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What is Trauma?

According to The National Child Trauma Stress Network (n.d.) trauma is when a child directly experiences or witnesses a frightening, dangerous, or violent event which seriously threatens the life or bodily integrity of the child or the child’s loved one (para. 1)

How Trauma Impacts the Growing Brain

It’s commonly known that brain development is genetically influenced, but research also shows brain development is also highly impacted by interaction with the world around us (Davies, 2011). During early adolescence the brain has high plasticity (easily shaped or molded) and reactivity to its surrounding environment (Davies, 2011). The brain during the formative years of development is more vulnerable to positive and negative influences (Davies, 2011, p. 40). For example, if a child has positive influences, such as a safe home, nurturing caregivers or an engaging learning environment, their brain development will thrive. In this positive environment, the child will likely feel safe and secure due to a structured and predictable environment. However, if a child has negative influences where their sense of safety is threatened, their brain is developmentally at risk. Additionally, if a child is exposed to trauma at an early age (i.e. exposure to violence or abuse) this can cause maladaptive behavior later in life due to the impact on the child’s ability to appropriately respond to stress (Davis, 2011).

Although we are still learning to what extent trauma impacts brain development, research shows that trauma does impacts three major sections of the brain: the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) which helps us organize and make rational decisions, the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) which is the emotional regulation center of the brain, and the Amygdala which is the fear center of the brain (Sweeton, 2017). Research shows that trauma can cause the PFC and ACC to be under active and cause the Amygdala to be overactive (Sweeton, 2017). Practically, this means children who have experienced trauma may experience more stress, fear, or irritation and will likely have a harder time feeling safe and calming their emotions due to the overactive fear center (Amygdala). Additionally, these children might have difficulty organizing information, concentrating, or have trouble focusing their attention on a task because the PFC is under active. Lastly, children who have experienced trauma may have difficulty regulating their emotions because their emotional regulation center is under active.

How Trauma Impacts the Classroom

Students who have experienced trauma have difficulty being able to focus, plan or organize information, regulating their emotions, often maintain low attendance or participation in school, and often have maladaptive behavior (The National Child Trauma Stress Network, n.d.). If a student is suffering from symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, they may be experiencing unwanted intrusive or distressing thoughts of the traumatic event during school and be unable to regulate their emotion and re-focus on a task. This can cause test anxiety, poor academic performance, or students to become easily frustrated when trying to complete an academic task.

How Teachers Can Help

  • By establishing a sense of safety in the classroom teachers can help meet the needs of students. More specifically, teachers can do this by creating a predictable structure in the classroom with consistent transitions (i.e. if the student knows what’s next, they will be calmer and feel more in control of their surrounding environment).

  • Give students warnings before major transition during the day to help build predictability and help prepare students for the upcoming change.

  • Provide students with opportunities to feel like they have power and control over their decisions. This can be done through providing an illusion of control through giving students choices over their actions (i.e. should a student become scared in the classroom, let the student choose between sitting in the peace place or by the teacher for 5 minutes to regulate and feel safe).

  • Remind student through pictures or signs, one-on-one conversations with the teacher, and in large group lessons, that school is a safe place where they can ask questions, feel their emotions, and express their needs.

  • Validate student’s feeling’s to help them understand that their feelings are okay to express.

  • Use consistent language and tone of voice that does not match the emotional intensity of the student when they are dis-regulated.

  • If the student can speak to how they’re feeling, let them talk it out. This will release the pressure and stress in their body and help them begin to regulate.

  • Be patient with the student and build a relationship established on trust.

Resources:

Davies, D. (2011). Brain Development (pp. 39-59). In Child development: A practitioner’s guide (3rd ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

The National Child Trauma Stress Network (n.d.). About Child Trauma. Received on April14th, 2018. Retrieved from https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child- trauma/about-child-trauma.

Sweeton, J. (2017). Here’s your Brain on Trauma. Received on April 14th, 2018. Retrieved from https://www.jennifersweeton.com/blog/2017/3/14/heres-your-brain-on-trauma.