“Mental Health Out Loud: How Stress & Trauma Affect Brain Development” [Video Replay & Podcast 407]

Access the video replay, listen to the podcast episode (#407), and see related resources for this Q&A session originally broadcast on June 23, 2022.

Episode Description


Brain development may be disrupted and delayed by trauma, anxiety, fear, and stress. This can lead to a host of problems, including difficulty with attention and focus, working memory problems, delays in language development, and disrupted sleep in children and teens. Understandably, academic performance may suffer, emotional control may falter, and impulsivity may flare in times of stress. In addition, constant exposure to trauma, anxiety, and stress can cause chronic health conditions in children.

In this special “Mental Health Out Loud” conversation, you will learn the following from ADHD expert Cheryl Chase, Ph.D.:

  • How trauma, stress, anxiety, and fear affect brain function in younger and older children, and how these factors adversely impact children through adolescence and into adulthood
  • The telltale signs of anxiety, stress, fear, and trauma in children and teens, and signs that a child might need intervention
  • What caregivers can do at home to help a child move forward
  • How to support our kids’ mental health at a time of unabated school shootings and gun violence in communities

Watch the Video Replay

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Download or Stream the Podcast Audio

Click the play button below to listen to this episode directly in your browser, click the symbol to download to listen later, or open in your podcasts app: Apple Podcasts; Google Podcasts; Stitcher; Spotify; Amazon Music; iHeartRADIO.

More on Trauma, Stress, and ADHD


Meet the Expert Speaker:

Cheryl Chase, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Independence, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. She specializes in the diagnostic and neuropsychological assessment of various conditions impacting children, adolescents, and young adults including ADHD, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Learning Disorders, and emotional concerns. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Chase is also an accomplished speaker at the local and national levels, leading workshops on such timely topics as executive functioning, differentiated instruction, and creative ways to support those who struggle in school. Finally, Dr. Chase serves as an adjunct instructor at several colleges in the Cleveland area.

Dr. Chase is an active member of the American Psychological Association, the International Dyslexia Association, and the Learning Disabilities Association of America.


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