Why Trauma Informed Training is Important

Originally posted by Understood

At a glance

• Trauma-informed teaching considers how trauma impacts learning and behavior.

• Trauma can slow down or completely stop our ability to learn.

• Kids experiencing trauma are more likely to fall behind in class or get in trouble for behavior issues.

Imagine you’re being chased by a tiger. Your heart races as you feel a surge of adrenaline preparing your body to fight, flight, or freeze. Now imagine that right after escaping the tiger, you have to learn how to multiply fractions. You would likely find this task near impossible, even if you usually find math easy.

Trauma-informed teaching starts with an understanding of how trauma can impact learning and behavior. With this approach, educators think about what student behavior may be telling them. And they reflect on their teaching practices to find ways to better support students who may be experiencing trauma.

Trauma can slow down or completely stop our ability to learn. When our bodies sense a threat, energy rushes toward brain regions specialized in averting danger. This is essential for keeping us alive. But it also means that energy shifts away from the brain regions that help us learn.

When students are experiencing trauma, they might be more distracted or take longer to complete tasks. They may be more irritable or jumpy. And they’re more likely to fall behind in class or get in trouble for behavior issues.

Trauma and learning and thinking differences

Researchers agree that trauma negatively impacts learning and attention. But can trauma cause lifelong challenges like learning disabilities and ADHD, or vice versa? That’s unclear. What we do know is that accurate identification is essential to providing appropriate treatments.

Students who have experienced trauma are more likely to be referred to special education. Trauma might sometimes be misidentified as ADHD since the symptoms have a lot of overlap. Hyperactivity, restlessness, disorganization, and trouble focusing can be signs of either trauma or ADHD.

Referring students for an evaluation can help identify the underlying issue. But it’s important to find an evaluator who has experience with ADHD and trauma if both are a potential concern. To find out more about trauma be sure to enroll into our trauma-informed workshops.