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Learning Resources

Required Resources

Course Text: Rice, K. F., & Groves, B. M. (2005). Hope and healing: A caregiver’s guide to helping young children affected by trauma. Washington, DC: Zero to Three.
- Section 1, “Defining Trauma” (pp. 3–5)
- Section 2, “The Impact of Trauma on Young Children” (pp. 7–15)
- Section 4, “Supporting Families Affected by Trauma” (pp. 39–45)
- Section 5, “On the Job: Stress and Coping for the Early Childhood Professional” (pp. 47–51)
Course Text: Concepts for Care: 20 Essays on Infant/Toddler Development and Learning
- “Stress, Nurture, and the Young Brain” by Megan Gunnar (pp. 41–44)
- “Working with Traumatized Young Children in Child Care and Education Settings” by Alicia F. Lieberman (pp. 77–83)

Optional Resources

Web Article: Onunaku, N. (2005). Improving maternal and infant mental health: Focus on maternal depression. Retrieved from Zero to Three website: http://main.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/Promoting_Social_and_Emotional_Development.pdf?docID=2081&AddInterest=1144
Web Article: Knitzer, J., Theberge, S., & Johnson, K. (2008). Reducing maternal depression and its impact on young children: Toward a responsive early childhood policy framework. Retrieved from National Center for Children in Poverty website: http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_791.html
Web Article: Bilmes, J., & Heroman, C. (2005). Helping children rebound: Strategies for infant and toddler teachers after the 2005 hurricanes. Retrieved from http://www.teachingstrategies.com/content/pageDocs/Katrina_1005_final_web.pdf

Content Review

Directions:

Respond to each item. Each response should be concise and between 2–3 paragraphs in length.
Use MS Word to write your responses, and submit your answers to all three questions in one Word document.
Copy and paste each question within the document, so that your Instructor can see which question you are responding to.

Using your own words, define and explain the term trauma. Then, based on pages 7–9 of Hope and Healing: A Caregiver’s Guide to Helping Young Children Affected by Trauma, explain how risk factors and protective factors related to children, families, and communities can influence a child’s reaction to traumatic events.
The impact of trauma is pervasive, affecting the physical development of the brain and the quality of children’s relationships and attachments with others. Based on pages 10–11 of Hope and Healing and the essay “Stress, Nurture, and the Young Brain” in Concepts for Care, describe the impact of trauma on each of these areas of young children’s development.
Identifying behaviors associated with child trauma plays a critical role in providing children with the support they need to develop and thrive. Based on “The Impact of Trauma on Young Children” (Section 2 in Hope and Healing) and the “Working with Traumatized Young Children in Child Care and Education Settings” essay in Concepts for Care, identify and explain three behaviors that might indicate a child has experienced trauma. Next, explain why early identification is such an important component of providing children and families the support they need.