Early adversity changes how the developing brain manages stress, trust and relationships.
What you might see: big reactions to small triggers, controlling behaviour, difficulty trusting adults, hypervigilance, sabotage of good things, shame-based responses.
It''s not naughtiness — it''s a nervous system in survival mode. Sticker charts and time-outs often make it worse.
Helpful approaches: PACE (Dan Hughes), therapeutic parenting (Sarah Naish, NATP), Theraplay, DDP, EMDR.