How Family Violence Affected My Early Childhood Development

November 09, 2023

Hi Dragonflies,

When I was in my sensory motor stage or preoperational stage (between the ages 0-6) I was wrongfully diagnosed with ADD. I also didn't get to start school at 5 like all the other children. I started kindergarten at 6 instead because I was apparently too emotionally immature. I was living in a stressful environment even in the times I barely remembered. My father was in his second abusive relationship before I turned 1.

My grades were often not very good as well. Extreme stress in a child's life such as neglect, inconsistent parenting and a families financial situation can negatively impact on a child's brain and body. The development can be slow and the child's ability to learn can be impacted on their slow thought process due to this kind of stress. Family violence can also impact on a child's learning by way of regression. It can affect a child's ability to focus and listen. This is what I think led to my wrongful diagnosis of ADD as a child because there is a difference between a child's inability to focus due to their home environment and a child's inability to focus that is due to a different wiring of the brain.

This medical misunderstanding led into my adulthood as well. As I gained stability in my life my awareness and ability to articulate the problems I had increased. So much so that I felt compelled to educate people on the differences between a person's brain being wired a certain way and the long term cognitive effects of Family Violence and Intergenerational Trauma. There isn't enough awareness of Intergenerational Trauma and some cultures prefer to be in denial of the fact since these cultures heavily rely on traditional family systems.

There are a lot of stressful events that happened around me that I was unaware of as a child but I know that it impacted greatly on my cognitive development. It's important for educators and other members of society to be clued in to the signs of stress in a child in order to develop their development in cognitive, language/communication, social and emotional and physical more healthily.

Signs of developmental problems include;

-They often cry more than other babies and are irritable more frequently

-They frequently have trouble eating properly and struggle with their sleep

-They are often underweight

-They may have delayed mobility

-They often react strongly to loud noises and are unsure of new people

-They may be very demanding or passive

-They may have physical injuries or bruises

If you notice these developmental problems then make a report to the Department of Children Services in your state immediately and they will investigate. The child's safety always comes first.

Department of Children's Services According to Each State;

NSW: Department of Communities & Justice

Tel. 132 111

VIC: Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

Tel. 131 278 (after hours)

QLD: Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs

Tel. 1800 177 135 (after hours)

WA: Department of Communities - Child Protection and Family Support

Tel. 1800 273 889

For Crisis Care, contact 1800 199 008 (after hours)

SA: Department for Child Protection

Tel. 131 478