FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 file photo, parents leave a staging area after being reunited with their children following a shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., where Adam Lanza fatally shot 27 people, including 20 children. Psychiatrists say after the grief and fear fades, most of Newtown's young survivors probably will cope without long-term emotional problems, often through play. Among the challenges will be spotting which children are struggling enough that they may need professional help. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
Experts: Kids are resilient in coping with trauma
FILE - In this Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 file photo, parents leave a staging area after being reunited with their children following a shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., where Adam Lanza fatally shot 27 people, including 20 children. Psychiatrists say after the grief and fear fades, most of Newtown's young survivors probably will cope without long-term emotional problems, often through play. Among the challenges will be spotting which children are struggling enough that they may need professional help. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
By LAURAN NEERGAARD
AP Medical Writer /
December 20, 2012
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Children as young as first-graders can benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy, Georgetown’s Biel said. They can calm themselves with breathing techniques. They also can learn to identify and label their feelings — anger, frustration, worry — and how to balance, say, a worried thought with a brave one.
Finally, avoid watching TV coverage of the shooting, as children may think it’s happening all over again, Biel added. He found that children who watched the 9/11 clips of planes hitting the World Trade Center thought they were seeing dozens of separate attacks.
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EDITOR'S NOTE — Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press in Washington.
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