Charting the Cs: Cooperation, Communication and Collaboration. Statewide Professional Development to Support the Workforce and Low Incidence Disability Areas. Charting the Cs Conference 2024 Lonna Housman Moline, Ed.D Council for Exceptional Children-President Elect Division of Emotional and Behavioral Health University of St. Thomas April 2024 Overview and Objectives Information and specific examples will be shared regarding trauma, self-awareness, relationships, belief systems, responsibility, regulation, and self-care. Define various forms of trauma Explore personal beliefs and perspectives around trauma Define relationship strategies for building positive connections Review strategies with a focus on resilience Identify personal needs when working with students who have experienced trauma Establish strategies for self-care and grace Resources Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for Creating Trauma Sensitive Classroom, Kristin Souers Relationship, Responsibility, and Regulation: Trauma Invested Practices, Souers and Hall The Deepest Well: Healing Long-term Effects of childhood Trauma, Nadine Burke Harris The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel Van Der Kolk Building a Trauma-Informed Compassionate Classroom, Jennifer Bashant Morgart, K., Harrison, J.N., Hoon, A.H., Jr and Wilms Floet, A.M. (2021), Adverse childhood experiences and developmental disabilities: risks, resiliency, and policy. Dev Med Child Neurol, 63: 1149-1154.  The Spectrum of Trauma Practices Trauma Inducing: a setting that lacks safety and is actively unsafe for students/adults Trauma Indifferent: a setting that does not take childhood trauma into account in its policies and practices Trauma Informed: a setting where stakeholders have acquired some knowledge about childhood trauma and are versed in related strategies Trauma Invested: a setting where stakeholders have consented to act on their knowledge, truly working together to enhance safety across the board Acknowledge Fundamental Truths Trauma is real Trauma is prevalent Trauma is toxic to the brain and can affect development We need to be prepared to support students who have experienced trauma, even if we don’t know who they are Children are resilient and with a positive environment they can grow and succeed Trauma is a Continuum war, torture, rape, natural disaster, divorce, poverty, serious illness, abuse Definitions focus on the IMPACT of the event, not the nature of the event. We all respond to trauma differently. “Trauma is an exceptional experience in which powerful and dangerous events overwhelm a person’s capacity to cope.” (Rice & Groves, 2005) Trauma and Development Given a confusing event, children have a need to give meaning to what is happening to them by creating a narrative or story. When there is no clear explanation, they make one up. The intersection of trauma and the developmentally appropriate egocentrism of childhood often leads a little kid to think, “I made this happen”. Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression. -Haim Ginnot ACEs: Adverse Childhood Experiences Vincent Felitti and Robert Anda (Felitti et al, 1998) Medical doctors Collaborative project between Centers for Disease Control and Department of Preventive Medicine 17,000 subjects, middle class San Diego, 70% college educated, 70% Caucasian Explored the relationships between children’s emotional experiences and subsequent mental and physical health as adults Strong correlation and more prevalent than previously thought, regardless of income, race, or access to health care. RESULTS 67% had at least one ACE 12% had 4 or more ACE People with 4 or more had 2 times the rate of heart disease and cancer and 3 and a half times more chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) WHAT WE KNOW Trauma and risky behavior Trauma and heart disease, cancer, obesity, asthma, failure to grow, sleep disorders Adverse Childhood Experiences Initial 8 ACEs Substance abuse in the home Parental separation Mental illness in the home Witnessing domestic violence Suicidal household member Death of parent or loved one Parental incarceration Experiences of abuse or  neglect What about… Natural disaster Criminal behavior in the home Terminal or chronic illness Military deployment Homelessness Victimization Adverse Childhood Experiences - ACES Current Data Current data on how many children and adolescents experience ACEs are limited. This hinders understanding how often ACEs occur, tracking ACEs changes over time, focusing prevention strategies, and measuring community prevention effort success. (Center for Disease Control) MN Surveillance activities include: Continuing to include ACEs information on the 2022 Minnesota Student Survey to provide state and local ACEs estimates for Minnesota students in grades 5, 8, 9, and 11. Partnering with Minn-LInK, a research project investigating the effects of policies, practices, and programs on Minnesota families, to combine county and city data from multiple sources, including Child Protective Services, the Minnesota Department of Education, and the Minnesota Department of Human Services. These data will be used to develop indexes to understand how social determinants of health impact ACEs and associated risk and protective factors in each county. Adverse childhood experiences and developmental disabilities: risks, resiliency, and policy. Harrison, Hoon, & Floet (2021) A fundamental question change from ‘What is wrong with you?’ to ‘ What happened to you?’ Modern neuroscience has extended the understanding that human life has no precise beginning or end, with both genetic changes and actual cells persisting through generations. Furthermore, adverse events in life, beginning even before conception, during in utero development, and into childhood can have deleterious consequences on physical and mental health in adulthood. Adverse childhood experiences and developmental disabilities: risks, resiliency, and policy.  Harrison, Hoon, & Floet (2021) Maltreatment of children with disabilities is higher than for the general pediatric population. Neglect is the most common form of maltreatment, as is true for typically developing children. At the highest risk for all types of maltreatment are children with behavioral disorders. Stress Response...you are walking in the woods Your amygdala sounds the alarm:  Release stress hormones! Adrenaline! Cortisol! Heart pounds, pupils dilate, airways open up, blood is sent to your skeletal muscles, shuts down your thinking brain Stress thermostat called feedback inhibition that triggers stress response to turn off But what if your stress looked like this… More than their story...change your focus Learn their story as a means to understanding their behavior We see the story’s effects, even if we don’t know the story Monitor the effect of the event instead of preoccupation with details of the event How trauma affects the brain Fight, Flight, Freeze Fawn Brain shifts from development to stress mode Early brain sensitive to chronically elevated levels of stress hormones High levels toxic Affects: learning, memory, mood, relational skills, executive functioning How does it look in the classroom? Classroom: Flight, Fight, Freeze Scenario and Typical Staff Responses (scenario in book p. 28) Offer one more chance to get started, if not, send her to classroom next door Invite her to your classroom at lunchtime to talk Send them to the office Leave them alone Arrange a parent meeting asap Typical thought process behind staff responses... Offer one more chance to get started, if not, send her to classroom next door Expectation that they can pull themselves together Invite her to your classroom at lunchtime to talk Willingness to connect and help person underneath the behaviors Send them to the office  Requires immediate consequence and through discipline you can change behavior Leave them alone  Low expectation for academic and personal growth Arrange a parent meeting asap Needs more help than you can provide Culture of Safety Are we creating a physically and emotionally safe environment? We often use assumptions to help us manage or make sense of a situation. We use them to enhance our understanding of something or affirm our beliefs about an event or person. Our assumptions can become barriers for students who are in desperate need of help. “Spoiled and entitled” “Had a rough life” “Just wants attention” Systems of Meaning Looking at behavior through 3 explanatory lens: Lack of safety or unmet need-brain is designed for survival (limbic area) Actual brain development-many children have not developed fully due to trauma, genetics, toxic stress, negative environmental exposures, pre and postnatal care. Impacted systems of meaning-interpretations based on past experiences, what we have been taught to believe, and thoughts influenced by others Systems of meaning, continued Not always conscious of this process because it’s become automatic Implicit bias We access our systems of meaning when in a state of stress and become dysregulated Keep doing the same thing over and over We are human Positive and negative (examples p.34-38 RRR) What are your systems of meaning telling you? When we are regulated, we are more open to positive thoughts and less likely to access our systems of meaning. Availability and Accountability Walking a fine line Making ourselves available to others AND holding others accountable Availability: emotional investment, nurturing, encouragement, empathizing, being there for the students as they go through life Accountability: insisting students meet standards for learning, behaving, and choices. Clash between accountability and availability What do we do? Shuts down, refuses to learn, defiant They are showing us the only thing they know. Forced compliance does not teach accountability Removal from the classroom or school does not induce learning We are overwhelmed by their intensity and needs and at a loss as to how to respond Students need to be held responsible for respecting themselves and others. We need to teach them how and show them another way. Availability and Accountability, continued Experiencing trauma does not excuse unsafe or harmful behavior Healthy or not, ways of managing stress are learned patterns of behavior CHANGE IS HARD! Learning and practicing a different way is not easy or comfortable Envisioning different means of seeing a caregiver in a new light takes a lot of courage Out of Balance: Overly Sensitive Only see the trauma Provide empathy and availability Strictly relational Struggle holding students accountable for the way they manage their intensity Don’t jump in and save them Empower them Teach them healthy ways to navigate through troubled waters Have faith in their abilities Too Focused on Accountability Ignore relational piece Regardless of adversity  Expected to meet strict standard of behavior and self-management Availability and Accountability, continued 2 Validate student feelings Reassure them they are safe After they are regulated- Help them see the big picture, not just the experience Explore what self-respect and respect for others looks like Explore alternative ways to manage intensity CONTROL VS INFLUENCE What can we actually control? Provide safe and predictable environment Provide caring, trusting relationship Help stay focused despite distractions Sometimes the students crave control at school because only place they can get it I can’t...but I can... I can’t control that the student stole something out of my desk today, but I can control my emotional response to it and I can keep my door locked when I’m not in the classroom and I can talk to the student and determine why he thought stealing was a good option and I can influence him to take responsibility and I can teach them to see this from someone else’s perspective. I can’t...but I can... continued I can’t control whether Oscar will come to class today, but I can control…. I can’t...but I can... Continued 2 I can’t control whether Janet will pass this test, but I can control… I can’t...but I can... Continued 3 I can’t control whether Joe has experienced adversity and trauma at home, but I can control … Times of crisis and conflict Healthy communication is difficult enough when dealing with our own defenses and triggers. Adding our students’ experiences of trauma, trust issues, and past letdowns magnifies the challenge. SELF AWARENESS What shifts you and disrupts your flow? TRIGGERS Exhaustion Previous bad experiences Challenges to our belief systems Preconceived notions Fear Student Behaviors and Attributes Student Behaviors and Attributes, continued Student Behaviors and Attributes, continued 2 What can you do when you know it’s coming? What is your belief? Look at the NEED, not just the behavior. It's fundamental you understand the NEED. Relational need: safe and consistent connection; triggered when not feeling connected Emotional need: emotional regulation; triggered when feeling unsafe Physical need: basic biological survival; triggered when HALT, sick, anxious Control need: have a say and feel power; triggered when needing control Identify the need behind the behavior (p. 52 RRR) Clues a RELATIONAL need Requires you to be in close proximity. You help with regulation Seeks you out often. Looks for advice Display dramatic mood swings. Needs 1-1 connection to soothe Thrive from simple touch. Calms down with physical touch Use personal keywords. Simple expressions to invite connection Universal Trauma Invested RELATIONSHIP Enhancing Strategies Say Good Morning Smile Ask questions Listen Say the person’s name Say something kind Give hug, high five, handshake Whisper wish “Did my wish come true?” Work as a team Offer tangibles RESPONSIBILITY A sense of self-worth, efficacy, and competence. Living in chaos and stress lead children to learn early on to doubt themselves and blame themselves for their circumstances.  Students from families with trauma are constantly driven to cue off their environment to determine whether it's safe or unsafe, healthy or unhealthy-an external focus that has deprived them of the opportunity to pay attention to their internal states and gain insight into how they might be influencing their environment. This hinders their development of responsibility. They lack the ability to self-reflect and gain insights into their own attitudes and behaviors. Cues to an unmet RESPONSIBILITY need Crave control. Students who believe external influences are in in charge, who feel their lives are out of control, who attempt to regain a sense of control and predictability. See predictability. Many students cue off of their environment. Seek safety in predictability.  Have fractured interpersonal relationships. Students that have been let down by humans. Safe way to establish trust and relationship. Engage in negative self-talk. Lacks self-esteem.  Uses the exit strategy. Avoid tasks. Escape behaviors. Haven’t built a connection between the value of a goal and perseverance...yet. Universal Trauma-Invested RESPONSIBILITY Developing Strategies Say YET Provide clear expectations and rubrics Set goals, create action plans, monitor progress often Let students choose where to work Assign seating Teach grit Assign jobs Forecast changes Attend to cause and effect Use positive self talk REGULATION...most essential The ability to take in stimuli and manage emotional and behavioral responses accordingly. Regulated students can access reason in their upstairs brain.  Cause and effect connection Cues to unmet REGULATION needs Tough transition times. Fidget constantly. Quick to agitate Shut down. Freeze Flips their lid suddenly. Slightest incident can be trigger Be on an emotional roller coaster. Wild fluctuations Universal Trauma-Invested REGULATION-Establishing Strategies Weighted pencil Weighted lap pad Soothing music Stress ball or worry stone Play catch Let them choose where to work Keep their hands busy Offer brain breaks Regulation When incorporating regulation strategies and tools, do not attempt anything that will send YOU to your lizard brain. Start slow and partner with your students to identify what you can all consent and commit to. Communicate the purpose. Explain the why. Consent is essential. Example: p. 159 RRR Resilience  (Harrison, Hoon, & Floet, 2021) Resilience in children can be defined as ‘the process by which the child moves through a traumatic event, utilizing various protective factors for support, and returning to “baseline” in terms of an emotional and physiologic response to the stressor’. Resilience, an essential component in effectively overcoming ACEs, can be considered a trait, outcome, or process. As a process, it includes both internal and external factors that can redirect a negative experience or series of stressful events into an outcome of positive personal development. Resilience and Coping Skills  (Harrison, Hoon, & Floet, 2021) Coping skills are essential for successfully overcome stressful or traumatic events.  Children have two types of coping strategies that can be examined in relation to ACEs, problem-focused and avoidant emotion-focused coping. Problem-focused coping concentrates on resolving the problem. It can be evaluated using three subscales: positive reinterpretation and growth; active coping; and planning. A favorable outcome of problem-focused coping is that the problem is successfully resolved while promoting competence and self-efficacy. Resilience and Coping Skills, continued   (Harrison, Hoon, & Floet, 2021) The second strategy, emotion-focused coping, is an avoidant strategy. This uses strategies such as denial, venting, or behavioral disengagement to diminish the negative affective response to the stressor.  This might diminish the immediate negative effects for the individual, however it is temporary and the problem is unresolved.  This type of coping helps in the moment or the immediate future. Resilience and Relationships  (Harrison, Hoon, & Floet, 2021) Safe, stable, and nurturing relationships during childhood are important protective factors, which can diminish long-term physical and mental health problems in adulthood.33 The external support of having an adult who helps to make the child feel safe is an effective protective factor that may build resilience and ultimately help mitigate the impact of ACEs. Not Perfect. Enough. Human beings are complicated Emotions are dynamic influences Trauma brings variable needs Every day is different Practice what we preach Good role modeling Healthy way to live Thank you! Lonna Housman Moline lonnamoline@gmail.com TEXT: 612-812-2221