Having been an educator myself, I have seen that in the last few years, there has been a particular emphasis on supporting and managing behaviours with children from traumatised backgrounds. But what does that actually look like? I’m going to take you three some simple (not necessarily easy!) ways to support children who have experienced trauma, and how we can adapt our learning environment to make it more trauma-informed. These tips are also useful for children from non-traumatised backgrounds as well.
So what is a trauma informed school?
A trauma-informed school focuses on identifying children’s behaviours, but meeting them where they are at emotionally. It means understanding that the behaviour itself is an expression of a need to feel safe. The behaviour is an adaptive response on behalf of the child and how their bodies have learnt to keep them safe. These behaviours help them regulate in the face of big events and scary emotions. They are not intentionally misbehaving; they are communicating a need.
What do we do in a trauma-informed school?
In a trauma-informed school the number one priority is to establish safety. For children from traumatised backgrounds, we can do this by providing a predictable, consistent and stable environment and routine. Consider the transitions between activities, and how we can give them warning so they can prepare for the change. Changes can be challenging for these kiddos, especially when they are unexpected.
Routine is super important for these kids. Come up with a plan for the day and display it on the wall. You can then refer to it throughout the day as well, giving children a visual way to process the information. Kids can then understand what is coming next and feel more certain and safe in their daily routine. These visuals can also help provide a sense of structure and control for the child, which can be incredibly valuable to children who haven’t experienced that in other areas of their life.
Giving back control
A hallmark of trauma is a lack of control. A lack of control can signal a lack of stability and safety for a child. When kids perceive lack of control, it can trigger a threat response and the behaviour can escalate to regain control over the environment. Wherever possible provide choice for the child, so they feel they have some control of their day and their actions. By giving choice, you are giving them back that sense of safety and predicability. This might look like asking them which reader they would prefer, or which activity they would like to participate in. It can be as simple as giving them two options and letting them decide which they would prefer.
Supporting big emotions
When behaviours do escalate, we must remember that there ia s big emotion behind the behaviour that we are seeing, and behind that emotion is an unmet need. Remembering this helps us to remain empathetic towards children, which then helps us in supporting them to regulate their behaviour and their nervous system.
Regulation and co-regulation are some buzz words around schools recently. But regulation is not something that can be explicitly taught. It’s not enough to explain what a red zone is and expect that kids can know their way back from being heightened. We need to show them what regulation looks and feels like through relationship and co-regulation.
In times of heightened emotions, a child borrows the adult’s nervous system to help them come back into their own bodies and regulate themselves. In these times, adults need to regulate themselves and bring themselves down, so that they can be there for the child. Sit with the child in their experience and help them come back to a regulated state. You might model taking deep breaths, using sensory items or sitting on a comfy cushion. Give the child the time to come back to themselves with your support, and then you can redirect them to their task.
Using appropriate limits
A final consideration when using a trauma-informed approach, is the use of limits. Limits can provide a sense of safety to children from traumatic backgrounds, as long as they are predictable and logical. If we use limits, give them a sense of control and predictability throughout the day, and help them navigate big emotions using relationship, we are using a trauma-informed approach. We are giving them predictability and safety through relationship, and meeting them where they are.
If you would like to know more about being a trauma-informed school, or book a training for your teachers and educators, please contact us for a free consultation here.
