Addressing the Needs of Students Who Have Suffered Trauma - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Addressing the Needs of Students Who Have Suffered Trauma

Bev Johnsbevjohns@juno.comwww.bevjohns.comSlide2

Picture these events—why the negative reaction from the child?

Nancy refuses to go in a room where there are balloonsBrian runs and hides in a corner when he hears a whistleJamie closes his eyes when he goes by the timeout roomSlide3

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

www.nctsn.orgTwenty five percent of children in the United States will have been exposed to a traumatic event by the time they are age 16Slide4

Some additional facts

More than 46 million children are affected by trauma each yearOne in 10 have faced five or more violent incidents.“Trauma restructures a child’s neural networks. It affects attention and memory, in addition to executive functioning skills, such as organization, planning, and self-regulation.” (Dubois, 2015, ASCD).

One third of adults have experienced multiple significant adverse childhood events that were often traumatic in nature. Those experiences change our lives.Slide5

Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School—Jan. 14, 2016, Pediatrics

Study of more than 1000 urban children showed that children who had difficult experiences up until age 5 had math and reading problems and difficulty focusing, exhibited social problems, and showed aggression toward othersChildren with at least 3 adverse childhood experiences had 80% greater odds of having math and literacy skills below average than children with no childhood difficultiesSlide6

One study showed that 15% of children who had witnessed domestic violence were suspended from school in the previous year.

(Kernic, M. and colleaguesSlide7

Twenty five % of children will have been exposed to a traumatic event before age 16

The group of children in the suit have been coping with physical and sexual abuse, addicted parents, homelessness and a constant fee of violence.Slide8

The lives some of our children face

Physical abuseSexual abuseWitnessing violence Living through a stormSlide9

Trauma is “caused by exposure to violence, crime, and psychological or physical abuse”:ASCD

, 2015 (ASCA single event—an experience that creates a lasting and substantial impact on the child.

An ongoing series of events

PTSD—DSM-5—reactions—alterations in arousal, re-experiencing, avoidance, negative moods, developmental problems including attachment disorders.

PTSD-preschool subtype in DSM-5

In preschool, school age, and adolescents the duration of trauma reactions must exceed 1 month and is not attributed to another medical condition or influenceSlide10

The definition for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network

From a psychological perspective, trauma occurs when a child experiences an intense event that threatens or causes harm to his or her emotional and physical well-being. Trauma can be the result of exposure to a natural disaster such as a hurricane or flood or to events such as war and terrorism. Witnessing or being the victim of violence, serious injury, or physical or sexual abuse can be traumatic. Accidents or medical procedures can result in trauma, too. Sadly, about one of every four children will experience a traumatic event before the age of 16. Slide11

Do Schools Create Traumatic Events?

Bullying by Students or EducatorsPublic humiliationSlide12

A recent class action law suit in Compton, California

Class action suit stating that a group of students have been traumatized by life there and the schools have failed to give them needed helpSchool’s reaction to traumatized students was punishment; not helpGroup of students are coping with physical and sexual abuse, addicted parents, homelessness and a contact fear of violence

Student are living in a state of constant alarmSlide13

The suit argues that trauma is a disability and that schools are required — by federal

law— to make accommodations for traumatized students, not expel them. The plaintiffs want Compton Unified to provide teacher training, mental health support for students and to use conflict-mediation before resorting to suspension.Slide14

Impact of Trauma on Learning

Children live in a state of constant alarm

Children may lack concentration

Children may have difficulty understanding or remembering

Children may have unusual reactions to what appear innocent events

Unusual reactions to normal interactionsSlide15

Core Components of Interventions from the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress

Screening and triageSystematic assessment, case conceptualization, and treatment planningPsycho-educationAddressing children and families' traumatic stress reactions and experiences

Trauma narration and organization

Enhancing emotional regulation and anxiety management skills

Facilitating adaptive coping and maintaining adaptive routines

Parenting skills and behavior management

Promoting adaptive developmental progression

Addressing grief and loss

Promoting safety skills

Relapse prevention

Evaluation of treatment response and effectiveness

Engagement/addressing barriers to service-seekingSlide16

Trauma informed practice

Emphasizes how the mind and body respond to traumatic eventsRecognizes that symptoms are adaptive coping techniques rather than pathologyAcknowledge cultural sensitivity to values and perceptionsMaintains the belief that individuals are not only survivors but are

thrivers

.

(

Malchiodi

, 2015).Slide17

Building a Trauma Sensitive Staff

Professional DevelopmentUnderstanding that there may be a lot more than the surface behaviorSharing critical informationWork collaborativelyListening to what students are sayingSlide18

Key Components

Know as much as you can about the student’s needsUnderstand that the child may respond in an unpredictable wayAnticipate difficult times, warn children of changes in the routineProvide safety--make sure the children feel safe in the classroom

Structure—provide a set schedule and prepare the students for any changes in the schedule

Nurture the child and his/her strengths

Choices—important to give student control in appropriate situations

Active listening—rather than saying “What’s wrong with you?” ask “What happened?”Slide19

“The relationship is the agent of change in every human activity.”

(Malchiodi, 2015)Slide20

TRUST

T—Trauma Sensitive—Be sensitive to the cues in the environment that may cause a reaction in the childR—ReinforceU—Understand—tell me what happened and then listenS—Structure—maintain routinesT—Teach the child keeping in mind that they may have difficulty concentrating, have anxiety, or may have negative reactions to certain topicsSlide21

Planning for difficult times and providing support—how?

Identify those events that may be reminders for the student.Student who lost his home because of a flood.Student whose Mother was arrested in the middle of the night and the child was placed into Foster care.Slide22

Working with Trauma-Exposed Children can evoke distress in educators

the cost of caring compassionate fatigue (Figley, 1995)

check to make sure you don’t have unresolved traumatic experiences

--Slide23

What To Do:

Avoid isolation Keep perspective by spending time with children who are not experiencing traumatic stressResolve your own traumatic experiencesTaking care of yourself through eating well, exercise, having funIdentifying stress reducers

Figley

, 1995.Slide24

As Educators who are trauma-sensitive

We protectWe build relationshipsWe listenWe encourageWe assess to teachWe build on strengths and interests

We supportSlide25