According to the American Psychological Association (APA, 2015), trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event, which can lead to difficulties with emotional regulation, social relationships, and the development of physical symptoms. Traumatic experiences may include physical or sexual abuse, neglect, experiencing or witnessing violence, war, suicides, and disasters. When these traumatic events occur prior to the age of 18, researchers call them adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs. The Centers for Disease Control (Felitti et al. 1998) conducted a large scale study which found that roughly 64% of people experience at least one ACE and 22% of the population experiences three or more ACEs. The more ACEs a child has, the more likely they are to develop school-based academic and behavioral challenges, such as aggression, depression, inattention, anxiety, and delayed language and cognitive development (Lansford et al., 2002; Veltman & Browne, 2001). Knowing that students who exhibit problem behavior face higher rates of exclusionary discipline procedures, such as out-of-school suspension (Civil Rights Data Collection, 2014), it is imperative that K-12 schools utilize trauma-informed practices and employ trauma-informed (TI) teachers.
This presentation will discuss the ACEs framework and use of trauma-informed practices in classrooms at every level. Understanding trauma and utilizing these specific practices in the classroom is necessary to helping students find safety and success in school.
