Dr. Bruce Perry, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Fellow of the Child Trauma Academy and Maia Szalavitz, an award-winning health and science journalist are the authors of this pivotal work about trauma and the developing brain. The book is collection of stories of some of many the children and families Dr. Perry has worked with during the span of his career as a child psychiatrist and neuroscientist.
Why we love this book:
1. Each chapter is a distinct case history and is written in an engaging narrative format.
2. The stories explore many crucial concepts related to neurodevelopment including the stress response system (freeze, fight, or flight), associations and attachment.
3. With each case study, Dr. Perry breaks down complex concepts into small, understandable pieces making this book a great learning and teaching tool.
Why You Should Read This Book:
Statistics clearly illustrate if you work with children you will likely encounter more than a few that have been exposed to trauma, violence, chaos and neglect. The Boy That Was Raised as a Dog illustrates how the different types of trauma effect emotions, behavior and a child’s ability to learn, and create and maintain relationships.
Throughout the text Dr. Perry offers clear explanations regarding how adults may help troubled children by developing an understanding of the children’s histories and through the creation of relationships with them.
This short read is a great place to begin building a knowledge base about the brain and an excellent starting point for guiding your work with children and families from hard places.