From UMass Medical School Communications, July 15, 2021
The American Academy of Pediatrics has published Childhood Trauma & Resilience: A Practical Guide, written by UMass Medical School child trauma and treatment experts Heather Forkey, MD, and Jessica Griffin, PsyD, along with co-author Moira Szilagyi, MD, PhD, president-elect of the AAP.
The new resource for clinicians and caregivers provides guidance on trauma-informed care and the protective power of resilience. It details the ways that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), toxic stress and trauma can negatively impact brain development, and how that harm can be mitigated through healthy, positive relationships with caregivers and community support.
“Through our research and our work with patients, we have come to understand not only the importance of trauma-informed care, but to embrace the idea of resilience-informed care,” said Dr. Forkey, professor of pediatrics, chief of the Division of Child Protection, and director of the Child Protection Program and Foster Children Evaluation Services at UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center. “Resilience skills and attachment are what keep children from experiencing long-term consequences from trauma, and there’s never been a more critical time to help families build this protective skill.”
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