trauma informed - care (tic) care.pdf · trauma may need help with regulating their emotions and...

Trauma Informed-Care (TIC)

Classroom Management Practices

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize trauma and the effects on infant and early childhood brain development

• Identify how to interpret behaviors through the lens of trauma

• Learn about the principles of TIC as they relate to caregiving relationships, program space and design; and the incorporation of Pyramid Model strategies

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the importance of caregiver (families and staff) well-being and learn strategies focused on caregiver well-being to share with families.

• Practice self-care/self-reflection techniques when working with children impacted by trauma and their families to avoid secondary trauma and burn out. Access strategies, recommendations and resources for improving TIC in early childhood programs

Introductions

Let’s Get to Know Each Other• Share your name

• Where you work

• Why you chose to come to this training

Talking about Trauma

• Discussing trauma can be a reminder of personal experiences and may be upsetting.

• If you feel upset- take care of yourself

• Talk to a trusted person or mental health professional

Self Care Strategies

• Pay attention to how you feel

• Pay attention to your breathing

• Focus on your surroundings – notice sounds, smells, the feeling of the floor under your feet

Large Group Discussion

Defining Trauma

• What is Trauma?

Defining Trauma

Trauma occurs when

• frightening events or situations overwhelm a child's ability to cope or deal with what has happened.

Defining Trauma

• Acute Traumatic Stress typically involves a one-time experience such as a natural disaster or car accident

• Complex Trauma involves prolonged or multiple traumatic events that typically occur within a caregiving relationship (i.e. neglect, physical or sexual abuse).

Why Focus on Trauma and Young Children ?

• Trauma has a unique impact on young children.

• Their brains are developing rapidly and are particularly susceptible to trauma.

Trauma has a Unique Impact on Young Children

• Significant sensory experience for young children

• Early childhood trauma has been associated with changes in the brain - reduced size of the brain cortex

Trauma has a Unique Impact on Young Children

Young children exposed to five or more significant adverse experiences in the first three years of childhood face a 76% likelihood of having one or more delays in their language, emotional or brain development. Describe/highlight a few common types of childhood trauma

(https://www.childtrends.org/child-trends-5/5-ways-trauma-informed-care-supports-childrens-development)

Pair and Share

Discuss Potentially Traumatic Experiences

What types of potentially traumatic experiences do children and families face in your program?

What Makes an Event Traumatic?

Why is the same event

traumatic for one child

but not for another?

• All behavioral development has to do with the brain• Brain development is dependent upon both experience

and genetics• The brain has a great deal of plasticity and can recover

from many traumatic events over time• Growth of the brain occurs from the inside out and the

bottom up• You are born with 100 billion brain cells• There are 15,000 synaptic connections for each cell

Early Brain Development:

Understanding Early Brain

Development –The Importance of the First Three

Years

Early Experiences Are Crucial:• By age 3, 80% of synaptic connections

are already made• By the second decade of life growth

levels off and pruning begins• Experiences define the wiring of an

infant’s brain

5 Days 2 Months 1 Year 28 Years

Birth 6 Years Old 14 Years Old

Human Brain

The Stress Response System in the Brain

Self Regulation3 Modes of Regulation• Auto-Regulation: Regulating independent of

others such as breathing, heart-rate, sucking reflex, foot tapping, etc.

• Co-Regulation: Using relationships to either stimulate or calm systems, for example rocking, rubbing a child’s back, bouncing a child on lap, etc.

• Self-Regulation: Effective flexible regulating skills built upon the foundation of good co-regulation, such as deep breathing, meditation, counting backwards, etc.

What we see when kids are skilled at SELF REGULATION

They hit a difficult feeling and:–They go from feeling to THINKING to

acting, rather than from feeling to directly acting – Express it and move on–Ask for help– Take a break– Talk themselves down– Find another way to help themselves calm

down

Shooting through the Roof

Falling through the Basement

•Crying•Hitting•Kicking•Throwing•Running Away•Screaming•Tantrums

•Sad•Withdrawn•Zoned Out•Blank •Falling asleep•Silent•Frozen

Role of Two Hemispheres: Effects on the Brain of Trauma & Neglect in Early Childhood

Left Brain• Linear Thinking• Language• Logical Reasoning• Analytical• Analysis &

Planning• Cause & Effect

Right Brain• Non-Linear• Hollistics• Non-Verbal

Communication• Emotions• Social Cognition• Empathy• Creative

Trauma during early development can impact the maturation of the corpus callosum, which unites the two sides of the brain. This can cause disruptions in the interaction between the left and right brain.

Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Outcomes

Importance of Early Care Experiences:

• Babies thrive when they receive warm, responsive early care

• Early care has a decisive, long lasting impact on how people develop, their ability to learn, and their capacity to regulate their own emotions

Video – Breaking Through –Understanding ACES and Toxic Stress

Knowing the Signs & Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms of Trauma inInfants and Toddlers

• Eating & Sleeping disturbance • Clingy/separation anxiety • Irritable/difficult to soothe • Repetitive/post-traumatic play • Developmental regression • Language delay • General fearfulness/new fears

• Easily startled• Reacting to reminders/trauma triggers

• Difficulty engaging in social interactions through gestures, smiling, cooing

• Persistent self-soothing behaviors, for example, head banging

• Aggression (toddlers)

Signs and Symptoms of Trauma inPreschoolers

• Avoidant, anxious, clingy • General fearfulness/new fears • Helplessness, passive• Restless, impulsive, hyperactive • Physical symptoms (headache,

etc.) • Inattention, difficulty problem

solving • Irritability

• Aggressive and/ or sexualized behavior

• Sadness• Repetitive/ post-traumatic play • Talking about the traumatic event

and reacting to trauma triggers • Developmental regression • Poor peer relationships and social

problems (controlling/over permissive)

What are Trauma Triggers?

• Triggers are reminders of trauma

• Sensory: sights, smells, sounds, touch, taste

• Emotional: anxiety, fear, vulnerability

• Sudden fear - fight/flight/freeze response

• Adults can unintentionally trigger children through harmless actions

How do We Help Families to Learn about Signs and Symptoms of Trauma?

Pair and Share

How Do We Address Trauma Through the

Pyramid Model ?

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All Children

Children At-Risk

Few Children

The Pyramid Model: Promoting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children

Individualized Interventions need to be developed in the context of understanding a child’s experiences including a history of potential trauma.

Children who have experienced trauma may need help with regulating their emotions and learning skills to cope with their feelings

Children who have experienced trauma need close secure relationships and safe predictable environments

“Old” Way, Pyramid Model , Trauma Informed

“Old Way” Pyramid Model Trauma Informed Pyramid

Focus on behavior reduction

Focus on teachingnew skills

Focus on teaching new skills and healing

“Old Way” Pyramid Model Trauma Informed Pyramid

Quick fix Focus on long term academic, social and health outcomes

Focus on long term academic, social and health and mental health outcomes

Story of John

What is Trauma Informed Care?

• All caregivers realize the widespread impact of trauma and understand potential paths for recovery

• Recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma;

• Fully integrate knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices;

• Seek to actively resist re-traumatization.

Story of John

• Staff have been trained in signs and symptoms of trauma and the impact of trauma

• Staff is actively working to understand John’s triggers and his behaviors

Understanding John with a Trauma Informed Care Lens

Helping Young Children Affected by TraumaCaregivers Can Provide

Safe, secure attachments

Safety

Routine

Ways to express feelings, fears, beliefs and

concerns

Using a Trauma Informed Lens-

Video Review Guide (Handout 1)

It is Inappropriate to Talk about Trauma without Talking about

Resilience

With nurturing and responsive care and safe environments children can and do often do well despite very significant adversity

Importance of Early Care Experiences:

• The way that parents and caregivers relate to young children and the way they mediate children’s contact with the environment directly effects the formation of neural pathways

Defining Resilience

• Recovering from or adjusting to misfortune or change

• The ability to bounce back

• Overcoming the odds

What Supports Resilience?

Nurturing responsive

relationships with adult caregivers

What Supports Resilience?

“Children’s brains have the ability to change and reorganize in response to new experiences; therefore, having healthy and consistent interactions with early childhood educators can greatly influence their brain development and their ability to engage successfully in the early childhood setting” (Cole et al. 2013).

Promoting Resilience

Strategies to Promote Resilience

Repetition can change the brain:

Positive relationships

Positive environment

Individualized Interventions need to be developed in the context of understanding a child’s experiences including a history of potential trauma.

Children who have experienced trauma may need help with regulating their emotions and learning skills to cope with their feelings

Prev

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n

Trea

tmen

t

Children who have experienced trauma need close secure relationships and safe predictable environments

Unive

rsal

Prom

otion

The Pyramid Model and Trauma Informed Care – Strategies to Use

Trauma Informed- Care and its Impact on the Program Design and Practices Activity (See Handout)

• Nurturing and Responsive Relationships (Foster Relationships that Emphasize Trust, Collaboration, Empowerment)

• Create a Safe Learning Environment with Positive Directions and Rules (offer choice)

• Create Calm Predictable Transitions

• Help Children Regulate Their Emotions

• Intensive Interventions Consider the Child’s Experiences

Supporting Families who Have Experienced Trauma

Building Resilience

• Help meet families basic needs

• Foster strong responsive parent child relationships

• Promote parents’ self care • Help parents develop their

own self regulation capacities

Reflecting on Your Own Self Care

• What can I do to take care of myself?

• POISE model

• Physical, Occupational, Intellectual, Social, Emotional

Self Care Strategies

• Pay attention to how you feel • Pay attention to your breathing • Focus on your breath • Take a walk- fresh air helps• Drink more water • Jot down how you are feeling • Focus on your surroundings – notice sounds, smells,

the feeling of the floor under your feet

Self Care Strategies

• Sleep and Exercise are Important

• Turn Down Any Self Judgement

Try on Mindfulness as a Self Care Strategy. Mindfulness is…

“Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally” (Kabat Zinn)

Doing the things we usually do, like observing, interacting, eating, walking, sitting, but with more awareness

Summary• Trauma impacts young children’s brain,

relationships and behavior.

• Our relationship with young children and their families can help buffer the impact of trauma.

Wrapping Up

“Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” -Rita Pierson

Wrapping Up

Use One Word to

Describe Today

Contact Information:

Julia Sayles

juliaksayles@gmail.com