1. Creating a Trauma Informed Learning Environment
March 6, 2015
Presented by:
Kym Asam, LICSW, QMHP

2. Objectives Differentiate between PTSD and developmental trauma
Understand the impact of trauma on the brain utilizing the Neuro-Sequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT)
Impact on students’ capacity to learn
Brain regions and a tiered (PBiS) approach to intervention
Understand the students’ states of arousal and how it impacts their functioning in school
Key skills in working with children who have experienced developmental trauma
ARC and its intersect with a tiered approach
Adults
Students
The tiered approaches are looking at interventions through the PBIS lens. 2

3. Polling Question #1
How many audience participants have had some training on developmental or complex trauma?

4. Grounding Principles
Trauma-Sensitive Schools benefit all children – those whose trauma history is known, those whose trauma will never be clearly identified and those who may be impacted by their traumatized classmates. Schools are the Central Community for most children.
Analogy -- Ritalin
Universal approach – it benefits all children and adults as well which is critical to supporting students. The Universal approach is not stigmatizing!
We will talk later about how to maximize creating this environment for students who are receiving targeted and/or intensive levels of supports
Also, when we talk about interventions, they align well with PBIS and do not take considerable amount of time away from teaching.
Source: Helping Traumatized Children Learn

5. Definitions What is trauma?
Trauma is not just the event itself, but rather a response to a stressful experience in which a person’s ability to cope is dramatically undermined.
Commonly misunderstood that in order for a person to have symptoms related to trauma they should have experienced a single incident or extremely violent experiences), i.e. vets.
However, research now shows that chronic exposure to stress leads to behaviors and symptoms that are a result of trauma and impact learning and functioning across all environments.
The response is often one of fear, horror or helplessness 5

6. What is Developmental Trauma?
A psychological and neurobiological injury that results from protracted exposure to stressful events
Derails typical development across all domains (attachment, affect, biology, behavior, cognitive, dissociation, self-concept)
Experiences often occur in the caregiving system.
Impact is immediate and long term
Effects will require all tiers of intervention
We often work with kids who don’t fit in the PTSD mold
Emphasize who complicated it is because abuse often happens in the caregiving environment
RELATIONALLY REACTIVE
If the primary caregiver is providing care and perpetrating abuse, increase in misattribution of human interactions and relationships occur. Increase in psychological distress during human interactions because pain is associated with human interactions. Hostile attribution bias
CARD GAME – poker for 2 minutes
We live with the cards we are dealt. 6

7. Sources of Trauma Sexual abuse Physical abuse Emotional abuse Neglect
Domestic Violence
Neighborhood violence
Torture
Bullying
Prolonged exposure to traumatic stress
Intrauterine stress
Epigenetics
Epigenetics – preconception stress impacts the microenvironment of DNA and impacts egg and sperm.
Microchemical construction around cells are influenced by stress prior to conception.
Gene expression is influenced by intra and extra uterine environment
Genes cannot be read. Kids who experience complex trauma have 4 major genes that are shut off that repair brain injury (White matter tracts) so there is less white matter in your brain
Reframe – instead of why did you do that, we like to ask, what happened to you 7

8. Toxic Stress Pyramid
Felitti – did obesity study and examined why participants would not adhere to the regimen necessary to address their obesity. Gene expression also impacts potential for disease.
Let’s talk about some of the stats
ACE study, Felitti, 2014

9. Pervasiveness in children
Overall substantiated child maltreatment in 2013 = approximately 678,932 (746 in Vermont)
Sexual Abuse = 9% (67.8% in Vermont)
Physical Abuse = 18% (42.8% in Vermont)
Psychological abuse = 8.7% (0.4% in Vermont)
79.5% experienced neglect (3.5% in Vermont)
48.7% were males
50.91% were females
These stats are of substantiated abuse. Keep in mind that many children are exposed to chronic stressors that result in experiencing complex trauma that are either never reported or if so, not substantiated according to Child Protective Services law.
So, what is the impact of trauma on children’s development?
Let’s talk a little bit about the brain.
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services 2013 Child Maltreatment Report 9

10. The brain develops from the bottom up
Cortex
Limbic
Diencephalon
Brainstem
Cerebral Cortex
Prefrontal Cortex
The brain begins to develop in utero. It is the only organ in the body that is incomplete at birth.
By the second trimester, the brain stem if fully developed and the brain continues to develop throughout the gestation period.
There is a four-year period of "potential" growth, which is the most critical period of human development. This time is from conception until about the third birthday.
We have 10 billion neurons at birth.
85% of synaptic connections are made by 3 ½
The prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until a child is between 25 and 30. (Brandon)
Adolescents lose 30,000 synapses per second resulting in 50% of the average number of synapses per cortical neuron before adolescence
Show neuron slide
Limbic
Diencephalon
and the
inside out
Brain Stem

11. Early childhood synaptic growth
At birth the brain contains twice as many nerve cells as there will be at 6 – which cells survive and do not is determined by a combination of effects involving genes and experiences
Apoptosis is sculpting and determined by environmental influence
Highest density and highest absolute numbers of synapses is in the first year of life.
There is an explosion of synaptic connections from birth to 8months.
Remember – what happened to you? Impacts the development of cells and neuronal connections.

12. Abstract thought Concrete Thought Affiliation "Attachment"
Sexual Behavior
Emotional Reactivity
"Arousal"
Appetite/Satiety
Blood Pressure
Heart Rate
Body Temperature
Sleep
Motor Regulation
Bruce Perry is the architect of the NeuroSequential Model of Therapeutics which examines brain development and the impact of trauma.
Different part of the brain are responsible for different functions
Normal development of the neuronal systems and the functions they mediate requires specific patterns of activity—specific signals—at specific times during development. So what does that mean?
Talk about holding a baby. Dyadic brain, serotonin and dopamine production, coo, smile, look ridiculous, – mirror neurons show still face experiment video. What if we don’t have a mirror or our mirror is hostile and negative? Our interactions help us learn to self-regulate.
Baby pheromones suspend the emotional/feeling of disgust
Dopaminergic reward related brain regions are activated and the reward center lights up when you make eye contact with a baby – they are simultaneously activated.
Show brain builders video

13. Brain Builders
how-brains-are-built-core-story-brain-development

14. Developmental Agenda
Praxis is the ability to have an idea, plan for execution and execute idea. Dyspraxia is when the sequence breaks down. Kids who have experienced developmental trauma are often harshly punished for their praxia.
Play is complicated – think about all you need to negotiate to play well
Kids who have experienced DT are often harshly punished for their praxia.
Skills needed for survival took precedence over some developmental skills like play
Just as we learn from play we can heal from play – curiosity is key!

15. The still face experiment
Mirror neurons – when mirror neurons fire, we do the same thing as what we are seeing.
They also us to have theory of mind – thinking about what other people are thinking
Ask audience – have you ever seen someone lose balance and you adjust your own balance in response?
Babies need help with co-regulation
Ask – what happens if we don’t have a mirror or if our mirror is hostile or negative -- what if we take same baby and express displeasure or ignore it
Adverse experiences are remembered neuroanatomically
Talk about language acquisition device – foreign language – specific patterns or signals as specific times

16. Neural Connections http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NA_o1jOjsQ
Repeating, experience, repeating experience, repeating experience, connection!
Language acquisition device, Chomsky, EEE, language deprivation, learning foreign language as an adult.

17. Impact of Neglect on the Brain
Hypofrontality
Also corpus callosum which is the white matter tract that links the left and right brain hemispheres is smaller in children who have experienced complex trauma.
Optimal development of more complex systems requires healthy development of less complex systems
Bucharest experiment

18. Bottom up, Inside out
Start talking about what we know about these kids
Refer to handout of potential challenges
Children with underdeveloped prefrontal cortex often present as disruptive and unsettling bx.
They do no have the neurobiological structure necessary to self-regulate
Many students with learning disabilities around language and processing
Significant discrepancy b/w verbal and performance IQ
They often have an impaired working memory – hard to put thoughts from mind to paper
High resting heart rates

19. Sequential Thinking
A child’s successful completion of many academic tasks depends on the ability to bring a linear order to the chaos of daily experience. Traumatic experience can limit this ability to organize material sequentially, leading to difficulty in reading, writing and communicating verbally.
From Helping the Traumatized Child Learn
IQ discrepancy
Working memory is compromised
Sequential thinking
Think about trying to make a pot of coffee and the steps it takes. Now think about trying to do that when the toaster is also on fire. Where are you going to focus your attention?
Universal interventions help put out fires. Kids will also need targeted and intensive supports but without a solid universal foundation, the other tiers will not work.

20. Stages of Sleep
Kids who have experienced complex trauma break through the awake line during REM sleep – mind is most active, body is most at rest Sleep latency and sleep disruption. These kids are exhausted.
Sleep helps us clean out toxins between cells in the brain
Review – learning challenges not always detected during special ed process or they do not meet gates, high resting heart rates, poor sleep and we want them to learn.

21. Polling question #2
How many of you have students who frequently go to the nurse?

22. Negative Interactions
Social experiences with caregivers become biologically embedded .
Caregiver’s indicate displeasure: yell at or ignore baby
Baby’s brain releases stress hormones , primarily cortisol
Too much cortisol compromises the immune system and decreases dopamine and serotonin
The number of receptors in the brain is reduced by repeated early exposure to stress
The toddlers set point for cortisol is established.
Early experiences shape the developing nervous system and determine how stress is interpreted and responded to in the future
Dopamine and serotonin help us regulate motivation and pleasure
Cortisol is released to help your body and brain manage adrenaline
If levels of cortisol get too high, the heart rate, digestive system and ability to think are affected.
the brain is the major target of cortisol. Frequent and prolonged exposure to elevated cortisol may affect the development of brain areas involved in memory, negative emotions, and attention regulation. Early experiences affect later emotional, behavioral and hormonal stress reactivity.
Cortisol also increases memory (smart brains) Kids who have difficult experiences remember danger and you remember difficult kids Highest amount of cortisol is at 8Am and lowest is at 2Am
Excessive cortisol in bloodstream in early childhood is toxic to brain development – makes us feel sick – frequent visits to the nurse – they don’t know why they don’t feel well.
Study on cortisol 22

23. Effects of Trauma on Brain Functioning
Thalamus
Visual, auditory, olfactory,
kinesthetic, gustatory
Prefrontal Cortex
(Integration and Planning)
Amygdala
(Intensity/significance)
Hippocampus
(cognitive map)
We receive information visually, auditorally, etc., through the thalamus
amygdala measures the intensity or evaluates the emotional meaning of the incoming stimuli (experience) h
hippocampus maps the information or helps our brain evaluate and categorize it. It compares stimuli/experiences to others and sends the information to the prefrontal cortex which integrates the information and plans accordingly.
Developmental trauma alters the anatomy and physiology of the hippocampus and the brain’s pleasure center.
If the hippocampus is compromised, its activity is decreased and the event and significance gets “stuck” in the amygdala.
High levels of amygdala stimulation interferes with hippocampus functioning and therefore the capacity evaluate and categorize information is inhibited.
Brain is use dependent – the more a part of the brain is used, the “bigger it becomes”
The more a neurobiological system is activated, the more the state (and the functions associated with it) become built in. For example, memorizing a poem, riding a bike, staying in a state of fear. State vs. Trait – state is easier to change, trait is harder
Skiing example
What do you think happens if you are in a constant state of arousal?
Tired, depressed, agitated, irritable, etc. Kids struggle with stimulus discrimination and have a hard time focusing concentrating and can be difficult
Good news – the brain is plastic --cortex most plastic, -- brain stem least plastic – Gabby Giffords

24. Normative Danger Responses Autonomic Nervous Response System
Fight
Flight
Freeze
Flock
The parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) is one of the two main divisions of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).
The ANS is responsible for regulation of internal organs and glands, which occurs unconsciously.
The parasympathetic system specifically is responsible for stimulation of "rest-and-digest" activities that occur when the body is at rest – the brakes.
Sympathetic is responsible for FFFF – the accelerator.
Again, the more a neurobiological system becomes activated, the more the functions associated with it become built in.
Traumatized children continue to show physical symptoms of fear in the absence of threatening stimuli and can be triggered by seemingly benign stimuli (take out your book).
Relational Poverty – reward neurobiology is impaired for relationships and other rewards. Praise lasts less amount of time and has less intensity. Les sensitive to + affect and more responsive to neutral and negative affect.
Developmental trauma interferes with the parasympathetic system’s capacity to function. Hard wired to see danger

25. Emotional Identification
Kids who experienced developmental trauma picked up on anger in the circled face. Do you see it?
Perception is more important than reality.

26. Facial Expression Recognition
Kids who experienced developmental trauma see scared and sad as angry – often misperceive non-verbal communication
Perception is more important than reality
They are constantly protecting themselves from danger and see non-verbal communication (interoceptive as well) before you know you have communicated.

27. The Arousal Continuum
Body’s hard wired physiological and emotional response to extreme danger readying us for fighting, fleeing, freezing or flocking.
Chronic hyperarousal is a distressing, physically uncomfortable state and interferes with other functioning.
Child can look constantly on edge, startles easily, is ever- vigilant, cannot relax, overreacts to minor provocations and likely has disrupted sleep.
Sometimes kids do not even know they are hyperaroused and don’t understand why they react the way they do.
Being hypervigilant means they are constantly scanning their environments for safety.
They may misperceive eye contact as dangerous or touch as an attempt to seduce them.
They are constantly protecting themselves from danger which may mean they are aggressive, angry, engaging in refusal behaviors, etc.
Remember, 85% of communication is non-verbal. So, kids pick up on subtle cues and may misperceive them as dangerous.
Non-verbal communication activity.
Ask people to write down non-verbal communication.
Pass basket and ask people to act it out.
In the right side of your packet, there is a hand-out that outlines the arousal continuum developed by Bruce Perry, MD. It gives the state of arousal, the part of the brain that is most active, and deescalating techniques to use.
Look
Eyebrows
Shaking finger
Voice modulation
Standing when child is sitting
Crossed arms
breathing
lunch choice
unwelcome touch
loud noise (slamming a book) 27

28. Psychoeducation – let’s explain it to the kids

29. Typical path to reactions
Good image to use with kids

30. Express Route to Reactions!
Good image to use with kids

31. Arousal and Cognitions
As arousal increases cognitive ability decreases. Hyper-aroused children may be defiant, resistant and/or aggressive.
They are stuck in survival mode and may freeze, fight, or flee.
Cognitive Ability
Arousal Level
Functional IQ – every step down the continuum there is a loss of 10 IQ points.
As the arousal level increases, the cognitive ability decreases. There is a negative correlation between the two. Their executive functioning of the brain shuts down so they stop hearing words and are more focused on the non-verbal.
So, kids with whom you work are likely to shut down when stressed. They may perceive non-verbal communication in ways you are not aware of.
Charlie Brown’s teacher.
When you are moving down the arousal continuum, you are inhibiting your impulses with your limbic system vs. the cortex (reasoning part of the brain).
Again, this is where kids who are in need of tier 3 interventions come into play and why they are so frustrating!
A child in a hyper-aroused state can not be reasoned with, she needs you to help her reduce her arousal level. 31

32. How to Intervene EVERY DAY EVERY GRADE EVERY BODY
Somatosensory interventions
Targeting the part of the brain that was impacted by developmental insults
EVERY DAY
EVERY GRADE
EVERY BODY
Somatosensory interventions are those that address the body, affect and senses.
Every day, etc. is aligns with PBIS – we know that implementing with fidelity is key to efficacious results. We also know that we need to include all school staff including ancillary staff like bus drivers.
Address thinking and body based approaches – top down and bottom up.
Universal = top – cortex
Targeted = both
Intensive = bottom up and body based approaches
Know when developmental insults occurred is best ways to tailor interventions.
However, all somatosensory interventions can be helpful to all students and adults.
If children have experienced very early developmental insults, interventions should be targeted toward the brain stem.
For example rocking, yoga, horseback riding, massage, repetitive breathing activities, movements (Tai Chi, Marshal Arts), drumming, swimming, bilateral stimulation, animal assisted therapy– all interventions that help the body regulate and engage the para-sympathetic nervous system. Utilize during transitions, to start the day, consistent, consistent, consistent! Routine, routine, routine
You want to match the nature and timing of the activities and techniques to the developmental stage and brain region. Good news is that when targeting the brain stem, you can do no wrong.

33. Targeting the Tiers, PBiS approaches
Brain stem/diencephalon
Intensive
limbic
targeted
In thinking about kids who are receiving tier 2 and 3 levels of support, it is helpful to conceptualize the parts of the brain that is most likely needing interventions to change responses. Remember, kids who are hyperaroused inhibit impulses with the limbic parts of their brain and automaticity is difficult due to working memory challenges, poor sleep, etc.
Kids at universal level can cortically modulate
Kids at targeted level need more assistance with co-regulation
Kids at intensive level need assistance at the lower parts of the brain
Let’s talk more about what to do?
universal
cortex

34. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat! Patterned Consistent More intensity Curiosity
Patterned, consistent interventions must be more intense that previous experiences in order for new learning to occur
You must remain in a stance of curiosity and non judgment because kids do not know why they are responding in the way they do.

35. Building up from the base
Establish State Regulation -- Intensive
School staff can be thinking about short, predictable, repetitive, patterned interactions throughout the day which would include:
Touch
Rhythmic activities (rocking)
Eye contact
drumming
Respond to physiological cues. A child’s heart rate is a great indicator of levels of arousal (low end 80, high end 120). When interacting become an affective co-regulator for the child.
Brainstem
Brain stem
Blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and sleep.
REFLEXIVE – Intensive
You will need a team to develop bx plans – some of which will need to include somatosensory interventions. Mental health involvement is critical here. In order to support regulation, you will have to provide interventions that replicate the body’s natural rhythms. Again, these are good for all kids, but you need to be more intentional with kids who are receiving tier 3 supports.
Someone will need to coordinate this plan – very individualized. Comprehensive preference assessment as part of the FBA needs to be done to determine appropriate, rewarding interventions.
BIP – Behavior Intervention Plans
Family involvement!!!!!
OT/PT – thorough evaluations!
Be willing to do everything including letting go of your own agenda!!!!
Premack principle – more spontaneous rewards – kids have impaired reward neurobiology

36. Building up from the base
Introduce Somato-Sensory Integration – targeted, intensive
Diencephalon
Large motor and fine motor
Music and movement
Sensory stimulation
Predictable routines (eating, transitions, sleeping)
Consider beginning the day with predictable, structured, patterned, rhythmic music and movement activities. Studies have indicated that children have increased self-regulation throughout the day when sensory integration occurs early.
Remember that the brain fatigues after 7 minutes.
Diencephalon
Bruce Perry (2006)
What is the cognition state?
Reactive – Most likely intensive
Motor regulation, appetite satiety, arousal, integration of multiple sensory inputs
50/50 rule of instruction – 50% teaching, 50% processing. These kids benefit considerably from movement to remember and learn.
The earlier you introduce movement, the more likely they will be able to self-regulate and learn. Kids who have experienced complex trauma need it the most often.

37. Polling Question #3
How many of you work with students who receive targeted or intensive level of supports who struggle with playing games or taking turns?

38. Building up from the base
Facilitate Socio-emotional Growth – targeted
Limbic
Turn-taking
Team play
Win & lose
Sharing
Consider that social development is a progression and the ability to form satisfying reciprocal interactions may depend on backing up and purposefully creating opportunities for parallel play or learning opportunities in a dyad with an adult and then a dyad with a peer before group play or group learning will be successful.
Limbic
Bruce Perry (2006)
What is the cognition state?
Concrete
Emotional reactivity, sexual bx, attachment
Consider backing things up here to promote parallel learning vs. competitive learning. These kids need control, so give it to them while learning –i.e., maybe they lead the class or activity.

39. Building up from the base
Encourage Abstract Thought – Universal
Cortex
Humor
Language
Art
Games
Conflict resolution, problem solving
Self-development and identity
Self-esteem
Children who have foundational skills will be able to utilize their prefrontal cortex successfully. However, for children with disrupted or traumatic early experiences, adults will need to emphasize the earlier skills. Remember, stage not age.
Cortex
Bruce Perry (2006)
What is the cognition state?
Abstract
Abstract thought, affiliation, reward, socioemotional regulation
The goal is to help kids strengthen the parts of their brains that were impaired by developmental insults so they can access their cortex more regularly to learn and they can benefit from universal interventions like their neurotypical peers.
50/50 rule – brains have limited working memory and need time to recycle proteins and glucose and to consolidate new learning at the synapse and create connections.
Learning needs similarity, amount and strength

40. Polling Question #4
Who in webinar land is familiar with the ARC model?

41. ARC Model - 10 Building Blocks
Trauma Experience Integration
Executive Functions
Self Dev’t & Identity
Dev’tal Tasks
Affect Identification
Modulation
Affect Expression
Inverse triangle but still aligns with multi-tiered systems of support and PBIS
We are not going to work on trauma integration – that is for the mental health team.
Research indicates that three things that mitigate the affects of complex trauma are attachment, the capacity to self-regulate and have a sense of competency.
Attunement
Consistent Response
Routines and Rituals
Caregiver Affect Mgmt.
Blaustein & Kinniburgh, 2010; Kinniburgh & Blaustein, 2005 42

42. 4 Key Principles of Attachment
Build school staff capacity to manage affect
Build school staff-child attunement
Build consistency in school staff response to child behavior
Build routines and rituals into classroom and school
While attachment is critical to all tiers of support, we think of this most often with kids who are receiving intensive services.
When pain is associated with human interactions, they have increased psychological distress during relational interactions.
Co-regulation or co-disregulation – this is where the role of adults is critical – oxygen analogy and non-verbal communication
Sitting, humming, rocking, proxemics
Reward neurobiology – reward vacuum – need repetition
Rewards last less time and has less intensity
Coregulation (sometimes it is non-verbal
Manage affect is how we respond to students
Attunement is joining with students – mirror their affect to a certain degree.

43. Healthy Attachment Sequence
Physical or psychological need
Security, trust, attachment, self-regulation, object constancy
Relaxation (parasympathetic ANS)
State of high arousal
Baby crying registers close in brain where pain registers
Nursing – pause and make eye contact, pauses become longer. Pauses stop if no eye contact is made.
Attunement/satisfaction of need
Beverly James

44. Unhealthy Attachment Sequence
Physical or psychological need
Shame, mistrust, disregulation, disturbed mental blueprint
Anxiety, rage, numbing
State of high arousal
Needs are disregarded/attunement disrupted
Beverly James

45. Affect Management
When caregivers modulate their own affect and emotional responses, they can create an emotionally safe environment in which children a can learn
Change adult behavior to change children’s behavior – oxygen mask
Co-regulation and disregulation are possible

46. Attunement
Caregivers accurately read cues to respond to underlying emotion rather than overt behavior. Behavior is usually a front for feeling that a child has difficulty expressing in a more effective way.
You cannot attune if you cannot manage your own affect

47. Attunement Communicating unmet needs
What is the function of and feeling behind the behavior?
Being a feelings detective!

48. attunement

49. Observe, validate, and put language to youth experience
Reflect
Validate
Normalize
Reflect
Stop, Breathe, Look and Actively Listen
Ignore the negative behavior and words for now; focus on the affect or the energy
Actively observe the child’s cues; get curious
Share and put a possible label on your observations (“It seems like you’re really getting frustrated”, “Whoa - your energy just got super-high”, “You look like you might be feeling really sad or worried.”) reflectively listen
Validate
PERCEPTION IS REALITY
To Validate the child’s experience does not = accept their behavior. Competing pathways..
“It makes sense that you are upset / your energy is high right now because you are in a new place and that can be really hard.”
Normalize
“I can imagine a lot of kids might feel upset if they felt like someone wasn’t paying any attention to them.”
Blaustein & Kinniburgh 2010; Kinniburgh & Blaustein 2005

50. Consistent Response
Caregivers respond in a consistent way to both positive (desired) and negative/unsafe behaviors. Predictability reduces the child’s need for control.
Consistency and structure = flexibility
Learn triggers including limits and praise
Limits are often associated with vulnerability – try to offer choices

51. Routines and Rituals
Routines increases predictability and the child’s ability to anticipate next steps. Establishing classroom and school-wide routines helps reduce trouble spots (transitions, substitute teachers, unstructured activities/days).

52. SELF REGULATION

53. Self-Regulation A Stepped Approach
Affect Identification
Affect Modulation
Affect Expression
Worry heads
There are times when helping student simply contain their feelings so they can engage in learning is essential. State dependent learning and behaviors.
Remember – movement helps the body metabolize cortisol
Activities that promote resilience hand-out.

54. Regulate to Educate
When students are disregulated, they cannot access their cortex
Their capacity to generalize information is impaired
It can take from 20 – 30 minutes to regulate after fear is perceived
Regulate then relate then reason!

55. Islands of Competence
“When the student is allowed to be successful in his or her area of competence, the learning process can begin to take hold and develop. Focusing on an island of competence should not be misunderstood as “dumbing-down” an activity or lesson; rather, it is tailoring learning to a child’s interests in order to achieve academic success. Not only does success bolster learning, but it is also central to developing a positive, trusting relationship with the student.”
(From, “Helping the Traumatized Child Learn”)
How do we discover competence in all children?
We need to attune and manage our affect to see the potential.

56. MTSS FEW SOME ALL Anger Mgt. Math Science Adult Relationships
(Intensive)
Math
(Targeted)
Science
Adult Relationships
Remind audience that all students have areas of competence and it is our job to notice it. If we manage our affect and attune to students, we can find and build on their competencies.
Attendance
(Universal)
Reading
Peer Interaction

57. Competency 3 Key Principles
Build student executive functioning skills
Target self-development and identity
Target additional key developmental tasks
The child develops an ability to evaluate situations, inhibit impulsive responses and actively make choices.
Overarching goal is to build the foundational skills needed for healthy ongoing development and resiliency
Doable tasks
Islands of competency
Sports
Music
Theatre
Yoga
Academics
Marshall arts
The child develops an ability to evaluate situations, inhibit impulsive responses and actively make choices.

58. Possible Collision Points at School
Schools focus on preparing children for and information related to the external world
Students with DT focus on the present and internally to stay safe.
Much of school is motivated by connection and participation with others
Schools often use delayed gratification
Students with DT are focused on the present to stay safe. Delaying gratification is dangerous and unpredictable.
Teachers often set limits/goals for the common good
Youth with DT don’t operate with a template that understands the common good.

59. Competing Demands Survival vs. learning
It is nearly impossible to dedicate your full attention and energy to survival and learning at the same time.

60. Alignment: Trauma informed and PBIS
Consistency and predictability
Repetition
Attachment and attunement
Affect management
Regulate to educate
Neurologically respectful
Clinical differentiation
Routines and Rituals
80% buy in, implementation with fidelity, common language (expectations)
Practice in all settings, repetitive and patterned, teaching matrices, coaching support
Repetition 6-8:1(again), rewiring (neurologically respectful), relational/attachment, creating safety (hostile attribution bias), CICO, TCCE
Differentiating between major and minor behaviors, classroom management, avoiding emotionally laden praise, “The expectation is…”
Predictability of PBIS allows for more flexibility, students and staff need to be regulated (attunement), non-verbal communication
Precorrections, attunement (paying attention to the positive), multi-modal learning, transitions teaching
Explicit teaching, multi-modal learning, tiers (building upon interventions depending on tiers)
Acknowledgement system, celebrations (school-wide and classroom), teaching matrices, etc.

61. Jessica

62. Relevant Links http:/studentsfirst.org http:/howardcenter.org

63. Questions????? 66