Welcome to the Attention Deficit Disorder Expert Podcast Series by Attitude Magazine.

Hello everyone, I'm Carol Fleck and I'm the editor here at Attitude.

Thank you for joining today's event called Mental Health Out Loud.

This is a new type of conversation for the team at Attitude.

Our mission is to bring you information, advice and insight about the issues that have

a profound effect on our lives today.

We are delighted to have top experts in the field of ADHD and mental health, join us to

speak out loud and help us to better understand the world around us.

Today we are here to discuss how prolonged exposure to trauma, anxiety, fear and stress

can affect children and teen brains, especially in the aftermath of tragedies like the Uval

Day Texas school shootings and reports of increasing gun violence nationwide.

Of course there are other traumatic stressors that plague children.

These include homelessness, abuse and neglect, losing a parent, witnessing violence, living

in fear of violence and enduring the effects of systemic racism.

Our esteemed expert to guide us today is Dr. Cheryl Chase, a clinical psychologist with

a private practice near Cleveland, Ohio.

Dr. Chase is here to explain how stress, anxiety and trauma can impact a child's brain development

and function.

Prolonged exposure to stress, anxiety and trauma can lead to attention deficits, working

memory problems and language delays.

Research shows that children who suffered traumatic stress are more likely to have learning problems,

lower grades and more suspensions and expulsions in school.

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