Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Children In contemporary United States (U.S.) culture, according to C. Cook-Cottone (2004), in "Childhood Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Diagnosis, Treatment, and School Reintegration," memories of childhood frequently include exposure to trauma. As a result of "sexual abuse, physical abuse, natural disaster, urban violence, school violence, and terrorism," (Cook-Cottone Abstract section, ¶ 1), significant numbers of children in the U.S. suffer posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology.

The Challenges PTSD Presents The first challenge for helping children cope with PTSD, according to Cook-Cottone (2004), is to identify children who may be experiencing PTSD symptomatology. For this initial stage in beginning to help these children, school psychologists prove vital. "The school psychologist can facilitate therapeutic and supportive conditions in the school setting through use of cognitive behavioral techniques such as stress management and cognitive restructuring, as well as by the implementation of school reintegration protocol" (Cook-Cottone, ¶ 31).

Particular care needs to be invested when therapeutic interventions for children with PTSD are implemented within the school setting. Therapy for children with PTSD should only be conducted, Cook-Cottone (2004) stresses when the school psychologist: Completes a comprehensive assessment of the child; Determines that school-based support proves to be the suitable, least restrictive level of intervention; Informs the child's parents of all treatment options; Confirms the child is experiencing adequate adjustment and academic success with intervention; and Readily utilizes consultation, supervision, and referrals (Cook-Cottone, 2004).

Research indicates that "children who have experienced traumatic stress may be at-risk for academic problems...," as the child's "normal development of neurobiological modulatory systems may be compromised, thereby negatively affecting activity level, capacity for reflection, and focused attention"(Cook-Cottone, 2004, ¶ 15). Preschool children diagnosed with PTSD, research reveals experience a greater risk for developmental delay than children who have not been exposed to traumatic stress.

Strengths/Weaknesses Pertaining to PTSD primary strength for the article by Cook-Cottone (2004), the researcher notes, evolves from specific details regarding factors that contribute to symptomatic expression of children who experience PTSD. The challenges this article stress, which specifically relate how to best apply strategies for helping children with PTSD, also contribute to its inherent strength. Reflection In a large school setting, where a school psychologist proves to be the norm, information in this article would likely make a difference to students.

In smaller school settings, albeit or in schools with teachers may be grossly understaffed, information presented by Cook-Cottone (2004) may proffer little or no real-life benefits for helping children with PTSD. Consideration of Cognitive Behavioral Techniques E. J Brown, J. Mcquaid, L. Farina, R. Ali, and a. Winnick-Gelles (2006) point out in "Matching interventions to children's mental health needs: Feasibility and Acceptability of a pilot school-based trauma intervention program. Education & Treatment of Children, 29(2), 257+. Retrieved March 12, 2009, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5016613285" Brown, J.

Mcquaid, L. Farina, R. Ali, and a. Winnick-Gelles (2006) recount details of their pilot study which developed and implemented a school-based, trauma-specific intervention program for inner-city children exposed to the World Trade Center attacks on September 11th, 2001. In "Matching interventions to children's mental health needs: Feasibility and acceptability of a pilot school-based trauma intervention program," Brown et al. report that they assessed 63 children/participants, utilizing "measures of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety, depression, and externalizing symptoms, and provided a 10-session, skill-based classroom intervention" (Brown et al., Abstract section, ¶ 1).

After classroom interventions, utilizing cognitive behavioral techniques (CBT), Brown et al. re-assessed the children/participants, and offered individualized interventions to those children/participants who continued to meet criteria for PTSD. After the children/participants completed the individualized intervention, Brown et al. (2006) repeated the assessment. Findings from the differential influence of the classroom and individual interventions indicate that each intervention may aim to address a separate group of symptoms the child may experience. According to Brown et al., contemporary research advocates the value of school-based cognitive behavioral interventions for traumatized youth.

Brown et al. discuss results from four previous studies relating to school-based interventions relating to PTSD. Some investigators recounted percentages of students that revealed significant improvement, while contrary results surfaced in other studies, revealing that some studies continued to exhibit symptomatology at post-treatment. Questions arose in some instances whether or not the ongoing PTST symptomatology may be attributed to imaginal exposure. The creation of a narrative of the trauma, known as an efficacious intervention for PTSD, Brown et al., contend, CBT, Brown et al.

(2006) contend, currently reveals the most promise in effectively treating children with PTSD. Therapy interventions help to establish desensitization of trauma-reminiscent stimuli, a reduction of avoidance-related symptomatology, and more normative neurological processing (Brown et al., 2006, Intervention Strategies section, ¶ 2). Ultimately, the study by Brown et al. (2006) finds that along with CBT, program attendance and treatment components explicitly designed to address PTSD may contribute to the of improvement of children with PTSD.

Strengths and Weaknesses Pertaining to PTSD Several particular points of strength of this article that appealed to the researcher included the documentation of not only the study Brown et al. (2006) completed, but the noting of other studies. Details questioning whether some students actually experienced symptomatology even after continued interventions intrigued this researcher. A weakness the researcher noticed revolved around the lack of more specific details in regard to the participants. The researcher would also have appreciated a specific example of CBT, utilized in different settings.

Application to the School Setting CBT, implemented in the school setting, would likely contribute to benefits children in the school setting could gain, especially if the PTSD occurred in a school or public setting. Reflection Although the article by Brown et al. (2006) proved informative, the researcher felt something more needed to be related. As noted earlier, the inclusion of more specifics regarding the implementation of CBE in school settings, along with more details regarding the children/participants included in this study may have made the article more satisfying.

The Teacher's Touch Rather than focusing on the role of the school psychologist, L.A. Haeseler (2006). Promoting literacy learning for children of abuse: Strategies for Elementary School Teachers. Reading Improvement, 43(3), 136+.

Retrieved March 12, 2009, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5018854141" Haeseler (2006) addresses the role of elementary teachers in "Promoting literacy learning for children of abuse: Strategies for elementary school teachers." Haeseler stresses that elementary school teachers need to understand that children who experience or witness domestic violence abuse not only struggle with abuse issues at home, but also with challenges of literacy learning at school. Haeseler demonstrates ways "a child from an adverse home environment may face additional literacy challenges in school" (¶ 1).

Along with providing specific literacy strategies appropriate to aid children of abuse for abused children, Haeseler (2006) recommends, educators teaching elementary school aged children of domestic violence abuse may chose from a myriad of literacy enhancement strategies to implement that may dramatically decrease some extreme behavioral and academic concerns resulting PTSD related to domestic abuse. Haeseler asserts: Conflict resolution strategies need to be integrated into the language arts curriculum...

Peer mediation tactics facilitate higher order thinking skills such as cooperative interaction, critical discussions, and scaffolding both cognitive and linguistic literacy development" (¶ 13). It also proves vital that the literacy-based classrooms foster emotional safety, with teachers continuously monitoring the environment to ensure a bully-free environment, to permit students to feel "safe" to participate in self-expression exercises. Due to their tumultuous home life, children of domestic violence abuse may specifically suffer in their literacy development.

Consequently, educators in the elementary classroom need to cultivate and display a compassionate understanding implications from abuse and how those factors impact literacy achievement. The way teachers touch the world of and care for all children, particularly for children of abuse, impacts not only the child, but other children in the classroom; extending out into the community (Haeseler, 2006). Strengths and Weaknesses Pertaining to PTSD This strength of the article by Haeseler (2006), the researcher asserts, comes from the touch/heart of the educator who wrote it. This.