“The leadership and Team members of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), on behalf of the entire NCLD community, extend heart-felt condolences to all who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

It is hard to comprehend how innocent children and caring adults could be targeted in so horrific a way, and we join with others in hoping that the days ahead will be a time of healing for all who were touched by this tragic event.”

- James H. Wendorf, Executive Director, NCLD

In the coming weeks, parents and educators will need to be particularly vigilant in helping all students, and especially those in the early grades, to feel safe in school and to deal with feelings of worry about their own well-being as well as that of their peers and trusted adults. Below are links to a few helpful resources:

• A list of tips from SAMHSA on how to talk to children of different ages about violence and traumatic events
• Advice from the American Psychological Association, "Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting"
• Advice from the National Association of School Psychologists, "A National Tragedy: Helping Children Cope"
• Resources from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry including "Restoring a Sense of Safety in the Aftermath of a Mass Shooting: Tips for Parents and Professionals"