A Year after Katrina: Recognizing the Signs of PTSD in Children; Clinical Experts Recommend Heightened Awareness of Children's Behaviors to Anniversary.

SAN ANTONIO -- As the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina nears, clinical experts at Harcourt Assessment, Inc., a leading test developer and publisher, and associated psychologists suggest increasing awareness and identification of signs of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children and youth, and quickly assessing the treatable disorder that stems from a significant traumatic event.

Philip A. Saigh, Ph.D., a Professor of Psychology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and author of the Children's PTSD Inventory, a PsychCorp brand diagnostic instrument published by Harcourt Assessment, Inc., said indicators of PTSD may include increased occurrence of traumatic thoughts, images, or nightmares; regression in children's behavior; increased irritability, anger, and feeling jumpy; and finding it hard to concentrate and do schoolwork. Children also may avoid visual triggers - activities, places, or people - that spark recollections of the trauma.

"Clinicians and counselors may play a key role in helping parents and teachers by identifying children with PTSD," said Dr. Saigh. "In addition to indicators that are specific to the child's behavior, a key consideration for clinical experts is to understand that the absence of parental support is a risk factor for PTSD."

Once diagnosed accurately, PTSD is treatable. Single case, group time series, and experimental studies have shown that cognitive behavioral interventions incorporating imaginal exposure techniques effectively reduced distress on a number of standardized tests with documented psychometric qualities.

"It is normal for children to experience grief associated with the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, but also may be a prime opportunity to see an emergence of PTSD among children and adolescents as they are faced with negative triggers, such as news footage from last year's storm damage and devastation, weather reports, back-to-school preparation, or other sensory input reminding children of past trauma," said Christina Sparks, Ph.D., clinical measurement consultant for Harcourt Assessment.

Clinical professionals should refer to various valid and reliable tools and resources to diagnose and treat disorders, such as PTSD. Following Hurricane Katrina, Harcourt Assessment provided free Children's PTSD Inventory kits and also aided with replacing assessment tools and record forms to school districts and other clinical settings in the areas hardest hit by the storm. This instrument continues to aid practitioners as they either diagnose or rule out PTSD in children and adolescents ages 6-18.

Dr. Geralyn Datz, a psychologist and behavioral medicine specialist from Forrest General Hospital Psychology Services in Hattiesburg, Miss., and recipient of a free kit, said, although the anniversary of Katrina often brings to mind negative responses, it also can offer opportunities to heal and demonstrate that a community is on the path to recovery. According to Dr. Datz, there are adaptive ways to mark this date, such as honoring local heroes and recovery efforts.

About Harcourt Assessment, Inc.

Based in San Antonio, Harcourt Assessment, Inc. is a leading provider of high-quality assessment instruments and testing programs published under two brand names -- Harcourt Assessment(R) and PsychCorp(TM) -- used by educators, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, human resource professionals, admissions and credentialing professionals, and businesses, helping them improve the lives of individuals of all ages. The company is a unit of Harcourt Education, which is the global education brand of Reed Elsevier Group plc (NYSE: RUK and ENL). Reed Elsevier is a world-leading publisher and information provider operating in the science and medical, legal, education and business-to-business industry sectors. Visit Harcourt Assessment on the Web at www.harcourtassessment.com.