Final Research Project Preparation - Annotated Bibliography.

Introduction to Topic: Refer to the Final Research Project guidelines for your topic selection. For your introduction, you should write a 150-word paragraph which clearly explains the topic, the importance of further research, ethical implications, and how the topic relates to one's academic and professional pursuits. Make sure you effectively inform the reader of the rationale behind your topic.
Thesis statement: Write a direct and concise thesis statement, which will become the point or perspective you will argue or prove in the Final Research Project. A thesis statement should be a single declarative sentence that makes one point in 25 words or less. The thesis statement must appear within the introduction paragraph.
Annotated Bibliography: To help prepare for your Final Research Project, write an annotated bibliography to indicate the quality of the sources you have read. The bibliography must include no less than five scholarly sources that will be used to support the major points of the Final Research Project. Critical thinking skills need to be demonstrated by accurately interpreting evidence used to support various positions of the topic. Please make sure to provide full reference information in accordance with APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Write a brief paragraph (around 150 words) summarizing the source and explaining how it is pertinent and relevant to the topic of the project and how each source will support your thesis statement. See the Sample Annotated Bibliography in the Ashford Writing Center for more detailed information. Keep in mind the academic research standards for all Ashford University papers.
For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center.

The Final Research Project Preparation

Must be 1,000 - 1,250 words in length (excluding the title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Must include a separate title page with the following:
Title of paper
Student's name
Course name and number
Instructor's name
Date submitted
Must use at least five scholarly sources.
Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

this is what I have so far.

Scientific research over the last 20 years has demonstrated that repeated exposure to trauma and chronic stress in early childhood can impair brain development. For my research I have chosen the topic: Childhood Trauma and how the environment affects their learning. Increasing the quality of service and their stability help to foster positive responsive relationships with nurturing caregivers. As children struggle it is important for us to identify environmental factors and triggers that have an impact in the capability of childrens learning. Having an open and ongoing healthy relationships with parents as well as students helps deal with these struggles that children face today.

Children experience traumatic events on a daily basis that can hinder their learning environment. By conducting research on trauma will allow me to gain a better understanding on why a child who has experienced trauma behave the way they do. I also believe that it will be refreshing to learn new strategies on how to better provide quality services for children and families in need, since I plan on working with adolescents and also because I have a child. Nonetheless, if there is a resource or strategy that sometimes we do not think of or know about, it would be helpful to take into consideration and implement new strategies in the classroom.

The articles I read were very interesting. Each article gave insight on how children between the ages of 0-5 are more susceptible to trauma. The article Trauma and treatment in early childhood: A review of the historical and emerging literature for counselors written by Buss et al. (2015) presented a review of relevant literature, including research findings specific to early childhood vulnerability to trauma, symptoms associated with traumatic events, diagnostic validity of early childhood trauma, and treatments for young children. (Buss et al, 2015, p. 225) Another article that I found to be really interesting was the article Trauma in early childhood by De Young et al. The article addressed the probability of children being exposed to some type of trauma that can affect them later in life. There has been a focus on early childhood mental health and efforts are evident through clinical trial and research in the area. Research studies have shown that children who are exposed to any form of trauma are more likely to develop psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression. (De Young et al, 2011) The children are also more likely to develop difficult behavior, often found in preschool children.

The scholarly sources I found will allow me to gain a better understanding on symptoms children display when they have experienced trauma. It will also allow me to collect information and data to compare them against other scholarly resources.

References: 

Buss, K. E., Warren, J. M., & Horton, E. (2015). Trauma and treatment in early childhood: A

review of the historical and emerging literature for counselors. The Professional Counselor, 5(2), 225-237. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.15241/keb.5.2.225

De Young, A.,C., Kenardy, J. A., & Cobham, V. E. (2011). Trauma in early childhood: A

neglected population. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 14(3), 231-50. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007

Also must include this myth;

Most People Who Were Sexually Abused in Childhood Develop Severe Personality Disturbances in Adulthood

"Scarred for life. Phrases like this appear in a seemingly endless parade of popular psychology books written for sexual abuse victims. The self-help literature is replete with claims that childhood sexual abuse pro duces lasting personality changes, including deep psychological wounds. Other popular psychology books, such as Jade Angelicas (1993) A Moral Emergency, refer to the cycle of child sexual abuse. According to them, many or most sexually abused individuals become abusers themselves. Some self-help books go further, implying that sexual abuse leaves in its wake a distinctive personality profile. Low self-confidence, intimacy problems, reluctance to commit to others in relationships, and fears of sex are among its tell-tale signs" (Bradshaw, 1991; Frederickson, 1992).

Reference:

Linienfeld, Scott. 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology. Scattering Widespread Misconceptions of Human Behavior. Retrieved from, http://emilkirkegaard.dk/en/wp-content/uploads/50-Great-Myths-of-Popular-Psychology.pdf