PTSD Awareness Month: Understanding Trauma and Supporting Healing

June is PTSD Awareness Month. A time dedicated to increasing understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder and promoting access to effective care. While often associated with combat veterans, PTSD can affect anyone who has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event, including children. This month provides a powerful opportunity to shed light on what PTSD really is, who it impacts, and how we can support those navigating the journey toward healing.

What Is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that may develop after someone experiences or witnesses a life-threatening or deeply distressing event. These events can include abuse, neglect, accidents, natural disasters, or prolonged medical interventions. PTSD can affect people of all ages, including young children, and may result in a wide range of symptoms such as:

• Intrusive memories or flashbacks
  
  
• Nightmares and sleep disturbances
  
  
• Avoidance of reminders of the trauma
  
  
• Hypervigilance or heightened anxiety
  
  
• Emotional numbing or detachment
  
  
• Difficulty concentrating or regulating emotions
  
  

While it's normal to feel fear and distress after a traumatic event, PTSD occurs when those feelings don’t fade and begin to interfere with daily functioning. For children especially, these symptoms may present differently. Often through withdrawal, aggression, developmental regressions, or trouble in school and peer relationships.

PTSD and Children: A Closer Look

When trauma occurs in childhood, it can interrupt the development of trust, self-regulation, and emotional security. This is especially true for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who may have additional challenges processing sensory and emotional experiences. In many cases, PTSD in children can go unnoticed or be mistaken for behavioral issues. A child who avoids certain people, places, or topics might be seen as stubborn. A child who is irritable or prone to outbursts might be mischaracterized as defiant. That’s why trauma-informed care, care that considers how trauma impacts development and behavior is so critical in pediatric therapy and education settings.

The Importance of Awareness

Awareness is the first step toward healing. Many people with PTSD don’t seek help because they feel ashamed, misunderstood, or fear being judged. By talking openly about PTSD, we challenge the stigma that keeps people suffering in silence. For children and families, awareness means learning to recognize the signs of trauma and knowing when and how to seek help. It means understanding that healing is possible and that no one has to go through it alone. PTSD Awareness Month is not just about those already diagnosed; it’s about reaching the undiagnosed and providing education, tools, and resources that support early intervention.

Healing Through Consistency, Support, and Compassion

Healing from PTSD often requires a combination of approaches, including therapy, structure, and support. Children in particular benefit from predictable routines, safe environments, and positive connections with caregivers and therapists. Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy, when delivered with a trauma-informed lens, can be a vital component of this healing process. Especially for children on the autism spectrum. ABA is often misunderstood as purely behavioral correction. But in skilled hands, it can be a compassionate, supportive approach that helps children regain a sense of safety and confidence in the world around them. Whether working on social skills, emotional regulation, or routines, ABA therapy can offer children a safe space to learn, grow, and heal.

How Communities Can Help

Supporting people with PTSD, especially children, takes a village. Here are a few ways families, schools, and communities can promote healing:

• Create Safe Spaces: Children who have experienced trauma need environments where they feel secure, heard, and valued.
  
  
• Practice Active Listening: Allowing children to express themselves without judgment is essential.
  
  
• Educate Yourself and Others: Learn about the signs of PTSD and share resources with your network.
  
  
• Advocate for Trauma-Informed Services: Support schools and programs that prioritize trauma awareness in their staff training and service delivery.
  
  
• Offer Consistency: Establishing and maintaining routines helps create a sense of predictability that’s essential for recovery.
  
  

Rising Above ABA: Supporting Families Through Trauma and Growth

At Rising Above ABA, we recognize that trauma can play a major role in how a child develops, learns, and engages with the world. Especially children with autism. That's why our approach goes beyond behavior management to address the full range of emotional and developmental needs that children and families may face. Serving families across Massachusetts, Rising Above ABA provides compassionate, individualized ABA therapy in-home, at school, and in our clinics. Our experienced team of board certified behavior analysts and licensed therapists understands the complexities of autism and the profound effects of trauma. From discrete trial training and structured play groups to early intensive interventions, we tailor every aspect of therapy to the child and family. But perhaps most importantly, we support the whole family. We know that parents, siblings, and caregivers need resources, guidance, and encouragement just as much as the child receiving therapy.

Why It Matters

PTSD Awareness Month is more than just a campaign, it’s a call to action. A call to recognize trauma in all its forms, especially in vulnerable populations like children with autism. A call to respond with compassion, not judgment. And a call to ensure that no child or family has to navigate trauma alone. At Rising Above ABA, we stand beside you. Whether your child is adjusting to a recent autism diagnosis or you’re navigating the long-term effects of trauma, we’re here to help you build a path forward. Healing is not only possible, it’s within reach.

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