By Starr Commonwealth
With grief, sadness is obvious. With trauma, the symptoms can go largely unrecognized because it shows up looking like other problems: frustration; acting out; difficulty concentrating, following directions, or working in a group. Often students are misdiagnosed with anxiety, behavior disorders, or attention disorders rather than understood to have trauma that’s driving those symptoms and reactions.
For children who have experienced trauma, learning can be a big struggle. But once trauma is identified as the root of the behavior, we can adapt our approach to help kids cope when they’re at school. Starr Commonwealth Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Caelan Soma offers these tips for understanding kids who have been through trauma plus strategies for helping them.
1. Kids who have experienced trauma aren’t trying to push your buttons.
If a child is having trouble with transitions or turning in a folder at the beginning of the day, remember that children may be distracted because of a situation at home that is causing them to worry. Instead of reprimanding children for being late or forgetting homework, be affirming and accommodating by establishing a visual cue or verbal reminder to help that child. “Switch your mind-set and remember the kid who has experienced trauma is not trying to push your buttons,” says Soma.
10 Things About Childhood Trauma Every Teacher Needs to Know
The Intersection of Childhood Trauma and Addiction
By Shannon Karl Substance dependence leads to persistent negative consequences and the loss of human potential. These consequences often include chronic health problems, dysfunctional family environments, harmful economic impacts and premature [...]
Helping Children and Adolescents Cope With Traumatic Events
By National Institute of Mental Health Every year, children and adolescents experience disasters and other traumatic events. Family, friends, and trusted adults play an essential role in helping youth cope with [...]
The Link Between ADHD and Trauma
By Medical News Today Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that often begins in childhood. Studies have found that trauma occurring in childhood may exacerbate or predict [...]
5 Reasons Why We Blame Ourselves After Trauma
By Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS As a therapist who works with survivors of childhood trauma, I find that self-blame is a common part of their experience. As a survivor myself, I experience [...]
Child-Parent Psychotherapy Resources
By University of California, San Francisco Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) is an intervention model for children aged 0-5 who have experienced at least one traumatic event (e.g. maltreatment, the sudden or traumatic [...]
Caring for Caregivers Experiencing Secondary Trauma
By Heather C. Forkey, MD, Elaine Schulte, MD, MPH, and Luanne Thorndyke, MD Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is the emotional duress caused by indirect exposure to distressing events experienced by others. [...]