Early Childhood Trauma: Causes, Impacts, and Effective Strategies for Addressing Relationships with Children and Their Families Sylvia Kennedy-Godin January 2, 2019

The growing body of neuroscience research shows that crucial support and interventions, before a child turns 3 years old, yields the best potential outcomes for children with trauma. As this becomes more mainstream knowledge, early childhood educators and mental health providers are challenged to incorporate this knowledge, as well as effective practices, into their work with children and families. This workshop will provide participants with an overview of current research on the N.E.A.R. sciences (neuroscience, epigenetics, adverse childhood experiences, and resiliency); opportunities to reflect on their own and their workplace’s trauma-informed/ trauma-transformed practice; opportunities to reflect on compassion fatigue and learn strategies for self-care; exposure to multi-modal interventions to address symptoms and behaviors related to developmental, chronic and acute trauma responses in children, as well as how to work with families; and plenty of time for case studies, sharing of examples, exploration of interventions, and planning for integration of ideas for working with families with children who have experienced trauma.