Communication Skills for Traumatized, Abused or Neglected Children

The effects of abuse and neglect negatively impact children's social and academic interactions. Data shows that many children experiencing trauma, abuse and neglect demonstrate compromised narrative language skills.

The core of a narrative is the emotional response of characters in stories or real-life situations. Children who have experienced abuse/neglect produce very minimalistic narratives. Since the narratives of these children have minimal “landscape of consciousness” (emotions/plans) and minimal cause/effect, this deficit impairs their ability to “tell their story” or to explain the motivations behind their actions. Thus, language and literacy skills are essential for these children to be successful in school and beyond...

The failure to acquire literacy skills can negatively impact those students’ social, academic and vocational success, limiting their full participation in society as adults. “’Building a Better Workforce,’ a conference held in the MassMutual Room of the Basketball Hall of Fame in November, attracted 200 participants from western Massachusetts' business, education, and public policy communities and addressed the link between educational attainment — from pre-kindergarten through college and adult education — and a healthy economy. …[Through educational programs focused on communication skills and social-emotion growth], these participants had increased IQs, were more likely to graduate high school, and experienced greater wage earning by age 40.” (Taken from Cherish Every Child, www.readby4thgrade.com.)