- 1). Learn about the child's environment at home. It's helpful to have an understanding of what kind of trauma the child has been exposed to. There are three types of family violence that can harm children: witnessing domestic violence, being directly abused and being exposed to care-taking that is neglectful.
- 2). Look for the symptoms of trauma. The child might fail to understand directions, overreact to comments from teachers and other students, misunderstand context, and fail to connect cause and effect.
- 3). Show sensitivity. To help the child feel comfortable in his learning environment, it is a good idea to focus more on being sensitive to the child's feelings rather than focusing on disciplining the child for the behavior. A child coming from a home where trauma has taken place will likely feel threatened and insecure in his learning environment. You want to create an environment that the child can feel safe and comfortable in.
- 4). Focus on the child's strength. Every child has an area he is strong in. Focus on that instead of the child's weaknesses. Focusing on the strength will help improve the child's self-esteem and give the child the opportunity to experience success.
- 5). Involve staff and other members in helping the child succeed. Get together with the other staff and come up with a plan for the best way to help the child feel safe and comfortable at school. Consider using a school counselor or psychologist with the traumatized child.
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