Behaviors: Jumpiness (heightened startle reflex), frequent periods of "zoning out", general paranoid behavior, avoids being touched OR seeks out positive physical touch/interactions, hesitance/fear to be wrong or be punished, aversion to loud activities, REFUSES TO TALK ABOUT HOME or anything outside of school, avoids eye contact, falling asleep in class, emotional outbursts, lack of emotional response, not socializing or being interested in socializing/forming attachments, sudden change of or decline in interests, disinterest in the future (older children), tries to avoid going home, hangs around campus after school,
Strategy: Clear and precise explanation of new situations. (i.e. This video is going to be loud at the beginning. The fire alarm is going to ring in one minute let's get ready now.)
Strategy: Ask permission for even small touches or assistance. (i.e. Can I hold your pencil? Can I help you tie your shoe?) Or if physical interaction is necessary, tell them exactly what will happen. (i.e. I need to hold your hand. I'm going to move your chair.)
Strategy: Offer various ways to participate without requiring more than the student can give emotionallys/socially.
Strategy: Give the student a journal to keep in the classroom, in a locked drawer in your desk, to journal about their feelings. If they want to share, great, if not, that's okay too. They may not have a safe place at home to keep such a journal or express themselves.
Strategy: Offer various ways to connect to material, particularly material about familial relationships. living situations, or conflict. (Is the mom in this story nice like your mom? could be triggering. We can't always avoid it, but try to offer various ways to frame it. "Does this mom do nice things for her son? What does she do? Do you do any of these nice things for anyone? etc)
Strategy: Peace/Chill Out corner/place for the student to go. PTSD often causes sensory processing difficulties.
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Strategy: General SEL education that ALL emotions (even "bad" ones) are okay and offer ways to cope with those emotions. Specifically provide physical symptoms of emotions, not just the emotion name. Traumatized students (and very young students) may not recognize the emotion by name but by feeling.
Provide extra time at school to complete work. They may not have time at home or the space at home to complete it.
Strategy: Develop nonverbal ways to communicate overwhelm or when they need a break from the class or a topic. Allow students to step outside or arrange for them to have time away from the classroom if discussing potentially harmful material. (Some required readings have triggering materials. For example: To Kill a Mockingbird mentions child abuse, Lemony Snicket is about orphans whose parents die and their caregiver is neglectful and manipulative)