Helping Students Cope
Potential reactions:
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Preschoolers—thumb sucking, bedwetting, clinging to parents, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, fear of the dark, regression in behavior, and withdrawal from friends and routines.
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Elementary school children—irritability, aggressiveness, clinginess, nightmares, school avoidance, poor concentration, and withdrawal from activities and friends.
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Adolescents—sleeping and eating disturbances, agitation, increase in conflicts, physical complaints, delinquent behavior, and poor concentration.
How to help...
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Identify sensitive children
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Limit media exposure
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Talk to your child calmly
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Be a good listener and observer
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Acknowledge their feelings
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Be honest
Help build resiliency...
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Maintain normal routines as much as possible.
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Focus on your child’s personal competency in terms of daily life or how they handled something difficult.
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Highlight people’s compassion and humanity.
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Doing something positive to help others in need can help them feel like they are regaining control
Some children may be at risk of more extreme reactions because of personal circumstances. Contact professionals if your child exhibits significant changes in behavior or exhibits the above symptoms over an extended period of time.
National Association of School Psychologists. (2017). Large-scale natural disasters: Helping children cope [handout]. Bethesda, MD: Author.
Another Helpful Resource:
https://childmind.org/guide/helping-children-cope-traumatic-event/