their current health statuses. Findings from this study suggest that adverse childhood experiences are common-nearly 2/3 of participants reported at least one ACE and more than 1 in 5 participants reported enduring three or more ACEs during childhood (CDC, 2016). A recent study also reported that children with special emotional, behavioral, or developmental health care needs are more likely to experience two or more ACEs (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2019).

Although not a complete list of every ACE a child may experience, the adverse childhood experiences identified in the ACE study include the following examples of traumatic events:

Physical abuse

Sexual abuse

Emotional abuse

Physical neglect

Emotional neglect

Witnessing intimate partner violence

Witnessing your mother being treated in a violent way

Substance misuse within the household

Household mental illness

Parental separation or divorce

Incarcerated household member

The Effects of ACEs Throughout the Lifespan

Findings from the ACE study suggest that the more adverse childhood experiences an individual endures, the higher their risk for health and social issues in adulthood. When children have ACEs it can create changes and outcomes including:

Disrupted neurodevelopmentWhen children experience extreme stress from trauma without supportive relationships to buffer the effect, it alters how the brain develops. Stress causes the body to release more cortisol, a hormone that when elevated is associated with health issues.

Social emotional and cognitive impairmentsThe parts of the brain that control decision-making, impulse control, and processing of emotions may develop differently in children who have experienced trauma. These children may need more help developing relationships with others and may require specialized strategies or more help and time to learn new skills.

Adoption of health risk behaviorsPeople with a higher number of ACEs may be more prone to adopting health risk behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse, physical inactivity, smoking, and unprotected sex.

Disease, disability, and social problemsACEs are also associated with more health and social issues including heart disease, cancer, depression, unintended pregnancy, and poor academic achievement.

Early deathThe number of ACEs a person has is associated with their age expectancy. This means people with a higher number of ACEs die younger when compared to people with less ACEs.

Laci's Story

Take a few moments to read about Laci's adverse childhood experiences in early childhood and the effect these experiences had on her development and behaviors later in life. The figure below outlines how Laci's ACEs affected her neurodevelopment, social emotional and cognitive development, adopted health risk behaviors, social problems, and early death. Remember, although a child may have experienced several ACEs, it doesn't necessarily mean that they will follow the same trajectory.

After learning about Laci's story, it's important to remember that although adverse childhood experiences can have significant effects on one's life, strong relationships are an important protective factor. Children are resilient and although some may experience significant ACEs, family and community supports can help children better cope with these experiences and disrupt an otherwise negative trajectory. In the next lesson, you will learn more about the role you and your program play in supporting children and youth through adverse experiences to promote resilience.

See

Listen as experts on trauma-informed care discuss trauma and its effects on children and youth, adverse childhood experiences, and the importance of building resilience through relationships. Are there children and youth in your program who have experienced trauma? How does your program support the development of resilience?

An expert discusses how trauma may affect the behavior of children and youth and the tenets of trauma-informed care.

An expert describes the ACE study and how adverse childhood experiences affect later health and social outcomes.

An expert describes how nurturing relationships are a protective factor for children affected by trauma.

Do

CAPPD is an acronym developed by the Multiplying Connections Initiative that provides useful information for caregivers working with children who have survived trauma. The letters in CAPPD call for caregivers to be calm, attuned, present, predictable - and don't let the child's emotions escalate your own. Read through each of the elements of CAPPD below and refer to the Learn attachment for examples of caregivers using the CAPPD steps.

Calm: Regulating your emotions and returning to a calm state after being alarmed or shocked can be beneficial for you and the children you care for. Think about the healthy approaches you use to regulate your emotions and try to exhibit those behaviors in your environment.

Attuned: Be attuned to children's body language and nonverbal behaviors. These nonverbal indicators can help you determine how a child may be feeling or how they may be affected by the current activities or overall environment. Consider signals that may alert you to a child being uncomfortable or anxious in your environment. Also, consider what nonverbal behaviors you would see if a child were comfortable or engaged in your lesson.

Present: Focus your attention on the children and the present moment. Showing children that you are engaged and present in the environment can be comforting and helpful in forming secure relationships. Consider what makes you feel like someone is listening to you and is present with you?

Predictable: Provide children with a structured routine so that they can feel a sense of safety and stability. When children feel safe, they can focus on other cognitive tasks. Think about some of the routines you have in your room and how they provide stability to the children you work with.

Don't: Don't let children's emotions escalate your own emotions. When children become emotionally escalated, be aware of how you are experiencing the situation and if your reaction is calming or further escalating. Think about the last time that you felt frustrated when working with a child: How can you practice remaining calm and deescalating an emotional situation?

Completing this Course

Visit the Trauma-Informed Care Course Guide for more information on what to expect in this course, and a list of the accompanying Learn, Explore, and Apply resources and activities offered throughout the lessons.

Please note the References & Resources section at the end of each lesson outlines reference sources and resources to find additional information on the topics covered. As you complete lessons, you are not expected to review all the online references available. However, you are welcome to explore the resources further if you have interest, or at the request of your trainer, coach, or administrator.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Trauma-Informed Care in Child Care Settings: An Introduction | VLS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Take a moment to think about a time that you have struggled when working with a child. Perhaps the child was irritable, wasn't paying attention, or argued and fought with other children.

# data[].attributes.body
What can we do to help promote resilience and recovery in children following experiences of abuse and neglect? The answer to this question is not easy — there is no quick fix. In this video, clinicians and researchers reflect on key principles that can guide those working with children.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
So, what can we do to help promote resilience and recovery? We all know that the answer to this question is not easy - there is no quick fix. But, there are several important principles that both neuroscientists and clinicians agree on. These principles can guide professionals and carers working with children who've experienced abuse and neglect. Here we hear from a range of leading clinicians and researchers who each reflect on one of these key principles.
The brain is a learning organ (0:33) Pasco Fearon, Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Developmental Psychopathology, University College London
The brain is essentially an organ that's all about learning and adapting to the environment. So environmental inputs, the things that are happening around the child, are absolutely key in the way that the brain develops over time.

When you look at the way the brain develops, it's the most extraordinary kind of orchestra of
biological events. Within the womb it's already kind of creating itself in a very complex set of interactions between molecules and the environment that the foetus is finding itself within.

The brain is like this plastic organ that is constantly responding to the environmental inputs that it experiences and adapting and building and moulding itself to the social environment.
The brain learns through trusting relationships (1:23) Peter Fonagy, Psychoanalyst and Clinical Psychologist, Head of the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences at UCL; Chief Executive of the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
When we trust someone, we open our minds to them, open our ability to learn. So when I think about teachers who influenced me, they were teachers who actually took an interest in me as a person. That somehow creates a key, opens a door on a part of my mind where I'm willing to learn new things from that person. We find always the most complicated word to describe the simplest thing. We call this epistemic trust - a trust in knowledge. If I feel understood by you, I'll open my mind to you, so that you will be able to teach me and I will learn from you about things - mathematics, English, whatever the subject. So, what actually turns out, from decades of research in education, is that children learn best from teachers who have an accurate and individual understanding of them as a person, as a child.
Brain adaptations may contribute to behaviour we find challenging (2:30) Joanne Jackson, Family Therapist, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
The foster carers are interested and curious anyway. The fact that they want to be foster carers would suggest that there's a level of interest in wanting to kind of help somebody and also offer a different experience to somebody. So the interest is already there but I think sometimes when the lived experience for them is that, when they actually get a young person with all of these difficulties, it can sometimes close down their curiosity because they're being faced with such challenging behaviour and the instinct is to react to that challenging behaviour.

So, I think some of the practical ways would be for foster carers to have regular support groups where they can meet with other foster carers to have a regular time of where they can be more reflective in terms of what's happening. So, to actually look at particular scenarios that happen in their everyday life and to help them to put on, if you like, a reflective cap. So, they're thinking about not necessarily just the interaction, but what the interaction means because it might mean something completely different to what it looks like on face value.
Stepping back to reflect can create new ways of thinking (3:58) Roslyn Law, Clinical Psychologist, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
I am a great fan of the importance of pausing - taking a moment when to try and work out what is going on. It can make all the difference in transforming reactions that are usually quite impulsive and not thought through very well into responses that have an idea of our own and other people's intentions behind them. The swimming coach demonstrated that so well - just taking a moment to try to make sense of something that didn't quite add up opened up the possibility of a whole new sequence of events that affected at least three different relationships. Crucially, someone else pausing helped the boy in the film to make his way back - he didn't have to do it on his own. Having a team around us who will help to create opportunities and map the way back from near misses can be transformational in reshaping a child's opportunities in life.
Behaviour as communication: what does it mean? (5:05) Tessa Baradon, Child Psychotherapist, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
This young boy who's showing this really aggressive behaviour or externality can be read with surface level. You can take this as - what an unpleasant child I've got to look after now, as a sports teacher with the others. I have to look out for trouble. He's so sullen and resentful. Really hard to like him. And then perhaps somewhat of a punitive response is aroused in the sports teacher or any adult having to cope with a difficult social situation. But, if you think what that musculature in the face is hiding - those feelings we saw when the boy looked into the mirror: I'm rubbish, I'm nothing, I'm worthless. That's what gets built into his body. Then it's much easier to empathise with him and to take that step back.
By responding differently we can create a different outcome (6:13) Joanne Jackson, Family Therapist, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
One of the things that foster carers have said is that they really value having training and insight into behaviour because they really find it very interesting about thinking about different meanings of behaviour. That's one of the things that has really enabled them to kind of step back rather than react. So, they're able to step back and think very differently about a child's behaviour. When you can really think about someone's behaviour and the potential meaning behind that behaviour, it really does free you up to then do something differently yourself.
Helping a child make sense of their experience (7:00) Katherine Mautner, Play Therapist, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
For example in the animation the child who has the difficulty in the swimming pool and reacts to the other boy and then is told to get out of the swimming pool, the teacher finds a way to be able to adjust their response to that child and finds a way to make some repair in the relationship between them and the child. But, there isn't then an opportunity to wonder, what happened when that boy splashed you? Why did you react the way you did? What do you think the other boy was trying to do? What might you do if that happens again? Is that something that's particularly difficult for you? Is there a way that we can, everybody can adjust themselves around that kind of situation and be helpful for him, for that child, in that situation. The foster carer has the opportunity - if the teacher passes on that information - to be able to have that conversation. To be able to do some of that working through. That's quite a fundamental role. Otherwise, the child or young person experiences their social world as quite fragmented.

The making sense process really might help them to adjust the way that they react to things and kind of to be able to take some responsibility for that. Not just necessarily make changes for themselves, but be able to communicate something of their experience, so that other people can help them and give them different experiences in response.
Helping ourselves help others (8:27) Dickon Bevington, Medical Director, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
How do I keep myself going is, I've got to think about who are my friends? Who are my colleagues? Who thinks about me in the way it helps me remember that what I'm doing is hard? That it's hard to help young people who don't necessarily make it easy to help them and it's tiring and it can feel very thankless. Unless there are people around me that recognise the challenge that is going on it's likely that I'll get tired or I'll get lonely. Sometimes it can work that a worker does make a wonderful connection with a young person - I mean genuinely - and that's great. But, what can happen is they can start to believe and feel: I'm the only one in the world that really understands this kid. That might be sort of partly true, but that's a really lonely place to be. You can feel overwhelmed by the responsibility. So if you start to feel you're the only person that understands this young person it's a reminder to check who's holding your rope. Check who's connected to you because you need to be part of a connection of minds to be helpful to a very vulnerable young mind in front of you.
Helping (and well-being) is a team effort (9:52) Roslyn Law, Clinical Psychologist, Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
It is really important to think about our well-being and mental health as a team effort. The basic idea that we see so clearly in the film is that our well-being is socially created - we learn about ourselves and other people through our experiences with the people around us. How we are thought about and felt about, how other people behave towards us shapes the way we go on to think and feel about other people. And just as our sense of ourselves and other people is socially created it can be socially destroyed or at least damaged. This vulnerability isn't only in the early years of development but continues across our lives with social thinning, losing people, reducing our opportunities for different kinds of experiences and new learning. But just as we might see the problem arising in a social context, so we can find the solution in that social context. The damage that is socially created can also be socially repaired.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to promote resilience and recovery | UKTC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
So, what can we do to help promote resilience and recovery? We all know that the answer to this question is not easy - there is no quick fix. But, there are several important principles that both neuroscientists and clinicians agree on. These principles can guide professionals and carers working with children who've experienced abuse and neglect.

# data[].attributes.headline
Short clip: First impressions – Exposure to violence and a child’s developing brain

# data[].attributes.subject
Short clip: First impressions – Exposure to violence and a child’s developing brain

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
First Impressions: Exposure to Violence and a Child's Developing Brain

# data[].attributes.body
Article raising awareness about the importance of pretend play in supporting children to deeply process their experiences of Covid. Published Nov 2020 in the Washington Post, written by Julia Pelly.

# data[].attributes.headline
Clip: Child of rage (Beth) - full documentary 

# data[].attributes.subject
Clip: Child of rage (Beth) - full documentary 

# data[].attributes.body
Child of Rage is a CBS Television movie made in 1992 starring Ashley Peldon and Mel Harris. The film is based on the true story by Beth Thomas, who suffered from reactive attachment disorder

# data[].attributes.headline
Clip: Trauma sensitive schools - TED Talks

# data[].attributes.subject
Clip: Trauma sensitive schools - TED Talks

# data[].attributes.body
Why All Schools Should Be Trauma-Informed | Dr. Mary Crnobori

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why All Schools Should Be Trauma-Informed | Dr. Mary Crnobori | TEDxVanderbiltUniversity

# data[].attributes.headline
Clip: Trauma, Brain and Relationships – Helping Children Heal, Bruce Perry

# data[].attributes.subject
Clip: Trauma, Brain and Relationships – Helping Children Heal, Bruce Perry

# data[].attributes.body
Powerful documentary featuring Bryan Post, Bruce Perry, M.D., Daniel Siegel M.D., Marti Glenn PhD and other renowned experts in the field of childhood trauma, and attachment and bonding. This is a great way to understand how trauma effects the development of the mind body system, and how it affects children's behaviours and social relationships.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Trauma, Brain & Relationship: Helping Children Heal

# data[].attributes.body
This 6-minute video provides an overview of The Science of Neglect: The Persistent Absence of Responsive Care Disrupts the Developing Brain, a Working Paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

# data[].attributes.body
The Brain Hand Model - by Amy Harper

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Brilliant Brain, Hand Model - Amy Harper

# data[].attributes.headline
Links to a selection of Trauma Informed resources & support

# data[].attributes.subject
Links to a selection of Trauma Informed resources & support