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Episode 32 - Natural Disasters: How to Prepare & Talk With Children About Them

​Dr. David J. Schonfeld joins host Dr. Edith Brancho-Sanchez to talk about strategies that can help children prepare for natural disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes and other catastrophic events. He discusses his family's evacuation from the Eaton Fire in California and suggests age-appropriate ways to talk to children facing a natural disaster. In the aftermath, children may experience grief but can also develop "post-traumatic growth."

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Guest

David J. Schonfeld, MD, FAAP

David J Schonfeld, MD, FAAP, is an Executive Committee member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Children and Disasters and a member of the AAP Section on Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. He also serves as Chair of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Dr. Schonfeld frequently speaks on the topics of crisis and loss. He has authored more than 150 scholarly articles, book chapters, and books, including the Grieving Student: A Guide for Schools (2nd edition). He has conducted school-based research involving children's understanding of and adjustment to serious illness and death and school-based interventions to promote adjustment and risk prevention. He served as a commissioner for both the National Commission on Children and Disasters and the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission in Connecticut and was a member of the National Biodefense Science Board.


Resources


Music credits:

Theme music composed by Doug Nagel.

The views expressed in this podcast are those of the guests and not necessarily those of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Last Updated
2/20/2025
Source
American Academy of Pediatrics (Copyright © 2025)
The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.
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