As we near next week’s conclusion of our blog series on trauma in children and teens, Jolene Philo’s presentation from last year’s Inclusion Fusion on PTSD and kids with special needs seemed like the perfect compliment.

Jolene is the author of two books for parents of children with special needs, A Different Dream for My Child and Different Dream Parenting. She is the parent of a child with special needs who developed PTSD due to early, frequent and invasive medical treatment. She also taught traumatized students at a correctional facility and collaborated with special education teachers to mainstream traumatized children in her classroom during public school teaching career. She’s conducted extensive interviews with trauma experts and is currently working on a book about PTSD in children. More information about PTSD and kids can be found at her website, A Different Dream.

Jolene and our former colleague Katie Wetherbee signed a contract for a book titled Every Child Welcome: A Menu of Strategies for Including Kids with Special Needs at Church. Every Child Welcome is geared for volunteers who work with children’s ministry. It will be jam-packed with practical and doable inclusion strategies children’s ministry volunteers can implement so every child feels welcome.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder most commonly associated with combat veterans that also affects children with special needs. In Jolene’s presentation, she discusses six common myths and misconceptions about PTSD in children.

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