Positive discipline conference trauma

Adverse Childhood
Experiences
Their effect on learning and life
Laurie Prusso Hatch
Professor of Child Development
Certified Positive Discipline Trainer

Positive Discipline Works
Because it addresses human needs that
are universal it is effective for typically
developing children, children with special
needs and children with traumatic histories.
It is an effective, responsive set of tools
that supports each individual in reaching
his/her potential.
LauriePrusso@gmail.com Positive Discipline Conference: Trauma

Why Positive Discipline?
 Positive Discipline is grounded in what the adult does,
rather than on what the child did.
 It requires adults to be intentional, knowledgeable, and
wise. Respect and teaching come from the heart.
 It has the best and long term interest of the child in
mind.
 It is proven effective.
 It strengthens relationships and a sense of belonging
and significance.

Five Criteria
 Helps children feel a sense of connection. (Belonging and
significance)
 Is mutually respectful and encouraging. (Kind and firm at the
same time.)
 Is effective long - term. (Considers what the child is thinking,
feeling, learning, and deciding about himself and his world – and
what to do in the future to survive or to thrive.)
 Teaches important social and life skills. (Respect, concern for
others, problem solving, and cooperation as well as the skills to
contribute to the home, school or larger community.)
 Invites children to discover how capable they
are. (Encourages the constructive use of personal power and
autonomy.)

Positive Discipline
Recognizes needs and goals and
avoids Re-traumatization
Appreciates that many problem behaviors began as
understandable attempts to cope.
 Strives to maximize choices for the child and give the
child control over the healing process.
 Seeks to be culturally competent –respect is universal.
 Understands each survivor in the context of life
experiences.
(Alvarez and Sloan, 2010)

We Can Influence Resilience
 “Resiliency is the capability of individuals
to cope successfully in the face of
significant change, adversity, or risk. The
capacity changes over time and is
enhanced by protective factors in the
individual and environment.”
 (Stewart et al.,1991 as cited by Greene and Conrad,
2002)

Toxic Stress
That which is severe and prolonged in the absence of
the buffering protection of supportive relationships.
Sources can include things like physical or emotional
abuse, chronic neglect, severe maternal depression,
parental addiction, or family violence.
Toxic stress disrupts brain architecture and leads to
lifelong problems in learning, behavior, and both physical
and mental health.

Toxic Stress
 Child maltreatment is an act of commission (abuse) or
omission (neglect) by a caregiver that results in harm,
potential for harm, or the threat of harm to a child
 Childhood trauma results from events or circumstances
experienced by a child as physically or emotionally
harmful or threatening and that has lasting effects on
functioning and well-being
 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic
stressors such as abuse, neglect, or dysfunction that
occur during childhood

How much? How often? How
traumatic?
Dosage or Intensity
Frequency

ACEs Categories
Child Abuse
Neglect
Growing up in an
environment
where getting
needs met is a
daily challenge
• Physical Abuse and Harsh Punishment
• Sexual Abuse
• Emotional Abuse
• Emotional Neglect
• Physical Neglect
• Witnessing domestic violence
• Alcohol or other substance-abuse in
the household
• Mentally ill or suicidal person in the
home
• Loss of parent to death,
abandonment, or divorce
• Family member ever incarcerated

Take the ACE Test
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-
shots/2015/03/02/387007941/take-the-ace-
quiz-and-learn-what-it-does-and-doesnt-
mean

ACE Study
 Over 2/3 of adults reported at least 1 ACE 12.6% of adults
reported an ACE score > 4 Strong correlation between high
ACEs scores and
 poor health outcomes People with 4 or more ACEs were…
 • 2.2 times as likely to have ischemic heart disease
 • 2.4 times as likely to have a stroke
 • 1.9 times as likely to have cancer
 • 1.6 times as likely to have diabetes

It isn’t the trauma but the HPA axis (Stress
Response)
 Hypothalamus triggers the release of CRH
 Corticotropin Releasing Hormone
 Pituitary Gland releases ACTH which is carried by the
blood to the
 Adrenocorticotropic Hormone
 Adrenal Gland which releases stress hormones
Cortisol/Adrenalin and Noradrenalin to assist the
body in dealing with the stress

An ACE score of 3-4+ predicts
 Participation in “Risky” Behavior
 Early sexual activity
 Teen/unintended pregnancy
 STDs
 Promiscuity
 Intimate partner violence
 Smoking
 Drug use and abuse
 Alcohol abuse
 Obesity

3+ Chronic Disease
 Autoimmune diseases
 Asthma
 Diabetes
 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
 Ischemic Heart Disease
 Heart Attack
 Liver Disease
 Cancer
 Kidney Disease
 Stroke

Progression of the Effects of Early Maltreatment
Early
Death
Disease,
Disability and
SocialProblems
Adoption of
Health-Risk
Behaviors
Social-Emotional and
Cognitive Impairment
Disrupted
Neurodevelopment
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Conception
Death

Ready to Learn
 Security
 Trust
 Connection
 Contribution
 Capability
 Friendship
 Learning
 Emotional Regulation-Social Skills

Effects on behavior and
learning
Because the Stress Response directly effects the brain
and the development of memory, “Children who
experience adversity at an early age are more likely to
exhibit deficits in executive functioning, suggesting that
these capacities are vulnerable to disruption early in the
developmental process.

Trauma and Risk
Easily 16% of the
population has an
ACE Score of 4 or
higher.

Traumatic Life
When children have been exposed to
adverse childhood experiences, they have a
powerful, overwhelming sense of loss,
sorrow, sadness, fear, pain, and confusion.
This often looks like anger,
withdrawal, or defiance.

Children’s Behavior is Like
an Iceberg.

Hyper-vigilance

In response to life experiences children
develop reactive behaviors
 Ineffective, but protective skills include:
 Frequent Emotional Tsunamis
 Lack of access to real emotions: only anger
 Down Regulation
 Frequent withdrawal
 Argue about EVERYTHING
 Inflexible and rigid
 Literal
 Hypervigilance

Outward Behaviors
 Explosive
 Volatile
 Angry
 Anxious
 Unpredictable
 Intense
 Erratic

What about learning?
 60% available
 Not interested!
 Confused, hurt (angry), hyper-vigilant
 Reactive
 Doesn’t work well in classroom environments where
teachers are demanding, demeaning, discouraging and
disrespectful.
 By the time we get these folks, they have lived a life time in
a world of sorrow and pain! Some remain in that world.

Typical School “Discipline”
based on “Behaviorism” and
Zero Tolerance
Punitive Time-Out Withdrawal of Privileges
Withholding of “fun” activities Pull Cards
Threats Sent to Office
Detention Notes Sent Home
No Recess Removal From Group
Humiliation, Comparison Isolation
Extra Work Rejection

Teachers Avoid
 Acting Angrily
 Placing Blame
 Shaming and Humiliating
 Punishment
 Behavior based involvement
 Behavior based relationships

Student Success is About
Connecting
 Every student needs to know they are welcome
 Every student needs to know they are safe—
emotionally, physically, socially
 Reach out with humor and acceptance
 “Be Not Provoked”
 Do NOT Provoke!
 Patience and understanding combined with clear
expectations and support

Every Student Needs
 To know that someone cares
 Someone to talk to
 To feel safe
 To make meaningful contributions
 To feel successful
 To make progress

Why Positive Discipline?
 Positive Discipline is grounded in what the adult does,
rather than on what the child did.
 It requires adults to be intentional, knowledgeable, and
wise.
 It has the best and long term interest of the child in
mind.
 It is proven effective.
 It strengthens relationships and a sense of belonging
and significance.

TeacherLaurie.com
 Laurie is a Professor of Child Development at Modesto Junior College
and is focused on emotional and social development in young
children and adult-child relationships. She is specifically interested in
and has done extensive work in the area of the effects of trauma on
children and families and the role of relationships in healing.
 Laurie has provided consulting services, workshops, trainings and
keynote addresses around the state. She earned her BA in Human
Development and a Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis
in Early Childhood from California State University. Laurie has been a
family childcare provider, preschool teacher and program
director. She is a Certified Positive Discipline © Trainer and Parent
Educator. and presents workshops
 In addition to her professional career, Laurie is the mother of six
grown children, all boys. Her blended family includes 13 children and
42 grandchildren. She is learning to play the Ukulele.

ACEs Resources
 http://www.npr.org/sections/health-
shots/2015/03/02/387007941/take-the-ace-quiz-and-learn-
what-it-does-and-doesnt-mean
 https://www.ted.com/talks/nadine_burke_harris_how_childho
od_trauma_affects_health_across_a_lifetime?language=en
 http://www.centerforyouthwellness.org/adverse-childhood-
experiences-aces/
 http://acestoohigh.com/2012/10/03/the-adverse-childhood-
experiences-study-the-largest-most-important-public-health-
study-you-never-heard-of-began-in-an-obesity-clinic/
 http://www.traumainformedcareproject.org/

More resources
 http://www.traumainformedcareproject.org/resources/Tr
auma%20101%20Powerpoint%20PresentationV1.pdf
 http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/fall-2010/the-physiology-of-
stress-cortisol-and-the-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-
axis#.Va52J5NVhBchttp://dujs.dartmouth.edu/fall-
2010/the-physiology-of-stress-cortisol-and-the-
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis#.Va52J5NVhBc

Positive discipline conference trauma

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (20)

Similar to Positive discipline conference trauma

Similar to Positive discipline conference trauma (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Positive discipline conference trauma