CHILDREN IN CHAOSCHILDREN IN CHAOSIdentifying and Assisting Young Identifying and Assisting Young

Children Living in Substance-Abusing Children Living in Substance-Abusing

FamiliesFamilies

CHILDREN IN CHAOSCHILDREN IN CHAOSIdentifying and Assisting Young Identifying and Assisting Young

Children Living in Substance-Abusing Children Living in Substance-Abusing

FamiliesFamilies

David Love, MFTDavid Love, MFTValley Community Counseling Valley Community Counseling

ServicesServicesStockton, CAStockton, CA

davidlove@vccsinc.orgdavidlove@vccsinc.org

CHILDRENS’ POTENTIAL

• Any newborn is prepared to learn all the languages on the planet.

• They are prepared to be composers, artists, scientists, . . .

• They can learn sign language 8-12 mos. before they can speak.

Making the Connection: Making the Connection: Children in ChaosChildren in Chaos

Making the Connection: Making the Connection: Children in ChaosChildren in Chaos

DomesticDomestic

ViolenceViolence

SubstanceSubstance

abuseabuse

Elder AbuseElder Abuse

Child Abuse Child Abuse

and Neglectand Neglect

Sibling AbuseSibling Abuse

IncestIncest

*B.D. Perry(1999)

PRIMARY TRAUMAIN CHILDREN*

Each year 5 million children in U.S. experience an extreme traumatic event

40% will develop some form of chronic neuro-psychiatric problem

Most problems classified as anxiety disorders with post-traumatic stress disorder being most common

Trauma event will impair emotional, academic and/or social functioning

CHILD MALTREATMENT IS LEADING CAUSE OF TRAUMA-RELATED DEATH

FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE*

• Two-thirds occur at hands of parents under the influence of drugs or alcohol

• 51% victims of abuse• 44% victims of neglect• 5% multiple forms *CASA

CHILDREN OF SUBSTANCE- ABUSING

PARENTS*• 2.7 times more likely to be physically

or sexually abused

• 4.2 times more likely to be neglected

• Children also significantly more likely to be abused by others

*CASA

PRENATAL EXPOSURE TO STIMULANT DRUGS VS HOME ENVIRONMENTS*

• Cognitive Problems-Related strongly to chaotic home environment

• Behavioral Problems-Related to prenatal exposure to stimulant drugs

*Ira J. Chasnoff, M.D.

The Impact of Family Chaos on

Brain Development in

Children

2:1 ratio

NORMAL TRAUMA

~1:1 ratioCortical Modulation Ratio

Impact of Stress on Brain DevelopmentImpact of Stress on Brain Development

Adverse Childhood Experiences StudyAdverse Childhood Experiences StudyVincent J. Fellitti, MD

The largest study of its kind ever done to examine the health and social effects of adverse childhood experiences (n=17,000 adults; RR=70.5%)

Death

Disease & Social Problems

Adoption of Health-Risk Behavior

Social, Emotional & Cognitive Impairment

Disruption of Neurodevelopment

Adverse Childhood Experiences

POPULATION ATTRIBUTABLE RISK(Per cent attributable to ACE)

Alcoholism – 65% Drug Abuse – 50% IV Drug Abuse – 78% Current Depression – 54% Chronic Depression – 41% Sexual Assault – 62% Domestic Violence – 52%

THE ORIGINS OF ADDICTIONVincent Felitte, MDKaiser Permanente Medical Care Program

“The major factor underlying addiction is

adverse childhood experiences that have not

healed with time and that are overwhelmingly

concealed from awareness by shame, secrecy

and social taboo.”

UNDERSTANDING

TRAUMATIZED CHILDREN

Brain’s Brain’s rapid rapid response response system system to fear to fear that that sends sends the body the body into into high high alertalert

Amygdala

The Pathway of Fear in the BrainThe Pathway of Fear in the Brain

Pathway of Fear in the Brain

Hippocampus

• Processing and storing information

• Evaluate threats by putting them into context of previous experiences

UW Extension, 2006

Thinking Through FearThinking Through Fear

FRONTAL CORTEXFRONTAL CORTEX

•Reins in the amygdala Reins in the amygdala and calms the body if and calms the body if the threat is determinedthe threat is determined to be insignificantto be insignificant

SYMPTOMS OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

Attachment Problems

Depression

Suicidal Behavior

Anxiety Disorders

Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Violent Behavior

Mood Disorders

Behavioral Problems

Child Abuse

CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Complex TraumaADD-ADHDDissociative

DisordersConduct Disorders

Implications for LearningImplications for Learning

Traumatized children often spend so much time in the lower level brain in a state of persisting fear that they consistently focus on non-verbal vs. verbal cues

May be very intelligent but can’t learn easilymust do verbal learning when calm

Learning needs to be more experience-based when traumatized children are stressed they are reactive/ reflexive vs. accessing cognitive solutions

““Too Scared to Learn…”Too Scared to Learn…”

Children who do not feel safe live in a state of emergency. Their energy is consumed by crises, making it impossible for them to focus on learning to read.

-“Too Scared to Learn” by Jenny Horsman, 2000

INTERVENTION

TREATMENT

Specialized Programs

Pre-school K-3 K-6 Clinic-based

ASSESSMENT TOOLS

Parent Stress Index (PSI)

Addiction Severity Index (ASI)

Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) (TSCYC)

SUPPORTING TRAUMATIZED CHILDREN-Interventions

Parenting Skills for Caretakers of Traumatized Children

Socialization Skills for Children

PARENT EDUCATION

Must understand the developmental needs

of their children Must recognize the damage the

environment is doing to their children Must learn how to provide a safe

environment for their children and make the changes to accomplish the goal

SOCIALIZATION SKILLS FOR CHILDREN

Must gain age appropriate developmental skills

Must be able to function in social environments

Must gain balance between chronological, emotional and cognitive development.

SUPPORTING TRAUMATIZED CHILDREN-Treatment

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Trauma-Focused Play Therapy

COMMUNITY RESOUCES-COMMUNITY RESOUCES-Prevention, Intervention & Prevention, Intervention &

TreatmentTreatment

California Victims of Crime ProgramCalifornia Victims of Crime Program

CHAT CentersCHAT Centers

Human Service AgencyHuman Service Agency

Mental HealthMental Health

First 5First 5

WEBSITESWEBSITESwww.zerotothree.com (zero to three

www.musc.edu/cvc (Child Abuse Tx Manual)

www.childtrauma.org (Child Trauma Academy)

www.apsac.org (American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children)

www.calib.com/nccanh/ (National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information)

www.casacolumbia.org (Columbia University)

www.johnbriere.com