Struggling with controlling impulses seems to be a common problem among traumatized children. It doesn’t seem to matter whether that trauma was in utero from drug or alcohol exposure, or inflicted during early life. Our adopted children, with a trauma history, FAS, or RAD, seem to all have struggles with impulse control. Sometimes, it seems like the behavior was intentional.

I have often asked my 11-year-old recently adopted daughter if she thought... more

A panic attack is defined as suddenly feeling intense fear that develops for no apparent reason and triggers severe physical reactions. Some people feel like they are having a heart attack or possibly dying during a panic attack. Certainly, there is fear in losing control. They can make your heart pound, cause dizziness, nausea, and shortness of breath. While a panic attack would be frightening for anyone, it must be terrifying for a child. A child just placed with an adoptive or foster family probably... more

So far this month I’ve given much blog space to autism, because April is National Autism Awareness month. But the CDC, whose oft quote “1 in 150” statistic for the growing autism epidemic released another statistic yesterday:

“About 1 in 50 infants in the U.S. are victims of non-fatal child neglect or abuse.”

This equates to about 91,000 children under the age of 1 who have been abused, or more likely had their basic needs left unmet -- food, clothing, access to medical care. The report says nothing about the traumatic results... more

Every day at day care centers and preschools around the world, parents drop off young children who cling tightly to their legs, reluctantly letting go of their parents. On average, when a toddler is between 12-18 months, he will experience a bit of separation anxiety. This is considered developmentally normal.

How the adults in his world react can make a great deal of difference in how the child responds. There are many out there who will make the crucial mistakes of not giving a child time to adjust to new caregivers (in other words, just place the child... more

Children consistently exposed to severe stress have real changes to the hippocampus of their brains according to a new study. If you are parenting a severely traumatized child in your home, you probably already know that their brains function differently than a healthy child’s brain. You’ve probably already seen the impulsivity, agitation, hyper-vigilance, and avoidance behaviors exhibited in your home by a child with untreated Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Finally, you have proof! Researchers at the Stanford University School... more

Why do some children just seem to bounce back, unscathed from some terrible ordeal? Sometimes you look at a child and wonder, how could anyone survive that, let alone a small child. When I think about the abuse some of our foster children lived through, I’m filled with awe, when I see them laughing and playing.

I read an article in the newspaper the other day about a little girl’s will to survive. She wasn’t a foster child, but it reminded me of what some of them go through and survive. It happened in Momence, Illinois around June 14.... more

I receive a newsletter from the Northwest Neurodevelopmental Training Center in Woodburn, Oregon. I know several parents who have seen very positive outcomes for their special needs children by using the neurodevelopmental reorganization approaches employed there.

This month’s main article caught my eye because it spoke to so many issues faced by families of children with neuropsychiatric disorders. First the intro to the newsletter cited a February 2007 study that says the incidence of... more

I have a four year old that can throw the greatest temper tantrums. I met her when she came into care the first time at twenty-one months old and she could throw them back then too. It usually starts with her demanding something, “RIGHT NOW!” I’m not usually too inclined to “obey” commands that come from children; I prefer the old fashioned please and thank you method. When she doesn’t receive immediate gratification she’ll usually repeat her command again only she’ll add some colorful language.

Sometimes, if the request is... more