Acute Stress Disorder, Preschool

You said that your child experienced a very upsetting event. S/he has been having some problems ever since.

You said your child was in a situation similar to one of following:

• Serious automobile accident
• Natural disaster (i.e. flood, fire, earthquake)
• The victim or a witness of physical abuse
• The victim or witness of sexual abuse
• The victim or witness of violence in the home or the community
• Told s/he has a life threatening illness
• Some other very upsetting situation

After being in that situation, your child felt intense fear, helplessness, or horror. Your child then acted in some of the following ways:

• Felt numb or removed from the situation
• Showed no emotional response at all
• Seemed like s/he was "in a daze"
• Acted as if the situation was not real
• Acted as if the situation did not happen
• Couldn't remember parts of the event

Your child also having one or more of the following difficulties:

• Sees the event happen again and again in his/her mind
• Has bad dreams about the event
• Has a sense of re-living the experience
• Is upset when shown things that remind him/her of the trauma
• Goes out of his/her way to avoid things that remind him/her of the trauma

Your child may also have some of the following problems:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Irritability
• Poor concentration
• Overly aware of his/her surroundings
• Easily startled or frightened
• Restless or fidgety

Your child's difficulties are causing problems for him/her at school, at home, or with friends. Children who have these types of problems often have Acute Stress Disorder.

Adapted in part from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Primary Care (DSM-PC) (1996) , and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder: Fourth Edition (1994) .

How to Help your Child with Acute Stress Disorder:

• Most children with Acute Stress Disorder need help from a doctor or child therapist.
• Invite your child to talk about it, but don't lecture
• Respond to your child's questions briefly and calmly
• Help your child put it in perspective
• Be honest that scary things can happen
• Emphasize the rarity of the event