TRAUMA IN THE CLASSROOM

WHAT IS TRAUMA?

TRAUMA IS: A traumatic or life-threatening event that is

outside the normal range of daily human experience

“An emotional wound or shock that creates substantial lasting damage to the psychological development of a person.” (The American Heritage College Dictionary).

These events confront people with such horror and threat that it may temporarily or permanently alter their capacity to cope, their perception of biological threat and their self-concepts.

TRAUMA

Single incident trauma Complex trauma

TRAUMATIC EVENTS

Sexual Abuse Violence (family, social, predatory) Terrorism Natural or other disasters (hurricane, earthquake, fire) Multiple disruptions of attachment Rape/Assaults Murder Threaten with a weapon War Loss of parent Chronic neglect Parental substance abuse Parental mental illness Secondary trauma

TRAUMA IS ALSO… Difficult pregnancy

Difficult birth

Early hospitalization

IMPACTS OF TRAUMA

TRAUMA AND THE BRAIN

Cortex- thinking processing reasoning

Limbic system – doing responding action

Amygdala –smoke detector/signals release of hormones

Hippocampus – assists in transfer of information

cortex

Limbic system

amygdala

TRIGGERS Any stimulus which acts as a reminder of a

traumatic experience, and leads to set of behaviors/actions designed to cope with the original experience

A trigger may be Internal (emotion, physical sensation) External (facial expressions, crowds, smells, sounds) A combination

TRAUMA AND BEHAVIOR

TRAUMA AND BEHAVIORWhen a child does this…

Disobeys instructions

She/he may be trying to express this… I didn’t understand all the

sounds and words coming at me because I was deprived of sound and language exposure when I was young and can’t process them yet

I want to be in control because adults have always proven unreliable

I have learning delays that prevent me from understanding these instructions

Karyn Purvis (2007) “The Connected Child”

TRAUMA AND BEHAVIORWhen a child does this…

Becomes angry easily

She/he may be trying to express this… I am terrified and trying to

protect myself from a situation that resembles a terrible experience I had in the past

My blood sugar level is uncomfortably low and I don’t know how to deal with (or recognize) my hunger appropriately

I must be in control because I’ve never known trustworthy adults before

I am frustrated because I don’t know how to express my feelings and needs

Karyn Purvis (2007) “The Connected Child”

MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSES & TRAUMA

ADHD

PTSD

Anxiety Disorders

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

ATTUNEMENT

IT’S NOT WHAT I SAY… Trauma can impact children’s ability to understand, tolerate,

and manage their feelings. When triggered, children often don’t know what is upsetting them, only that there is a bad feeling inside and something needs to happen to make it go away.

Without adequate coping skills, children will react. They work out their distress with their bodies and through their actions.

Talking to people about their feelings can be harder than dealing them. For kids who have been hurt or neglected by adults, reaching out for help may feel dangerous or scary. - Kinniburgh and Blaustein

IT’S WHAT I’M TRYING TO SAY Most children communicate through their

behavior. The ability to use words to share feelings and experiences grows over the course of development.

They need help understanding their own feelings and having those validated.

The experiences driving traumatized children’s behaviors may be less obvious, but at the core, the feelings are the same: fear, sadness, anxiety, or anger.

REGULATION

HOW TO HELP CHILDREN REGULATE Validate feelings

Reflective listening Tracking

Help them to use their tools If you are doing it too, they are more likely to do it

Be on their level Eye contact Face to face Touch if appropriate

Stay calm! They will pick up on your emotions

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TEACHERS: DR. BRUCE PERRY Do not be afraid to talk about trauma

If child brings it up, listen, answer questions, provide comfort and support

Avoid shock, surprise, or shaming

Provide a consistent predictable pattern for the day Make sure the child knows the pattern, if the day

includes something new or different, make sure the child knows beforehand.

Discuss expectations for behavior as well as consequences Make sure there are clear rules and clear

consequences Be consistent Meet need before giving consequence

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TEACHERS (CONT.) Watch closely for signs of re-enactment

Play, drawing, behaviors Being withdrawn, daydreaming, avoiding others Physiological hyperactivity

Protect the child Stop or cut short activities that are upsetting or re-

traumatizing or the child.

Give the child choices and some sense of control When a traumatized child feels they do not have

control, it is likely they will be more symptomatic. Give choices where either choice is acceptable.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR TEACHERS (CONT.) Some ideas:

Stress balls/ Fiddle Toys Quiet Place Extra attention / talking it through Play: draw safe place Listen to behavior Emotional Age Transition time Predictability and consistency Activities for up-regulation or down-regulation Examine the need for increased or decreased

sensory stimulation

REMOVED VIDEOS Part I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOeQUwdAjE0

RESOURCES Bethany Christian Services

Family Counseling Center ADOPTS – specialized therapy

Resources: David Ziegler: “Traumatic Experience and the Brain” Bruce Perry: “The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog” Bruce Perry: Child Trauma Academy (

www.childtrauma.org) The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: (

www.nctsn.org) TCU Institute for Child Development (www.child.tcu.edu)Karyn Purvis: Empowered to Connect(http://empoweredtoconnect.org/)

ARTICLES WITH MORE INFO… Principles of working with Traumatized Children http://

teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/working_children.htm

Early Childhood trauma

http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/nctsn_earlychildhoodtrauma_08-2010final.pdf

http://www.nctsnet.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/age_related_reactions_to_a_traumatic_event.pdf

Understanding Child Traumatic Stress

http://www.nctsnet.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/understanding_child_traumatic_stress_brochure_9-29-05.pdf

Child Development and Trauma Guide

http://www.secasa.com.au/pages/child-development-and-trauma-guide/

ARTICLES CONTINUED: Psychological and Behavioral impact of Trauma Preschool

http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/preschool_children.pdf

Elementary School

http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/ctte_elementary.pdf

Middle School

http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/ctte_middleschool.pdf

High School

http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/ctte_highschool.pdf

DR. KARYN PURVIS Trust Based Relational Intervention

http://empoweredtoconnect.org/will-trust-based-parenting-work-for-my-child/

IDEAL Response

http://youtu.be/761xx61-q1c