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[borne_before]

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[bcliff]

consider editing to reduce identifiability...

sounds like kid is pretty resilient and in a stable home environment, all things considered, with good support. maybe compile a list of trauma specialists and give that to parent, in case things w kid's reaction change down the road. not sure what waitlists are like in your location but getting on one sooner rather than later might be indicated (e.g., getting on one now to facilitate initiation of services in 6-to-12 months), even if trauma-focused therapy ends up not being needed.

 

[Doctor Eliza]

How old is kiddo?

 

[Mojito_15]

I work lots w/ kids w/ lots of childhood trauma & ptsd in my current job. I'd caution that kid trauma reactions don't really look like adult trauma reactions and often kids have pretty limited insight into the relationship between why they're feeling the way they are and the trauma they've experienced. It comes out in any number of ways- at one point a mentor said, "the weirder it looks, the more unusual behaviors that don't make sense show up- the more we think it's trauma." and I think that's helpful when understanding kids and trauma. So don't rule out trauma just because lack of "classic" ptsd symptoms. That being said- I do agree in this case that it sounds like kid has been exposed to minimal trauma, has good home supports, and is coping ok. Agreed- compile a list of appropriate referrals if needed in the future. Maybe schedule a 2nd check in-When mom comes home might bring things up for example. Coach dad that he should have a low threshold for reaching out if concerned. Otherwise, I think what you're doing is fine.

 

[Doctor Eliza]

Agree with the above. At that age, I might consider using a book as a jumping off point for discussion in session. I wouldn't shy away from bringing up what happened because you don't want to make it seem like he can't talk about it if he needs to.

Also make sure dad is in close contact with school teacher. They can alert him if there are any changes in behavior at school.

Good luck!

 

[Sanman]

Agree with the others. Have the parents/school monitor for abnormal behavior, be there to have a conversation with the kid if necessary and find out more about his thoughts or any aberrant behaviors. Beyond that, I agree with the egocentricity related to autism might be a protective factor in this case. He may not be as good at picking up the signs that something is wrong as easily as other children. Often, it is more about how the parents are reacting than just the event in question, so time will tell.

 

[WisNeuro]

Always remember that resiliency to trauma and stress is the modal response, not the exception. Or, at least it was up until Gen Z and TikTok.

 

[cara susanna]

Always remember that resiliency to trauma and stress is the modal response, not the exception. Or, at least it was up until Gen Z and TikTok.

I was about to say this - encourage the kid to feel their feelings and process the trauma by talking about it with supportive people, especially if they have self-blame thoughts. But don't assume that they're gonna need PTSD treatment.

 

[futureapppsy2]

I was about to say this - encourage the kid to feel their feelings and process the trauma by talking about it with supportive people, especially if they have self-blame thoughts. But don't assume that they're gonna need PTSD treatment.

Thirding this--most people that experience a traumatic event never develop PTSD and potentially over pathologizing normal, non-pathological post-traumatic feelings and reactions runs the risk of making things worse, not better (especially because PTSD is an anxiety disorder at its core).

 

[Sanman]

Thirding this--most people that experience a traumatic event never develop PTSD and potentially over pathologizing normal, non-pathological post-traumatic feelings and reactions runs the risk of making things worse, not better (especially because PTSD is an anxiety disorder at its core).

You're wrong, I have been told by several veterans that PTSD is not anxiety.

 

[ClinicalABA]

Is there someone with experience in this area you could refer too? I'd always be weary of, as you say, "treading into unknown waters." Doing so loses you a lot of protections.

 

[bcliff]

Always remember that resiliency to trauma and stress is the modal response, not the exception. Or, at least it was up until Gen Z and TikTok.

I was about to say this - encourage the kid to feel their feelings and process the trauma by talking about it with supportive people, especially if they have self-blame thoughts. But don't assume that they're gonna need PTSD treatment.

Thirding this--most people that experience a traumatic event never develop PTSD and potentially over pathologizing normal, non-pathological post-traumatic feelings and reactions runs the risk of making things worse, not better (especially because PTSD is an anxiety disorder at its core).

Fourth-ing this... Louder for the people in the back 🙂

I have a colleague who is a big proponent of "disaster mental health," including CISD (...and EMDR, too, for that matter), which drives me nuts because it often flies in the face of this "resilient until proven otherwise" perspective (...not to mention the evidence of iatrogenesis for CISD).

 

[smalltownpsych]

It might not have scared the kid too much. Just because the adults knew that this was a close call and might have been scared doesn’t mean he would. Sometimes a kid, especially if they are a little more spectrummy (fancy clinical term), will be more impacted by disruption to their life and it won’t help if adults try to get the kid to “think of others” or not be so selfish. If the kid did internalize some fears then they will show up in different ways as mentioned by another poster. Final thought, when working with kids, they will typically process something like this for about a sentence or two out of a session. Trying to get them to talk more about it isn’t helpful and is more about our own need to feel like we’re doing something. Play with the kid and talk about whatever they want to talk about and they will throw out their thoughts and feelings about the significant event as you are interacting. One or two direct and obvious questions can be ok. Such as, when did you see your mom? How was she? Do you know when she is coming home? if minimal answers, don’t probe much beyond that. Also, could facilitate by saying something along the lines of “Some kids might struggle when something like this happens because it makes things hard for them, like disruption to schedule or time to play or do homework. Has that happened for you?” A kid like this there might be five minutes total talk about mom and the rest of the time playing and talking about other aspects of life or interests.