Dissociative states may last from a few seco nds to several hours, or even days, during
which components of the event are relived an d the individual behaves as though experi-
encing the event at that moment. While disso ciative responses are common during a trau-
matic event, only dissociative responses that  persist beyond 3 days after trauma exposure
are considered for the diagnosis of acute st ress d isord er. For youn g children, reenactment
of events related to trauma may appear in  play and may include dissociative moments
(e.g., a child who survives a motor vehicle accident may repe atedly crash toy cars during
play in a focused and distressing manner).  These episodes, often referred to as flashbacks,
are typically brief but involve a sense that th e traumatic event is oc curring in the present
rather than being remembered in the past and are associated with significant distress.