Trauma, the brain, and our reality

MONT PLEASANT MIDDLE SCHOOL

Why are we here today?

A large part of student body has experienced some

type of trauma (at home, community, school).

We know that a lot have you have been dealing

with the trauma in our school since before a lot of
these student were even born.

If we dont understand trauma, we cannot

understand its impact on learning and academic
growth.
Moochies story
More than 60% of children report being exposed to
violence in the last year.

Nearly 1 in 2 report being assaulted

1 in 10 report experiencing maltreatment
1 in 4 witnessed a violent act
1 in ten report 5+ direct victimizations

Finkelhor, D., Turner, H., Ormrod, R., & Hamby, S. L. (2009). Violence, abuse, and crime
exposure in a national sample of children and youth. Pediatrics, 124(5), 1411-1423
This is our reality

Poverty
Race
Mental health issues
Family dynamics
Homelessness
Violence

This is why its harder for you.

Traumas Impact on the Brain
Cortisol in a healthy brain vs cortisol & inflammations in a PTSD brain

PTSD. PTSD & the Brain. Retrieved from: http://ptsdvietnam1.weebly.com/ptsd--the-brain.html

Impact on the Middle School Learner

High emotional responses.

Increased incidents of disruptive behavior.
Impulsive & possibly reckless behavior.
Possible self-destructive behavior.
Depression.
Change in relationships at home, school & socially.
Attendance issues.
Struggles with concentration & focus.
Poor grades.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. The Effects of Trauma on School & Learn Retrieved from: http://www.nctsn.org/resources/audiences/school-personnel/effects-of-trauma
What does that mean for us?

The students we work with are cycling through states

of hyperarousal and/or hypoarousal.

In the face of perceived danger, they exercise self-

protective behaviors.

They do not have effective, age-appropriate

strategies or protective resources so they resort to
desperate attempts to tolerate and manage stress.
More truths about our reality
Expectations of harm (from the word and from others)
Difficulty forming relationships *testing relationships
Difficulty managing, understanding, and regulating feelings
and behavior
Damaged sense of self/fragmented sense of self *shame
Developmental challenges (problem solving, agency,
imagination, academic performance, etc.)
Building better pathways

Plasticity The brains ability to adapt to

experience

Use-dependent development Specific

changes in the brain in response to repeated
input/patterns over time.
Use the power of repetition to build new safer pathways

Act
Evaluate
Plan
Options
Interpret Process

Input

Observe Interpret Act

What can we do?

How am I feeling?
What does this child feel, need, or want?
How is environment affecting the situation?
How do I best respond?

taken from TCIS; four questions

Four questions in action
Positive self talk
Active listening
Responding versus reacting

Think

Feel Do
React
Secondary traumatic stress (STS)
Certain circumstances can cause you to be more susceptible to
secondary traumatic stress.

Personal exposure to a traumatic event(s) or to individuals

who are coping with their own reactions to trauma

Direct contact with childrens traumatic stories

Helping others and neglecting yourself

 STS can impact all areas of your life
A few warning signs:

feeling numb or detached; feeling overwhelmed or maybe even hopeless.

having low energy or feeling fatigued.
changing your routine or engaging in self-destructive coping mechanisms.
feeling low job morale.
experiencing confusion, diminished concentration, and difficulty with decision
making
experiencing trauma imagery, which is seeing events over and over again.
questioning the meaning of life or lacking self-satisfaction.
physically withdrawing or becoming emotionally unavailable to your co-workers
or your family.
Where do we go from here?