Guidelines for Families (continued)

Monitor your responses. Many developmentally disabled children are unusually adept at reading their caregivers’ or teachers’ non-verbal messages, especially facial cues. Caregivers need to monitor their responses in order to be as effective as possible.

Seek referrals. Children with emotional or behavioral problems may require additional short- or long-term assistance in managing their reactions. It is important to be prepared for increased reactions, such as anger, withdrawal and aggression. Children with cognitive difficulties or language disorders may be more likely to express their fears, concerns and anger through emotional outbursts or acting out behaviors. Caregivers and teachers should be prepared to help children understand the events, provide a safe and predictable environment and seek additional professional help to enhance children’s coping strategies.

Stress reduction techniques for adults and children

Coping with difficult life events requires understanding and patience.There are many practical techniques that individuals can do to help themselves when they feel stressed, overwhelmed, sad, angry and scared. Individuals should choose what is right for them and be careful not to judge others or force them to be a certain way or to use a specific technique.The following techniques may be helpful to use on one’s own or when seeking additional help from a mental health professional:

• Write down specific worries and an antidote for preventing or fixing the situation
• Develop a personal safety plan with up-to-date names and phone numbers of important support people
• Keep a journal of thoughts and feelings including what happened right before they occurred
• Make a list of things you did to get through other tough situations and use them again
• Practice what to say and do in a difficult or stressful situation
• Use relaxation techniques
• Take slow deep breaths from the belly
• Tense and relax different muscle groups; for children, pretend you are a toy soldier standing very stiff then
  change to a melting ice cream cone to relax
• Imagine a safe and calm place—a cozy reading corner, a sandy beach on a breezy afternoon
• Give yourself a treat—a warm bath, a massage, a candy bar—when you feel sad or upset or after handling a
  tough situation
• Spend time with a family member or special friend, or play with a pet
• Watch a funny movie or play a favorite game
• Help plan a memorial activity or event
• Get involved: organize a fund raiser or volunteer
• Give yourself or child permission to take a break from regular activities
• Get enough rest and food to stay healthy and strong

A note on trauma and bereavement

Chidren’s reactions will be more complicated when they have lost someone as a consequence of the disaster or trauma. For specific information on helping children cope related to bereavement, see Chapter 11.

A note on natural disasters

This section provides information on helping children cope following traumatic events, including terrorism, natural disasters and war. For additional information on guidelines to help children prepare for and cope following a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, see Chapter 5.

About the NYU Child Study Center

The New York University Child Study Center is dedicated to increasing the awareness of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders and improving the research necessary to advance the prevention, identification, and treatment of these disorders on a national scale. The Center offers expert psychiatric services for children, adolescents, young adults, and families with emphasis on early diagnosis and intervention. The Center's mission is to bridge the gap between science and practice, integrating the finest research with patient care and state-of-the-art training utilizing the resources of the New York University School of Medicine. The Child Study Center was founded in 1997 and established as the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry within the NYU School of Medicine in 2006. For more information, please call us at (212) 263-6622 or visit us at http://www.aboutourkids.org/.