The Lost Child Theory(TM) asserts that trauma in childhood robs a child of the experience of NOW. Psychological and biological impacts from trauma keep children in a state of alert, always disassociating or self-protecting, all in an effort to stay afloat. The cognitive processes required for learning are negatively impacted and development as well as academic progress is interrupted.
When this happens to children, three things are lost:
- Lost Support (the attachments needed with caring adults are disorganized causing distrust and feelings of fear).
- Lost Script (the narrative that helps a person put a frame around life is destroyed).
- Lost Sense of Self (the understanding of oneself needed to take an active role in thinking is absent).
In addition to advancing this theory, we are developing tools that will help educators identify a child symptomatic of The Lost Child and differentiate them from a child with a true learning disability.