Other interventions involve both young children and their parents. The Child & Family Traumatic Stress Intervention program, developed at Yale University, aims to increase communication between parents and children and prevent longer-term disorders.

Hyde said she recently had a reunion with other women who had been on the Chowchilla bus in 1976, and they realized that they struggled with some of the same issues.

"I think for me personally, the fact that I was able to discuss it all these years has helped me tremendously in my recovery," Hyde said.