Using trauma-informed practice to support students who have experienced trauma

Abstract

Child trauma is considered to be any event that is perceived as traumatic to a child. These events impact the neurological development of the brain, affecting aspects of language, emotional development, behavior, and academics. Children who have experienced trauma often struggle in school because they are constantly in a state of hyperarousal and in fight or flight response. Trauma-informed practice is a relational teaching tool that supports healthy development of resilience in children who have experienced trauma. This style of teaching supports the healthy development of socio-emotional learning, language development and decreases behaviour, all of which positively impacts a child’s ability to learn. This project includes an in-service resource to inform those who work with children who have experienced trauma as well as to provide tools to create a trauma-informed classroom. The in-service follows evidence-based professional development that includes learning over time, collaboration, and active learning.