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Trauma-Causing Events

Trauma causing events are quite different for children, adolescence, and adults. Children from birth to 5 years of age are at higher risk of exposure to traumatic events, because the children are solely dependent on their parents and caregivers for their ultimate survival. Trauma is a term used to describe a stressful impact of events. A child may experience many traumatic events throughout his or her lifetime. Those events include bodily injuries, feelings of terror, sexual and domestic violence, community violence, war experiences, vehicle accidents, natural, and man-made disasters (Ballard, et al., 2015). According to research by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, more than half the number of children experience severe stress from abuse and neglect. Traumatic events have many negative impacts on children. One effect of trauma in early childhood is the inability of the child to develop attachments and relationships. The inability for a child to develop an attachment or relationship is the result of a child that has been exposed to domestic violence traumas. Relationships with caregivers are vital, because the child learns to trust, interact with the world, and balance their emotions. Caregivers that give poor attachment styles could cause a child to feel helpless, unsafe, and have a challenging time building strong healthy relationships in the later stages of their life (Ballard, et al., 2015).

General Framework For Understanding Exceptional Abilities

In the field of counseling, counselors are focused on bringing individuals from an undesirable or abnormal state to a more neutral or normative state. This is evident in all counseling practices, where the objectives are to nullify learning and behavioral difficulties. Counselors mostly aim to assist individuals with activities that encourages human flourishing. Counselors also strive to maximize the growth and focus on an individual’s achievement towards exceptional levels. Exceptional behaviors originate from genetic and neurobiological factors and are influenced by parenting and early development factors in which individuals are brought up in (VanDerHeyden & Snyder, 2006).

Federal initiatives such as the response to intervention (RTI) strategies is used to emphasize the importance of early childhood intervention. The Response to Intervention Initiative assists children and their families to help accelerate their levels of growth and learning (Snyder & Linnenbrink-Garcia, 2013). The Individual’s with Disabilities Education Act allows educational agencies to use part of the yearly funds to identify young children, especially those in kindergarten and up to receive additional behavioral and academic assistance to be successful in their educational curriculum. The use of the RTI strategies in children helps counselors and educators rehabilitate the unwanted behavior of children. RTI strategies rely on behavior modification and progress monitoring. However, selected interventions implemented and evaluation to determine whether additional interventions are required to assist children with exceptional abilities (Snyder & Linnenbrink-Garcia, 2013).

Understanding Normal And Abnormal Behaviors

Normal behavior is behavior that is viewed as a social norm. Abnormal behavior is seen as actions that deviate from the social norm. Certain factors must be considered in distinguishing which behavior is normal or abnormal. First, one has to determine what socially normal behaviors are in order to be able to understand abnormal behaviors. Another factor to consider is the disruptive nature of the behavior. Behavior that disrupts a one’s life, the life of others, and/or causes distress; it is considered as abnormal behavior. Psychopathology is interrelated with abnormal behavior, because psychopathology is the study of mental disorders and mental disorders are considered abnormal. Children that are exposed to traumatic events early in life, are more likely to develop psychological disorders. In normal human development, biological, physical, and emotional development are typical. Genetic factors and environmental factors have an impact on normal and abnormal behaviors. Children that are exposed to an environment that is stressful are likely to show signs of depression and anxiety. A child who has a family history of depression will most likely develop depression when exposed to stressful life circumstances (Jovanović, et al., 2013).

Biological developmental issues also bring about this abnormal behavior. Research shows that most people with psychopathological behaviors often have biological disorders. Those biological disorders include an abnormal firing of neurons, which are receptors to an individual’s emotions and reactions. When certain parts of the brain’s neurons undershoot or overshoot; it results in an abnormality in a person’s thinking process/cognitive patterns, and emotions. Exposure to stress assists in the process of developing a psychological impairment. Psychological disabilities include any mental disorders that influence an individual’s emotions and cognition. For example, psychological impairments may include depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, and bipolar disorders. Depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders contribute to individuals behaving in ways that deviate from the societal norms (Jovanović, et al., 2013).

Theories For Facilitating Optimal Growth And Wellness

Self Determination Theory is a motivational theory that focuses on the intrinsic and/or innate tendencies of human beings. The theory applies to many sectors of human life, such as psychotherapy, psychopathology, health, and well-being and relationships. It is concerned with the inherent and psychological needs of human beings and it is dependent on the choices that people make without external influences (Vera, et al., 2012). Psychoanalytic theories emphasize that childhood experiences and unconscious desires determines the behavior of an individual. According to psychoanalytic theories, occurrence of conflicts during each stage of development had a lifelong influence on the behavior and personality of an individual (Vera, et al., 2012).

Erickson’s eight-stage theory of psychosocial development describes growth, and development throughout the life of an individual (Foster, Galjour, & Spengel, 2015). For example, the learning theory states that the environment influences all human behavior. In the theory, learning could be through classical conditioning, operant conditioning or through observation. All the methods of learning would influence a lifelong behavior of an individual and their psychological and social development. Lastly, cognitive theories state that an individual’s thinking affects their behavior and intellectual development throughout life (Foster, et al., 2015).

Conclusion

There is a wide range of research on trauma, understanding exceptional abilities, normal and abnormal behaviors, and wellness. The most crucial factor that relates all the research that is conducted in the areas listed above are the healthy growth and overall wellness of a person. Balance is the key to having healthy social, psychological, emotional, and physical health. Life can be stressful, but a plan must always be in place to help a person cope with the stress that awaits in the environment. For example, engaging in activities that bring enjoyment and relaxation are healthy ways to control stress.