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The Boy Who Was Raised As A 10 NSRF® Connections • 2016-17, Issue 3 NSRF® Connections • 2016-17, Issue 3 11 security prison for having sadistically is about Jason, who is 7 yet socially and our responses to it cannot be Book review by Dave Lehman murdered two teenage girls, and then still a toddler. Dr. Perry presents this understood outside the context of raped their dead bodies. He was case to illustrate the importance of human relationships. Whether people diagnosed a “classic sociopath” with peers in the healing process, stat- survived an earthquake or have been The Boy who was Raised as a Dog ASPD (Antisocial Personality Disor- ing, “while we realized that ongoing repeatedly sexually abused, what der), with Autism, and suffered from relationships are critical to healing, matters most is how those experi- of psychiatry at the Baylor College Dave Lehman is the former early childhood parental neglect. we hadn’t yet fully understood how ences affect their relationships – to of Medicine, in Houston, Texas. In a founding principal/teacher of the Lehman Alternative Here Dr. Perry was called upon to important peer relationships, are, their loved ones, to themselves, and brief “Author’s Note” with which he Comunity School in Ithaca, determine Leon’s mental capacity to especially as children get older.” to the world. The most traumatic begins this book, Dr. Perry informs NY. This public middle-high know what he had done in order to aspects of all disasters involve the readers: In his closing chapter, “Healing school was named for Dave determine an appropriate sentence. shattering of human connections. and his wife Judy by the Ithaca, New York Communities,” Dr. Perry notes the “The sad reality is that these sto- (3) Three-year-old Sandy was being This is especially true for chil- Board of Education upon their retirement dramatic changes that have occurred ries are but a tiny percentage of the Being harmed by the people after 30 years. Dave was a member called by an attorney from the Public in the caring for our children, par- dren. many we could have told. Over the who are supposed to love you, being of the very first “Principals Seminar” Guardian’s office in Cook County, Illi- ticularly in this country. For example, last ten years our clinical group at the leadership group at the beginning of abandoned by them, being robbed The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog nois to testify about the murder of her countless generations of humans ChildTrauma Academy has treated the NSRF, under the umbrella for the mother. This case led Dr. Perry into of the one-to-one relationships that and Other Stories from a Child Psy- Annenberg Institute for School Reform initially lived in small groups of 40 more than a hundred children who a deeper understanding of the effects allow you to feel safe and valued to chiatrist’s Notebook: What Trauma- at Brown University. Soon thereafter to 150 people, most of whom were have witnessed the murder of a par- become humane – these are profound- he was trained as a CFG coach and of trauma on the brain, particularly closely related to each other and lived tized Children Can Teach Us About ent. We have worked with hundreds ly destructive experiences. Because then an NSRF National Facilitator. “sensitization,” “tolerance,” and “dis- in community. As late as the 1500s Loss, Love, and Healing of children who endured severe early humans are inescapably social beings, His email is [email protected] sociation.” (4) A fourth case involved the average European family con- neglect in institutions or at the hands the worst catastrophes that can befall by Bruce Perry and Maia Szalavitz, for us all…. In order to appreciate 21 children, specifically those who sisted of about 20 people whose lives of their parents or guardians.” us inevitably involve relational loss. Basic Books, 2006 how children heal we need to under- were released and survived the Waco, were intimately connected on a daily In the Introduction to The Boy stand how they learn to love, how Texas Branch Davidian compound and basis. By the mid-18th century this “As a result, recovery from trau- Why a review of a child psychia- Who Was Raised As A Dog, Dr. they cope with challenge, how stress their cult leader David Koresh. Read- number was 10 living in close proxim- ma and neglect is also all about rela- trist’s book for Connections, a jour- Perry first notes the overall situation affects them. And by recognizing the ers may recall this tragic situation in ity, and by 1960 the number in this tionships – rebuilding trust, regaining nal for educators? Because the ten facing children and young people who destructive impact that violence and February of 1993 involving the FBI country was 5! By 2000, the aver- confidence, returning to a sense of case studies which Dr. Bruce Perry have experienced horrendous abuse. threat can have on the capacity to and BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobac- age size of a household was less than security and reconnecting to love. Of has chosen to share--although dis- For example, PTSD (Post Traumatic love and work, we can come to better co and Firearms) and firearms viola- 4, and 26% of Americans live alone. course, medications can help relieve turbing, some might even say, bizarre- Stress Disorder) was diagnosed and understand ourselves and to nurture tions. This experience led Dr. Perry Other changes he notes include – in symptoms and talking to a therapist -just may be encountered in your introduced only recently into psy- the people in our lives, especially the to form one of his major conclusions 1905 only 1% suffered depression, by can be incredibly useful. But healing school. I suggest that his approach chiatry in 1980. Today it is believed children.” about healing traumatized children: 1955 it increased to 6%, and in 1955 and recovery are impossible – even to healing these young people offers to affect at least 7% of all Americans “Relationships matter: the cur- teen depressions have increased by with the best medications and ther- valuable insights for all of us to heed, Here is a brief overview of a with an impact that is far greater in rency for systemic change was trust, a factor of 10! Dr. Perry states, “The apy in the world – without lasting, particularly when, as he notes, our sample of 5 of the 10 case studies children than in adults. While not all and trust comes through forming disconnect between what we need caring connections to other.” child welfare system, social workers, described in detail in this book. What children fortunately will ever experi- healthy working relationships…. The in order to be mentally healthy and and foster parents are typically over- I found particularly useful are Dr. Per- That’s a message which all educa- ence any of these events, approxi- seeds of a new way of working with what the modern world offers can worked and under-trained. ry’s discussions of his own thinking, tors and all parent/caregivers I think mately 40% of American children will his reasoning and unique approaches traumatized children were sown in also be seen in the constant unease need to hear in this day and age of an The lead author is an American experience at least one traumatizing to healing these individual young the ashes of Waco.” felt by parents – about the internet, over emphasis on academic learning, psychiatrist, currently the Senior event by the age of 18, including the the media, drugs, violent predators, people, beginning with deep listening, For those of us who are teach- the common core, and the loss of time Fellow of the ChildTrauma Academy death of a sibling or parent, ongoing pedophiles, economic inequality, and and often with the littlest children, ers and/or administrators working in for our children and youth to play, to in Houston, Texas and an adjunct physical abuse and/or neglect, sexual above all, the values of our culture simply getting down on the floor and schools, whether public or private, al- be creative, to simply sit quietly, to professor of psychiatry and behav- abuse, a serious accident, natural that shape our responses to these quietly coloring. (1) Tina – Dr. Perry ternative, charter, STEM, or whatev- turn off the TV, put away the “smart” ioral sciences at the Feinberg School disaster, domestic violence, or other issues.” changes the names of each of these er, relationships are indeed key, and phones, and to even dare to touch of Medicine in Chicago. Previously violent crime. Dr. Perry ends his children – was sexually abused from creating the conditions in which every I’ll close this brief review, by first each other, to give hugs, and simply he was chief of psychiatry at Texas Introduction noting – the age of 4 to age 6 by the 16-year- child, every student, has at least one urging all of you readers who work in listen! Children’s Hospital, and vice-chair- “The core lessons these chil- old brother of her babysitter. (2) meaningful relationship with a caring schools to read this book, and sec- man for research in the department dren have taught me are relevant Leon, was 16 and in a maximum- adult is absolutely essential. As Dr. ondly, quoting this summary from Dr. Perry puts it – “People, not programs, Perry in the closing chapter – LInKs Editor’s note: In this and future issues of Connections, links to Amazon are replaced with links to Smile.Amazon.com, Purchase The Boy who was change people.” (5) The fifth case which donates a portion of your purchases to a non-profit organization you select.
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