PAR Winter 2021 School Catalog DigitalVersion Final - Flipbook - Page 6
on-topic
Why we need trauma-informed schools
By Melanie Casey, PAR Communications Manager
W
hen we think of the word trauma,
we often tend to associate it with
outward signs—bruising, broken
bones, and a desperate, desolate look.
While the results of physical trauma are
sometimes indeed external, the effects of
trauma also can manifest internally—and
invisibly—and last a lifetime.
Educators who have been trained to
recognize symptoms of trauma work
to discover why a student is acting out.
Knowing they may be the only adult
these children can truly trust, they also
make an effort to connect with them on
a deeper level. They, literally, may be the
one person who can change their life.
Some traumas are ongoing—like
physical abuse or neglect at home or
bullying in schools. Other traumas are
one-time events, like living through a
global pandemic and quarantine or
experiencing a car crash. No matter the
cause, the effects of trauma leave scars.
According to the National Child Traumatic
Stress Network, “children exposed to
violence and trauma may not feel safe or
ready to learn.”* The effects of quarantine
may exacerbate those feelings. Schools that
build trauma-informed programs are not
only helping their students’ educational
achievement but also taking steps to help
these children lead a happy and healthy life.
Students who have experienced trauma
may develop behaviors that make it
difficult for them to learn and thrive in
a school environment. Some of these
behaviors may mirror other conditions
that you likely see in the classroom:
acting out, hypervigilance, difficulty with
self-regulation, and executive dysfunction.
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On-Topic
*https://bit.ly/2SN4pYZ
Our new screening tool, the PASS-12,
provides insight into how the pandemic
and quarantine have affected students.
See page 26 or visit parinc.
com/PASS-12 to learn more.
Knowing that trauma could be the cause of
behavioral and academic concerns—and
addressing those concerns via assessment
and follow-up—can foster resilience and
healing and help these students on the
path to a healthy and successful life.
Creating Connections. Changing Lives.