Emergency Preparedness Plan

Appendix H

PRE-SCHOOL AGES 1 TO 5
 
 

Children in this age group are particularly vulnerable to the changes in their routine and the disruption of their previously secure environments. Because they generally lack the verbal and conceptual skills necessary to effectively cope with student stress by themselves they are particularly dependent of family members for comfort. In some cases they might be affected as much or more by the reactions of parents and other family members as they are by the direct effects of the disaster. Responses might be geared toward re-establishing comforting routines, providing opportunity for non-verbal as well as verbal expression of the child's feelings, and lots of reassurance.
 

• Resumption of bed-wetting
• Thumb sucking
• Fear of darkness
• Fear of animals
• Fear of "monsters"
• Fear of strangers

• Loss of appetite
• Overeating
• Indigestion
• Bowel or bladder problems (e.g., diarrhea, constipation, loss of sphincter control)
• Sleep disorders and nightmares

• Nervousness
• Irritability
• Disobedience
• Hyperactivity
• Tics
• Speech difficulties
• Anxiety about any separation from parents
• Shorter attention span
• Aggressive behavior
• Exaggeration of distortion of the disaster experience
• Repetitive talking about experiences
   
   

POSSIBLE RESPONSES

• Give additional verbal reassurance and ample physical comfort (e.g., holding and caressing)
• Give warm milk and provide comforting bedtime routines
• Permit child to sleep in parent's room temporarily
• Provide opportunity and encouragement of expression of emotions through play activities such as drawing
• "Play acting" the disaster
• Allow the child to explain or talk about their experience
• Encourage/Attempt to integrate the experience