Untitled

[childrenwhohurt]

Serve and Return: Building the Cognitive Capacity of Children with Early Trauma Histories

Serve and Return: Building the Cognitive Capacity of Children with Early Trauma Histories

Instruction in trauma-sensitive schools honors the social nature of children’s developing brains. In this way, it is closely aligned with other educational best practices, particularly Carol Ann Tomlinson’s differentiated instruction, and Columbia’s workshop model. These designs emphasize collaboration, and group problem-solving. Both processes build children’s capacity for representational…

View On WordPress

[childrenwhohurt]

Trauma-Sensitive Schools: A Framework for Building Children's Resilience

Trauma-Sensitive Schools: A Framework for Building Children’s Resilience

On March 16, 2016 I had the opportunity of participating in the Echo Parenting and Education Conference on Trauma-Sensitive Schools. It was the first international conference of its kind, attracting close to 300 participants. As we begin Child Abuse Awareness Month, I would like to share excerpts from my presentation.

Trauma-Sensitive Schools: Teaming Up to Move Along

“What a wonderful event – a…

View On WordPress

[childrenwhohurt]

Education Week, February 17, 2016

Education Week, February 17, 2016

An online article by Elisha McNeil

To reach struggling students, schools need to be more trauma-sensitive. While such findings are increasingly acknowledged, however, they have yet to broadly inform classroom practices or school-improvement initiatives, says Susan E. Craig, an author and school consultant. A former reading teacher, Craig has spent more than three decades exploring the…

View On WordPress

[childrenwhohurt]

The Role of Trauma in Health Care Costs

The Role of Trauma in Health Care Costs

No one questions that health care costs in the United States are out of control. Excessive drug prices, unnecessary medical procedures, and continued reliance on an outdated fee for service treatment model, are frequently discussed reasons for this economic dilemma. Childhood trauma and household dysfunction are seldom cited as possible factors. This oversight limits any viable solution to the…

View On WordPress

[childrenwhohurt]

Poverty and Politicians In the run up to the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary,  candidates struggle to gain a foothold on potential voters.

[childrenwhohurt]

Spare the Rod, Save the Child

Spare the Rod, Save the Child

Ted Cruz’s off the cuff remark about his willingness to spank his five year old daughter, Catherine, if she said “something she knows to be false” got the attention of many concerned about children’s well- being.

Apparently Mr. Cruz is unaware of the detrimental effects of spanking on children’s development. He’s certainly not alone. Despite over 40 years of published research on topic, experts’…

View On WordPress

[childrenwhohurt]

New Year's Resolutions, 2016

New Year’s Resolutions, 2016

The Raising of America (www. raisingofamerica.org)) was released just in time for the holidays. It’s an excellent resource for anyone resolving to use the New Year to make a difference in children’s lives.  A commitment to any of the following endeavors can offer new hope for youngsters worn down by the adversity in their lives.

Learn to regulate and control the fear generated by living in a…

View On WordPress

[childrenwhohurt]

Learning Grounded in Empathy and Self-control

Learning Grounded in Empathy and Self-control

Social –Emotional-Learning (SEL) has been around a long time (1994). The fact that it’s recently gained the attention of the New York Times (11-15-15) suggests the general public’s increased awareness that children’s mental health and resilience can’t be assumed. They have to be carefully taught.

As the Timesarticle notes, the neural pathways responsible for emotional regulation and academic…

View On WordPress

[childrenwhohurt]

Student Resource Officers in an Age of Trauma-Sensitive Schools

The recent video of a Student Resource Officer dragging a high school student across her classroom floor is a stunning example of the growing tendency to criminalize the misconduct of children and youth in public schools. Since the 1990s this blurring of the lines between school discipline and legal intervention has led to the incarceration of students who do not (or cannot) conform to the…

View On WordPress

[childrenwhohurt]

Babies love people’s faces, especially when they convey feelings of affection and the willingness to play and entertain.  Expressions of joint attention and interest that pass between young children and adults lay the foundation for important skills like language development and empathy.

Meeting children’s needs for joint attention is difficult when opportunities for face time are limited.…

View On WordPress

[childrenwhohurt]

Thriving Maine Communities Conference

Thriving Maine Communities Conference

Please join us at the first annual Thriving Maine Communities Conference, focused on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and resilience.

Panel sessions over two days will explore current initiatives in Maine and share vision, ideas, experiences and opportunities designed to build thriving, resilient communities. Breakout sessions will reflect a range of approaches to using data, stories,…

View On WordPress

[childrenwhohurt]

Peek Inside a Classroom This blog post gives everyone who is involved in a child's life a lot to think about and consider.

[childrenwhohurt]

The Choice of Empathy

The Choice of Empathy

Steve Harvey recently interviewed a family from Manhattan who run a mobile food bank for the city’s homeless citizens. The piece was a perfect example of the nature of empathy as discussed by Cameron, Inzlicht & Cunningham in the July 12, 2015 Sunday New York Times. Both talk about empathy less as a character trait than a conscious choice to help those less fortunate.

The frequency with which…

View On WordPress