Does My Child Have PTSD?: What to Do When Your Child Is Hurting from the Inside Out

A mother, advocate, and educator shares research and personal experience in this guide to help anyone care for children dealing with PTSD. Is it possible that the struggles you have with your child may be because he or she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Once ignored, even by the medical professionals treating war veterans, PTSD is gaining global recognition as a very real and serious issue for those who have experienced traumatic events, even children. When children experience medical illness, witness violence, or are abused, it can leave a lasting effect. According to recent studies, 50 to 60 percent of children who experience these traumas early in life may suffer from a form of PTSD, leading to issues in childhood, through adolescence, and even into adulthood. Does My Child Have PTSD? is designed for readers looking for answers about the puzzling, disturbing behaviors of children in their care. With years of research and personal experience, Philo provides critical information to help people understand causes, symptoms, prevention, and effective diagnosis, treatment, and care for any child struggling with PTSD. "Philo's dramatic story will capture the reader's attention, and there's tremendous value in her patient explanations, from a simple definition of trauma to an exploration of PTSD causes, myths, and common terminology. . . . Though occasionally heart-wrenching, the book is organized so simply and logically as to be easy to follow and digest. Each chapter ends with "reflection questions" and additional valuable resources. Philo concludes on a hopeful note, providing encouragement and reassurance for other families in similar situations." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

About the Author :
Jolene Philo is the author of several books for the special needs and disability community and speaks around the country about childhood trauma and PTSD. She and her husband live in Iowa where there's never a dull moment in the multigenerational home they share with their daughter, son-in-law, and two incredibly adorable grandchildren.

Review :
"Jolene Philo is in a unique position to write with both expertise and compassion . . . parents are seeking readable and useful information and Philo delivers!" --Susan H Badeau, President of the North American Council on Adoptable Children "Philo's book will provide a needed resource for parents of children who have experienced trauma." --Dr. Beth Robinson, Professor of Counseling at Lubbock Christian University "Author Philo shares the remarkable story of her son's 26 years of suffering and the relief from "mental anguish" he found in one week after being diagnosed with PTSD. Philo's son, Allen, first experienced breathing difficulties immediately following birth; by age four he had undergone five surgeries. At six months--though medical professionals repeatedly insisted "babies don't feel pain"--he screamed when seeing anyone in a white coat. It wasn't until the family found an outpatient clinic years later that Allen was correctly diagnosed and, through "self-therapy," first began to cope. Philo's dramatic story will capture the reader's attention, and there's tremendous value in her patient explanations, from a simple definition of trauma to an exploration of PTSD causes, myths, and common terminology. In a single sentence, Philo can make a dramatic statement (e.g., trauma "changes the very structure of the brain") and then evenly explain the physiology behind it. Though occasionally heart-wrenching, the book is organized so simply and logically as to be easy to follow and digest. Each chapter ends with "reflection questions" and additional valuable resources. Philo concludes on a hopeful note, providing encouragement and reassurance for other families in similar situations." -- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review --Endorsement