What is Trauma?

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With grief, sadness is obvious. With trauma, the symptoms can go largely unrecognized because they show up looking like other problems: frustration, acting out, difficulty concentrating, following directions or working in a group. Often professionals misdiagnose students with anxiety, behavior disorders or attention disorders, rather than understanding the trauma that’s driving those symptoms and reactions.

Childhood trauma can negatively impact learning and behavior because of the way terror and fear create changes in the brain. Following exposure to a traumatic experience, survivors may become frozen in a heightened state of alertness or have a persistent fear for their safety. Without trauma intervention, research has shown that these emotional states alter brain function and the student’s ability to process information.

This leads to difficulty in:

● Focusing

● Processing verbal information

● Following teacher directions

● Recalling what was heard

● Retaining information

● Problem solving

● Behavior issues

● Hopelessness

● Increased peer conflict

● Increased school dropout rates

For children who have experienced trauma, learning can be a big struggle. But once trauma is identified as the root of the behavior, we can adapt our approach to help kids cope when they’re at school.

Informed teachers can begin to disarm the fight, flight or freeze response and help children feel safe. They can learn behavioral intervention strategies that don’t exacerbate trauma. They can partner with the fearful child in ways that help him overcome his or her fears.

Two effective modalities that we use to help disarm the trauma response and begin the healing process are Music and Art Therapy. That’s where Music for Migrants comes in!