Tagged With "brain science"
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2017 Children's Mental Health Report
Of the 74.5 million children in the United States, an estimated 17.1 million have or have had a mental health disorder — more than the number of children with cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined. Half of all mental illness occurs before the age of 14, and 75 percent by the age of 24. In spite of the magnitude of the problem, lack of awareness and entrenched stigma keep the majority of these young people from getting help. Children and adolescents struggling with these disorders are at risk...
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An Evidence-Based Indictment of Inaction
If schools are to be guided by data, the data says more than 2 of 3 children experience at least one ACE: children of all incomes, all colors, all social levels, all educational levels. It is all of us. Is your school trauma-informed?
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An Evidence-Based Indictment of Inaction
If schools are to be guided by data, the data says that 2 of 3 children experience at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE): children of all incomes, all colors, all social levels, all educational levels. It is all of us. Is your school trauma-informed?
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An Interview with Alfonso Ramirez on Trauma Informed Schools
In 2016, the Oregon School-Based Health Alliance (OSBHA) worked to pass a bill to pilot trauma informed schools and funds were allocated to support two pilot schools, Tigard High School (THS) in Tigard, OR and Central High School (CHS) in Independence, OR. This is the third year of the pilot. OSBHA has been providing technical assistance to the two schools, working closely with the Trauma Informed Schools Coordinators’ hired to transform the schools. Alfonso Ramirez is the coordinator at...
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An Invitation to Co-Create Change and Shift Your Mindset
We are not born “normal” or “disordered” or with a “disability” we “are born” and “we develop” in many different ways. Along our path of development we will encounter various influences and each individual will respond to those experiences differently. The brain actually continues to develop well into adulthood!
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Connecting with Challenging Students
Connect with challenging youth by Dr. Larry Brendtro I have been very fortunate to have connected with some excellent mentors over the years and Dr. Brendtro is one of my all time favorites. If you work with kids that are challenging you need to know the work of Dr. Brendtro!! Although he is no longer affiliated with Reclaiming Youth International... do check out the work : by Brendtro, Brokenleg, Van Bockern., Reclaiming Youth At Risk; Our Hope for the future. Here is a sample of some of...
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Do you know a ‘Danny’ or an ‘Ashley’, struggling socially, emotionally, or academically?
PSAs designed to help grow awareness of the impacts of developmental or 'childhood' trauma. All the narratives are about real kids (with pseudonyms) who are trauma-impacted. These are not "combined" or imaginary narratives, nor caricatures.
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"How Neglect and Abuse Change Children’s Brains — and Their Futures" by Katharine Gammon [centerforhealthjournalism.org]
Childhood adversity comes in different forms. When Katie McLaughlin, director of the Stress and Development Lab at the University of Washington, talks about stress and early childhood development, she brings up two different fictional children: One who faces the constant threat of violence at home, and one who is neglected. [For more of this article by Katharine Gammon, visit: https://www.centerforhealthjou...amp;utm_medium=email ]
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How Vaping Nicotine Can Affect a Teenage Brain [npr.org]
By Jon Hamilton, National Public Radio, October 10, 2019 The link between vaping and severe lung problems is getting a lot of attention. But scientists say they're also worried about vaping's effect on teenage brains. "Unfortunately, the brain problems and challenges may be things that we see later on down the road," says Nii Addy, associate professor of psychiatry and cellular and molecular physiology at Yale School of Medicine. [ Please click here to read more .]
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The Absence of Punishment in Our Schools
Where to begin... My heart is full of hope and joy as I watch the trauma-informed schools movement swell across our nation and planet. The science of ACEs is mind-bending to say the least and we are now able to open up a much deeper dialogue about human behavior and health. Ultimately this work is about healing… All. Of. Us. A new consciousness is taking root around ending the “us vs them” construct. The idea is growing that we’re all on this journey together and that no matter where our...
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The Brain and Troubled Children and Youth
Troubled kids are distinguished by their regrettable ability to elicit from others exactly the opposite of what they really need. ( L. Tobin ) Connecting with troubled students is not easy work. Many of these young people come into our classrooms and schools on a daily bases depressed, hostile, discouraged, unmotivated and angry. Underneath their sometimes outrageous and provocative behaviors these young people's lives come up way short on joy and long on despair and hopelessness. Their...
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The Developing Brain & Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Thanks to an explosion in scientific research now possible with imaging technologies, such as fMRI and SPECT, experts can actually see how the brain develops. This helps explain why exposure to adverse childhood experiences can so deeply influence and change a child's brain and thus their physical and emotional health and quality of life across their lifetime. The above time-lapse study was conducted over 10 years. The darker colors represent brain maturity (brain development). I have added...
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Nowhere to Hide: The Elephant in the [Class]room
We are trying to scoop water out of a boat which has gaping trauma-holes in the bottom.
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Nowhere to Hide the Elephant in the [Class]room
Developmental trauma changes the architecture of the physical brain, ability to learn and social behavior. It impacts two out of three children, but I didn’t even know what it was…
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CLICK FOR RESOURCES: TRAUMA-INFORMED EDUCATION
These trauma-informed education resources are linked to narrative illustrations of the same topic at LucidWitness.com. The narratives are designed to be used as 'Public Service Announcements' in social media, to help grow broad, general-public awareness of developmental trauma.
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LucidWitness: Increasing Public-Awareness of Developmental Trauma
LucidWitness blogposts are designed for social media to help grow awareness of developmental trauma among your network(s).
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Re: Nowhere to Hide the Elephant in the [Class]room
This is awesome information, Daun!! I especially like the part where you explain why teachers cannot become trauma-informed on their own. I'm reposting for ATN. Melissa
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Re: Nowhere to Hide the Elephant in the [Class]room
Congratulations on an impressively well-organized and comprehensive presentation of a large mass of useful information! This might make a good DVD for widespread distribution.
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Re: Nowhere to Hide the Elephant in the [Class]room
Outstanding article Daun, and great timing with school around the corner.
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Re: Nowhere to Hide the Elephant in the [Class]room
Dr. Felitti, Thank you so much for your kind words and your suggestion. I am very honored and the DVD idea is quite intriguing! Daun Kauffman
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Re: Nowhere to Hide the Elephant in the [Class]room
Thanks so much Jim! I appreciate all your support. Take care of those beautiful grandchildren :-)
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Re: LucidWitness: Increasing Public-Awareness of Developmental Trauma
This index is phenomenal Daun! Thank you for your continued commitment to and passion for creating trauma-informed schools and being part of the solution in spite of, or perhaps because of, the very hard work you do every day!
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Re: LucidWitness: Increasing Public-Awareness of Developmental Trauma
Wow! Thanks so much Leslie!
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Trauma-Informed Classrooms: Educator Self-Care
Working in a school is hard. It doesn’t matter if you work in a suburban, urban, or rural area. It doesn’t matter if you work with 5 year-olds on building empathy, teach 11 year-olds about symbiosis, coach teachers in aligning curriculum, or help high school seniors choose their postsecondary pathways. It is hard work. From the cacophony of lockers closing at dismissal, to the challenge of getting 25 sets of 8 year-old eyes looking at you in synchrony, schools are a special kind of organized...
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Re: Connecting with Challenging Students
Please share a PSA link to help grow public awareness of the impacts of developmental trauma. There are so many of us who’ve never heard of the overpowering, life-long impacts. Click HERE for links designed to use in social media: https://lucidwitness.com/2016/...dex-to-lucidwitness/
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Re: The Absence of Punishment in Our Schools
We do similar work - and our experience is that it is easier to move away from punishments than to move away from rewards...and both cause some harm. What is your experience in helping folks move away from rewards?
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Re: The Absence of Punishment in Our Schools
Hi Rebecca, tell me if students have any codes of conduct and discipline policies to follow in the schools?.
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Re: The Absence of Punishment in Our Schools
Sajjad, Our schools have expectations and classrooms have student generated guidelines (which look very similar to adult generated guidelines). The difference is that when someone doesn't follow the guidelines the response is: regulate, relate, reason and then repair the mistake. Of course, safety always comes first which can require removal from the situation (or sometimes even the school) - but the repair is what re-establishes connection and helps reconstruct the community. This is what...
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Re: The Absence of Punishment in Our Schools
Jody thanks for the prompt response to my question. We used rewards as for both tangible and intangible since last couple of years. Its particularly challenging for problem kids, but its an incentive to get them to do their work, get along better, and make the right choices. I personally feel that sometimes starting with something the student likes to do, rather than giving them something may be a better reward for them. We have to workout as how to help folks move away from rewards.
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Re: The Absence of Punishment in Our Schools
Sajjad, The frame shift that I think needs to happen is the recognition that these students are not "making choices" when their behavior is inappropriate. As Mona Delahooke explains, it is bottom up behavior. We aren't teaching anything with rewards. When students are self regulated they can choose. When they aren't they cannot. It ends up being demoralizing for kids to tell them to make "good choices" and they do when they can - and when they can't and mess up and later get back into their...
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Re: The Absence of Punishment in Our Schools
Jody, I really appreciate the way you have explained as how to help folks move away from rewards. I will share the ideas within the local community and see if it works.
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Re: The Absence of Punishment in Our Schools
Thanks Sajjad, I invited a colleague who has a lovely one-pager on rewards to share it. I suspect she'll post it some time today.
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Re: The Absence of Punishment in Our Schools
Rebecca, I love your Golden words (we’re all on this journey together and that no matter where our efforts lie, we have an opportunity to be a part of this mission.)
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Re: The Absence of Punishment in Our Schools
Jody, Thank you very much for sharing the one-page handout on rewards. I will share in the local community schools very soon.
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Re: Peek Inside a Classroom
Thanks for this post Sandy and Daun! To say it is urgent we transform our schools and communities is by far the key priority facing educators and public health officials today! There remains minimal benefit from common core and standardized testing if we cannot help children (and staff) learn emotion regulation and so so post haste! I couldn't agree more with your post. As a team member who has co-authored and worked with Sandy Bloom, Sarah Yanosy and a few others on some of Sanctuary's most...
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Re: Peek Inside a Classroom
Considering the recent suicide by hanging of a 13 year old boy in Staten Island, Danny Fitzpatrick, I believe we must intensify the above. We must discuss that sometimes teachers, coaches, school administrators are the ones causing trauma in children and they are not remotely safe people to "listen" to or protect a child. We have to take a hard, honest look at Bullying in schools, which continues to rise, and ask the question: hate is a learned behaviour...so who is teaching bullying? We...
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Re: Peek Inside a Classroom
Jennifer, the issue needs to be explicitly, directly addressed. I agree. I'm not sure if "carrot" or "stick" is best, maybe combination... Thanks for sharing, and for your passion!
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Re: Peek Inside a Classroom
Hi Daun, I think combo of carrot and stick, but as we've discovered, carrot won't work until stick is brandished. As soon as we attach serious consequences to emotional abuse, adults who bully kids, then everyone will get educated fast. When we wanted to stop people smoking and harming others with second hand smoke, we quickly implemented laws that fined people and threatened jail. Everyone is now well educated about the harms of smoking and second-hand smoke. If suicide was the second...
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Re: Peek Inside a Classroom
Hey Jennifer, I have the same request for advice with politicians. In the case of developmental trauma at our city and our state levels, the first goal is simply "awareness". Even with me as an example, I had to dig around and dig around to eventually put pieces together to begin to grasp the portion of the concept that I know have. Maybe I should expand that slightly to be "accurate" awareness. At any rate, folks should not have to dig around that hard to get informed. After "awareness"...
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Re: CLICK FOR RESOURCES: TRAUMA-INFORMED EDUCATION
Thanks, Dan, for putting together this amazing array of resources. Lou
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Re: The Brain and Troubled Children and Youth
Please share a PSA link to help grow public awareness of the impacts of developmental trauma. There are so many of us who’ve never heard of the overpowering, life-long impacts. Click HERE for links designed to use in social media: https://lucidwitness.com/2016/...dex-to-lucidwitness/
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Re: An Evidence-Based Indictment of Inaction
Hey Daun I know when I was in high school my parents did not have a clue what was going on with myself and my two younger brothers....Their COMMUNICATION SKILLS and their CONFLICTS RESOLUTION SKILLS were practically non existent. All they knew WAS RAGE and RAGE then HIT ME.... with my own children I have taken so many parenting classes. But more important for me as a DAD is to recognize when my daughter or son 's Spirit IS CLOSED TOWARDS ME and they begin to isolate and not want top...
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Re: An Evidence-Based Indictment of Inaction
Wow, Rick, thank you for sharing. I am sorry that you had such experiences as a child. I am so encouraged by your own reflection and your own learning and your own changes. It sure seems like you may have broken the generational cycle. I am guessing that your own kids feel much differently about their childhoods with you !
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Re: Do you know a ‘Danny’ or an ‘Ashley’, struggling socially, emotionally, or academically?
Link to Index doesn't work. Can you update?
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Re: Do you know a ‘Danny’ or an ‘Ashley’, struggling socially, emotionally, or academically?
The Link should be current now. Thank you for asking, Ariane!
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Re: An Interview with Alfonso Ramirez on Trauma Informed Schools
Loved the info about "student advisory committee called the Trauma Informed Equity Committee which has created a pilot student climate survey to get a good look into how students experience teacher and peer relationships, the student environment, and equity in their education." Wondering if they educate students about ACEs and if so, how is that done? Also loved how he talked about the subtle nature of the outcomes of this work but also the fact they were able to drop their disciplinary...
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Calming the body before calming the mind: Sensory strategies for children affected by trauma [thesector.com.au]
By Clare Ryan and Berry Streets, The Sector, June 23, 2020 Children who have experienced trauma may find it more difficult to regulate their emotions and behaviours than other children. Understanding the impact trauma can have on brain development can help inform practical responses to these children’s needs. This short article describes how practitioners can use strategies that help calm children’s bodies in order to help calm their minds and emotions – specifically, the...
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Practical Applications for Schools - They're Begging for It
Educators at all levels are asking for practical applications of what they've heard their students need due to ACEs, Trauma and brain research. Here are a few strategies from my upcoming book "The Whole Child School."