Trauma and Its Effects

Catalog description

This course will explore the impact of trauma on children and how it affects their development, family systems and teachers who work with these children. Basic information regarding childhood trauma including the neurobiology of trauma, its effect on the brain and overall development, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES), and the prevalence of trauma in children will be studied. The Polyvagel Theory of the autonomous nervous system and how it is shaped by early experiences will be introduced, examined, and discussed. The impact of culture and race on trauma will be reviewed. The definition of trauma and its causes will be summarized. The effects of trauma on a child's brain and resultant development will be discussed. Children's behavior as it relates to trauma will be related to the Polyvagel Theory. The effects of trauma on family systems will be reviewed. The effects of secondary trauma on teachers will be explained. This course is designed to help the teacher understand the scope of the effects of trauma on children and their families and to help them to create an environment that will support trauma-informed care for those children and their families, and themselves. (CSU/UC)