Children are more vulnerable to the stress of trauma. Their responses to trauma are complex and are different from those of adults. Children’s traumatising experiences can compromise all areas of childhood development, including identity, cognitive processing, ability to manage behaviour, tolerance, moral development, ability to trust self and others. Children who have experienced trauma will develop “survivor behaviours” and these behaviours help the child to survive extreme psychological stress in a hostile environment. Examples of this can be fighting, running away, substance abuse, shutting down, self-harm, eating disorders, etc. In a threatening environment, the children will exhibit these behaviours to deal with their ‘uncomfortableness’ and anxiety – to these children even a nurturing environment is threatening
Strategies
- Clarify each of our roles
- Create an environment of mutual respect
- Give the young person opportunities to make choices
- Talk about safety and what steps we will take to help the student to be and feel safe
- Consider how we communicate; talk more slowly, use a lower pitch for our voice, refrain from using complex sentences, be calm and less animated.
- Offer regular Speech and Language Therapy
- Offer self-calming techniques, such as mindfulness, proprioception, interoceptive awareness, yoga, positive memories
- Use positive language
- Say what we want the young person to do; not what we don't.
- Use music, exercise, movement, and stretching
- Make learning fun! (laughter reduces traumatic responses in the brain.
