The Search for a School That Fits
by: Melissa Sadin
Teenager with problemsAs the parent of a child with moderate to severe attachment trauma, I have struggled for years to provide my son with an appropriate educational program. I have worked as a special education teacher and an administrator, so I know the lingo needed to get what I want at an IEP meeting. However, I was startled to discover recently that I wasn’t sure I knew what my son needed. My son always makes it very clear to all involved when something doesn’t work for him. The things that do work, however, are much more subtle and harder to see. My son has never said, “Oh, I like Mrs. Soandso. I feel safe in her class and am able to process language better there so I perform better academically.” The closest we get to that is, “She’s okay, I guess.”
Lessons Learned: Trauma Sensitive Teachers
By: Craig Peterson
The right teacher can make all the difference – for every student and especially those children healing from past trauma.
Boy with a Birthday CakeWhen my son Alex joined the family at the age of 10, he hadn’t been in a regular classroom since first grade. His behavior had been out of control, with anger filled rages getting the best of him. After grabbing a pair of scissors off a teacher’s desk and attempting to stab the principal in the neck, he spent a month in residential treatment. Upon his return to school, he was limited to two hours of instruction per day. A beefy ex-Marine stood guard.
Dr. Susan Craig: Integrating Trauma Sensitive Best Practices in Your Classroom
October 14, 2014 by: Gari Lister Through Wednesday, ATN is keeping open several of the most-requested interviews presented as part of its Educating Traumatized Children Summit, and we in the Blog want to help keep readers talking, so for the next several days we will highlight several other interviews. This one is a must-know for […]
Jenny Kendal Interview: Looking at Charter & Virtual School Options
October 10, 2014 by: Lorraine Schneider This interview was part of the ATN Summit on Educating Traumatized Children (Day 8). Jenny Kendal: Looking at Charter & Virtual School Options Choice, choices and more choices. We have traditional public brick and mortar schools. We can choose a private school. We can homeschool.There are magnet schools and […]
Lark Eshleman: Curriculum and the Traumatized Child
October 4, 2014 by: Gari Lister This interview was part of ATN’s Educating Traumatized Children Summit (Day 5). Lark Eshleman, PhD: Curriculum and the Traumatized Child Lark Eshleman explains that school curriculum — both reading and assignments — can often trigger traumatized children and send them into a dysregulated state. Which assignments and which books […]
Larry Smith: Does the Child in My Classroom have RAD?
October 3, 2014 by: Lorraine Schneider This interview was presented as part of ATN’s Educating Traumatized Children Summit (Day 4). Larry Smith, LCSW-C: Does the Child in My Classroom have RAD? I believe that Larry Smith hit the nail on the head during his interview. If you are parenting, teaching or working with traumatized children, you […]
Dr. Robert Anda: Childhood Adversity – the Nation’s Largest Public Health Crisis
September 30, 2014 by: Gari Lister So — wow! — ATN‘s Educating Traumatized Children Summit kicked off with some blockbuster interviews today! Throughout the Summit, the ATN Blog will bring you some of the insights the nearly two dozen experts being interviewed offer about ways we can work together to help traumatized children learn. Some […]