Much attention has been given to the academic performance of "disrupted learners," children whose schooling was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (Turner & Carillo, 2024). An area in need of further research is the impact this disruption had on student behavior and the implications for early childhood educators so they can…

According to research, as many as 68% of students have experienced at least some form of trauma (Cavanaugh, 2016). Yet, most educators report feeling inadequate about understanding trauma-informed practice, including understanding how trauma can impact student behavior in the classroom. This article provides a primer about trauma that can allow…

Overwhelming events such as neglect, abuse, and violence impact students in a number of ways. Typically, students who have experienced trauma demonstrate significant deficits in skills that promote emotional and behavioral regulation. When these deficits are displayed in the classroom, learning can be significantly disrupted for the survivor and…

Today's classrooms call for a delicate balance of policy and practice. Early childhood educators are tasked with developing the social, emotional, and academic wellbeing of the children they serve, while also following school, district, and government expectations. Many teachers struggle to effectively teach academic content, given their students'…

We discuss the use of two empirically validated behavior-change methods--checklists and goal setting--and designed a checklist to assist behavior analysts in improving their behavioral services to be more culturally responsive and trauma informed. We also present pilot data evaluating the use of the checklist and goal setting on the inclusion of…

The curvilinear relationship between academic help-seeking and the need for assistance is well-reported (Fong et al., 2021; Karabenick & Knapp, 1991). Within the help-seeking literature, the complexity of help-seeking for ethnically diverse students has been explained by a few studies that cite cultural differences in self-regulation in…

In any given environmental education program there are students who have experienced trauma, yet the field has not expanded to consider the particular needs of these students. This paper weaves together strands from psychology, education, and healthcare to outline the concept of trauma and how it manifests in students and to introduce a series of…

Platt outlines some simple but effective strategies to help students who are struggling with trauma. She relies on her own personal story with trauma to influence how she identifies and helps students who are struggling and offers tips on how to show love, stay calm, and be consistent when dealing with students who may be having a meltdown, acting…

Notwithstanding their empirically validated credentials and social justice orientations, a mono-dimensional approach to Positive Behavioural Interventions and Supports (PBIS) cannot singlehandedly meet the unique needs of minoritised children and young people who have experienced acute, cumulative, or complex traumas. Experiences of trauma have…

Currently more than 400,000 youth are placed in foster care across the United States. Between 33% and 50% of these children receive special education services. Nearly half of foster care youth with disabilities are identified as having emotional and behavioral disorders, in part due to their exposure to maltreatment including neglect, substance…

Trauma is pervasive in schools and can threaten students, affecting their academic performance and opportunities for lifelong success. Educators must be careful they don't add to a student's trauma. School policies, including academic (e.g., tracking) and behavior (e.g., discipline), can carry implicit bias that can retraumatize a student. A…

Supporting evidence and intervention resources for addressing childhood trauma are growing, with schools indicated as a potentially critical system for service delivery. Multiple points for prevention and intervention efforts in schools are possible, but in this manuscript, we review evidence on trauma-specific interventions targeted to students…

The 2022 Legislature directed the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to create an advisory workgroup with specific participants to report back on topics related to student isolation and seclusion. This legislative report provides a background on the workgroup, history of isolation and restraint, current practices in the state of…

As schools continue to transition from pandemic-induced disruption to a new normal, educators must realize that the most vulnerable students are the ones who've been harmed the most. The problem is, because trauma and mental health distress aren't immediately visible, educators won't know "which" students are in a quiet state of…

This document provides recommendations of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD) regarding the use of seclusion in schools. It updates the CCBD's position on this topic first published in 2009 and includes (a) key definitions, (b) a summary of problems with the use of seclusion, (c) strategies to eliminate the use of seclusion,…