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Imagine being held in a bunker for a week, with no contact with the outside world.

Now imagine that same scenario, only you are five.

For about a week, the nation has been captivated by the saga of little Ethan, who was held a tiny bunker in Alabama with the 65-year-old Jimmy Lee Dykes. According to Reuters, Mr. Dykes boarded a bus in the rural Alabama town, which contained 20 students. He demanded that the bus driver Charles Albert Poland, 66, hand off the child. After Poland refused, Dykes gunned him down and took the boy.

The saga has ended relatively happily. Law enforcement rescued the boy; his mother, who declined to give her name, told the press how happy she was to hold her son again. Dykes died at the hand of law enforcement.

But for Ethan, it seems that the recovery may be just beginning.

Ethan was treated at an area hospital, where he laughed and played with friends. No one close to the situation seems to be revealing if he is traumatized from the experience. Because the boy is so young, and because he suffers from Asperger's syndrome and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, treatment could be easier or harder than it would be otherwise. In fact, because his Asperger's syndrome would make it difficult for Ethan to understand social cues, his comprehension of the situation may have been more limited - meaning an easier recovery.

According to TIME, researchers say that children tend to overcome trauma relatively well, because they are so resilient. However, just because children are resilient creatures, that does not mean that they do not need treatment. The gold-standard of support is called trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, which asks children to explain the situation in words and to develop coping techniques if they ever feel anxiety or fear related to their experience. Children also need to be reassured that they are safe and secure, since their first questions will usually be to wonder if such an experience can happen again.

However, researchers say that it is most critical that Ethan is left alone so that he can develop a sense of normalcy again. That appears to be what his parents want as well. "My family and I ask that you respect our privacy and give us a little time - time to heal, time to put this nightmare behind us, time to move forward," Ethan's mother said to Reuters.