
This resource list contains sources that can help early childhood professionals and parents understand and support young children who have experienced extreme stress and trauma.
IEL Resources
- Tip Sheets
- Resource List: When Children Are Homeless or Housing Insecure: How Preschool Teachers and Caregivers Can Help
- Q&A: Teachers Can Support Young Children’s Mental Health
- Blogs
- Podcasts
Web Resources
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ACEs and Trauma
Source: American Psychological Association (APA)
This bookmark-style infographic defines Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and describes their potential impact on children.
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Children and Trauma: Tips for Teachers
Source: American Psychological Association (APA)
This bookmark-style infographic offers basic tips for teachers working with children and families experiencing trauma.
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Children and Trauma: What Every Teacher Should Know
Source: American Psychological Association (APA)
This bookmark-style infographic defines trauma and describes symptoms of trauma in children.
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Creating Trauma-Sensitive Classrooms
Source: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
This article from Young Children explains types of trauma young children may experience, how their behavior may be affected, and how educators and caregivers can be responsive and proactive.
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Five Ways Trauma and Poverty Affect Childhood Development
Source: Forbes Magazine
This article, by public health specialist Nicole F. Roberts, summarizes ways poverty and related life factors (e.g., neglect, housing instability, violence, food insecurity) can create toxic stress and negatively influence children’s development.
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Guiding Principles for Teaching Children with Trauma
Source: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
This is an excerpt from the book Trauma and Young Children: Teaching Strategies to Support and Empower. The book itself, published in 2020, can be ordered from NAEYC.
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Helping Children Handle Stress
Source: HealthyChildren.org
This parent-friendly article covers types of stress, typical stress responses (physiological and psychological), and ways to support children experiencing stress.
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How Stress and Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime
Source: Ted Talks
This is a TedTalk video where pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains that the repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on the development of the brain.
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Mental Health Conditions Seen in Childhood
Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness
This article, which covers all of childhood including the early years, describes several of the more common types of childhood mental health disorders, and ways parents and professionals might recognize them.
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Trauma
Source: American Psychological Association (APA)
This page provides resources on trauma from APA including book recommendations, articles, podcast episodes, children’s books, and continuing education opportunities.
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Trauma in Children of Latinx Immigrants
Source: National Alliance on Mental Illness
This short article discusses traumatic events that may be specific to children of undocumented immigrant families and asylum seekers affected by recent immigration policies.
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Trauma in Young Children Under 4 Years of Age
Source: OneOp
This 2-hour webinar address characteristics, signs, and symptoms of trauma in children age 4 and under. Though it pre-dates recent changes in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM-5) criteria for trauma diagnosis in young children, the material is still relevant and may be helpful for educators who wish to better understand the topic.
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What is Child Trauma
Source: National Child Traumatic Stress Network
This Web page links to resources on several topics of possible interest to teachers and other professionals who work with children.