Thousands of educators gathered in the Cox Convention Center on Monday and eagerly stared at a model of a brain.
With 86 billion neurons firing, the brain is a “miracle of complexity,” Dr. Bruce Perry said as he showed the image on a screen. The impact of childhood trauma is similarly intricate.
The renowned psychiatrist and child trauma expert spoke to an arena full of teachers, school counselors and nonprofit workers for the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s third-annual trauma summit. Ten thousand educators registered for the event.
Though child trauma is complicated, the simplest moments can create healing, Perry said.
“I want everybody in this room to walk away with a better understanding of your own power,” Perry said. “What I want you to appreciate is that seeing some of these kids in the hallway and taking a moment to greet them, to remember their name, believe it or not, that’s adequate attention to make a therapeutic moment.”
Hundreds of these therapeutic moments can change a child whose life is wrought with dysfunction. Many of these moments are produced in school, where children have the opportunity to build relationships and develop a sense of regularity.
Perry, founder of The Child Trauma Academy in Houston, said positive relationships are critical in battling the long-term effects of adverse childhood experiences, known as ACEs.
People with more ACEs are at increased risk of chronic illnesses, heart disease, cancer and destructive behavior, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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