Post on 27-Dec-2015
A Proactive & Responsive Approach to Trauma In Schools
Christine A. Anderson, M.A.
What is trauma?
Simple: Any experience that is interpreted as life-threatening/may cause serious injury.
Complex/Developmental: Multiple traumatic events over a longer duration (abuse, neglect, family conflict, etc.)
How common?
One in four children that attend school has been exposed to at least one traumatic event. (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2008).
More than two-thirds will have experienced the traumatic event before the age of 16 (American Psychological Association, 2008).
What does it do to the brain?!
Changes in DNA
Cortisol : hyperarousal, vigilance, fight-or-flight
Reactive behavior, quick to hide, deny seeing the good intentions of others, easily give up
Bridge between hemispheres
All contributes to difficulties in : ID of emotions, reading social situations, integrate complex information
ACES
We all remember the ACES study.
Heart disease
Early tobacco use
Alcoholism
Overall poor quality of life
DEATH!!!
There’s more?!
Executive functioning (children and adults)
Short-term memory
Inhibition
Organization
Memory
Reduced ability to recall specific personal events – more general/prototypical
Attention: inability to focus, organize oneself, solve problems, inhibit impulsive behaviors…ADHD?
These students are lacking an internal
map to guide them!
Therefore they are often observed acting rather than planning
School-Wide: Let’s be proactive!
Not always aware of who has experienced trauma: best approach!
PBIS – praise, encouragement
Choices…control
Teacher training/support – IMPORTANT!
Transitions, changes, misunderstood
Middle/high school challenge
School-Wide…
Safe zones
Approach to discipline & responsibility
Strengths-based approach – let them shine!
SEL – skills, bullying
What’s the next step?
RtI
FBA
Evaluation/IEP/504
Counseling – check-in/out
Skill building: group or individual
Emotion regulation, coping strategies, emotions/feelings
Extracurricular
Sports-based program
Next…
Grief and Trauma Intervention (GTI) for Children
Ages 7-12
Expressive: art, drama, play, music
10 sessions, 1 hour
Group or individual
CBT approach to lessons/narrative
Inexpensive
After school
Decreased depressive symptoms, PTSD symptoms, and externalizing behaviors
What about ‘those’ kids…
Home/outside referrals
GTI on an individual level
Wraparound services
DCF involvement: 51a if necessary?
Therapeutic classroom
Subseparate placement/treatment
Trauma-focused CBT for the win!
Proactive is the way to go…
Understand the student as an individual and rule in/out all possibilities
STRIVE FOR RESILIENCE!