Trauma

Trauma refers to the extreme or chronic stress that overwhelms a person's ability to cope and results in feeling vulnerable helpless and afraid.

Can result from one event or a series of events
Event (s) may be witnessed or experienced directly
Experience is subjective
Often interferes with relationships; self regulation, and fundamental beliefs about oneself, others, and one's place in the world (Lucille Eber, Midwest PBIS Network and National PBIS TA Center.)

Key Truths About Trauma:

Trauma is real
Trauma is considered any "not ok" event in a child's life
More common than we think
Very toxic to the brain can affect brain development and learning

(Souers, K. Hall, P. (2016). Fostering resilient learners: Strategies for creating a trauma-sensitive classroom. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.)

Little T's

•Reassignment at work

•Moving into a new house/location

•Going back to school

•Adopting/having a new child

•Traffic ticket

•Conflict with boss

•Legal trouble

•Financial worries/expenses from unplanned home repairs

Even Littler t's

•Your debt card won’t work

•Lost your keys

•Not getting enough sleep

•Stuck in traffic

•Power goes out

All such examples can pile up and turn into BIG heaps if we do not take the time to process them.

Trauma Resources

Different Types of Trauma: Small 't' versus Large 'T' Smaller, everyday events can still be traumatic .

What is Child Trauma- NCTSN

Trauma Types- NCTSN

What is Child Traumatic Stress?

Causes of Trauma

Understanding Child Trauma: Child trauma occurs more than you think.

When Students Are Traumatized, Teachers Are Too

Chapter 1. Understanding Trauma and the Prevalence of the Not-OK

What Makes an Event Traumatic for a Child?

How Trauma Affects Kids in School

PTSD: National Center for PTSD

Communities in Schools Central Texas: Trauma Training Facilitator's Tool Kit

Responding With Care to Students Facing Trauma

Childhood experiences, both positive and negative, have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity. As such, early experiences are an important public health issue. Much of the foundational research in this area has been referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

Adverse Childhood Experiences have been linked to

risky health behaviors,
chronic health conditions,
low life potential, and
early death.

As the number of ACEs increases, so does the risk for these outcomes. (https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/acestudy/about_ace.html)

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

ACEs Science 101

Got Your ACE Score?

What's Your ACE Score? (and, at the end, What's Your Resilience Score?)

How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime

"An ACE score of 4 or more makes children 32 times more likely to have problems in school." - Dr. Nadine Burke Harris (Resilience Movie)

Toxic Stress Derails Healthy Development

Race Based Trauma

Mircoagressions: More Than Just Race

The Little Understood Mental-Health Effects of Racial Trauma

The Link Between Racism and PTSD

How Racism is Bad for Our Bodies

Examples of Racial Microaggressions

Signs and Symptoms

Stress Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders in Children

Symptoms of Trauma: Ages 3-5

Symptoms of Trauma: Ages 6-12

Symptoms of Trauma: Ages 13-18

Empathy vs. Sympathy

Shift in thinking from:

"What's wrong with you?"

To thinking:

"What's happened to you?"

Self Care and Self Aware

"Self-regulation depends on having a friendly relationship with your body. Without it you have to rely on external regulation-from medicine, drugs like alcohol, constant reassurance, or compulsive compliance with the wishes of others" (99). -Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.

Compassion Fatigue, Vicarious Trauma and Burnout – what’s the difference?

Five- Finger Relaxation Technique

134 Activities to Add to Your Self-Care Plan

Box Breathing

Grit Test

Mindfulness Activities for Children and Teens

How I Decide

SEL4TX