1. +
SHINE A LIGHT
This project intends to shine a light on the social/emotional issues that impact students with
disabilities in and outside of the classroom.The project will help to build cultural awareness as it
relates to the social and emotional issues that impact students with disabilities. By building awareness
among teachers,the project intends to develop a more welcoming school community for students with
disabilities and their families.

2. +
Initial Quick Write
Purpose:To gage the learning and monitor the effectiveness of the
PDs and the case study activities.
You will have 5 minutes to write about why you selected the
student you chose for your case study, discuss your
immediate concerns regarding the student, talk about what
you hope to learn, and briefly describe what you believe are
some of the student’s social emotional challenges.
*When the timer begins please start writing (please try to
write for the duration of the time).
*Try to refrain from discussion until after the quick write is
over, at which time you will have 3 minutes to share your
thoughts with a table partner.

3. +
Statement of Confidentiality
Although this project will enable me to explore the social
emotional issues that children with disabilities face, in order
to respect the privacy of my student and his/her family, I will
make every effort to refrain from discussing my student by
name. Additionally, at no time will I be discussing my social
emotional findings with other students or parents of other
students.
________________________
Teacher name
________________________
Teacher signature

4. +
Workshop Schedule and Agenda
 Jan. 21, 2014-Looking at the Roots of Special Education
(Special Education Overview and Project Opening)
 Feb. 18, 2014-Trauma and the Brain; Select student for case
study
 March 25, 2014-Signs, Signals, and Reactions of Trauma;
Quick write and statement of confidentiality; Explore the
cum; Explorations with case study
 April 22, 2014-Psychological 1st Aid/Teacher Self-Care; Case
study discussions; Student interview results; Final quick write

5. +
The Brain (Let’s review)
 5 regions of the Central Core
 3 regions of the Limbic System
 5 lobes of the Cerebral Cortex
 Trauma affects all parts of the brain
 Neuroplasticity allows for recalibration
 As teachers, we can help a child overcome trauma

6. +
Agenda
 Watch a video to connect the importance of understanding
how the brain works and working through trauma
 What is child traumatic stress?
 Common signs and signals of a stress reaction
 Working to stop the cycle of traumatic stress
 Effective ways to treat child traumatic stress

7. +
A Short Video for Thought
http://youtu.be/zLp-edwiGUU
Brain
Power:
From
Neurons
to Networks

8. +
What is child Traumatic Stress?
 Child traumatic stress is when children and adolescents are
exposed to traumatic events or traumatic situations, and
when this exposure overwhelms their ability to cope.
 When children have been exposed to situations when they
feared for their lives, believed they could have been injured,
witnessed violence, or tragically lost a loved one, they may
show signs of traumatic stress.
 The impact on any given child depends partly on the
objective danger, partly on his or her subjective reaction to
the events, and partly on his or her age and developmental
level.

9. +
How do Children Respond to
Traumatic Stress?
 Depending on their age, children respond to traumatic stress
in different ways. Many children show signs of intense
distress.
 Even though the event may be over, one may now be
experiencing or may experience later, some strong
emotional or physical reactions.
 It is very common (in fact quite normal) for people to
experience emotional aftershocks or flashbacks when they
have passed through a horrible event.

10. +
Signs and Signals of a Stress Reaction
can be Organized into 4 Categories
Physical
Cognitive
Emotional
Behavioral

11. +
Common Physical Stress Reactions
(List signs your student displays.)
Fatigue Vomiting
Nausea Grinding of teeth
Muscle tremors Weakness
Twitches Dizziness
Chest pain Profuse sweating
Difficulty breathing Chills
Elevated Blood Pressure Shock symptoms
Thirst Fainting
Headaches Increased heart rate
Visual difficulties

12. +
Common Cognitive Stress Reactions
(List signs your student displays.)
Blaming Poor problems solving
Confusion Poor abstract thinking
Poor Attention Loss of time, place or person
orientation
Poor decisions Disturbed thinking
Heightened or lowered
alertness
Nightmares
Poor concentration Intrusive images
Memory problems Increased or decreased
awareness of surroundings
Hyper vigilance Difficulty identifying familiar
objects or people

13. +
Common Emotional Stress Reactions
(List signs your student displays.)
Anxiety Loss of emotional control
Guilt Depression
Grief Inappropriate emotional
response
Denial Apprehension
Severe pain (rare) Feeling overwhelmed
Emotional shock Intense anger
Fear Irritability
Uncertainty Agitation

14. +
Common Behavioral Stress Reactions
(List signs your student displays.)
Change in activity Inability to rest
Change in speech patterns Antisocial acts
Withdrawal Nonspecific bodily complaints
Emotional outbursts Hyper alert to environment
Suspiciousness Startle reflex intensified
Change in usual
communications
Pacing
Loss or increase of appetite Erratic movements
Alcohol consumption Change in sexual functioning

15. +
Working to Stop the Cycle of
Traumatic Stress
 While some children “bounce back” after adversity, traumatic
experiences can result in a significant disruption of child or
adolescent development and have profound long-term
consequences.
 Repeated exposure to traumatic events can affect the child’s brain
and nervous system and increase the risk of low academic
performance, engagement in high risk behaviors, and difficulties in
peer and family relationships.
 Traumatic stress can cause increased use of health and mental
health services and increased involvement with the child welfare
and juvenile justice systems.
 Adult survivors of traumatic events may have difficulty in
establishing fulfilling relationships, holding steady jobs, and
becoming productive members of our society. Fortunately, there are
effective treatments for child traumatic stress.

16. +
Effective Ways to Treat Child
Traumatic Stress
 Education about the impact of trauma.
 Helping children and their parents establish or re-establish a
sense of safety.
 Teach students skills to cope better with distress and to learn
social problem solving skills.
 Give students an opportunity to talk about the traumatic
experiences in a safe, accepting environment.
 Learn to notice and name the child’s experiences.

17. +
Effective Ways to Treat Child
Traumatic Stress (cont.)
 Validate their emotions which will help to connect with them
on a personal level.
 Tune in and understand the message the student is really
sending through their behavior.
 We will review above further at the next PD: Psychological
First Aid.

18. +
The Case Study
 Exploring the cum
 Student interviews (will be conducted by Anne-Marie,
Ms.Temores, and Mr.Sanchez)
 Prompts
You will have the first 20 minutes during your grade level
rotations to explore the cum and answer the prompts (may
require making phone calls or speaking with student).
Try to briefly answer as many of the questions as possible
over the next month (by April 22nd).

19. +
The Social-Emotional Case Study
Prompts
 What are the student’s family strengths and support systems?
 What is the situation like at home? Are there any stressors?
 Is there a history of any traumatic experience?
 Who does the child live with?
 Is your student able to problem solve?
 Does the child have adequate supervision after-school?
 How many hours is he/she alone per day?
 Does the student have medical needs met (dental, eye,
physical)?

20. +
The Social-Emotional Case Study
Prompts (cont.)
 How much screen time does your student have per day?
 How much exercise does your student get per day?
 What does your student find humorous?
 Does your student have access to healthy food? Does he/she
bring a snack? What does he/she bring?
 Is your student impacted by poverty? How do you know?
 Does your student get adequate sleep (no less than 9 hours
per night)?
 What were the first 3 years of your student’s life like?

21. +
The Social-Emotional Case Study
Prompts (cont.)
 Does your student ever get to interact with nature?
 How much time does your child spend reading in class per
day?
 How much time does your child spend reading outside of
class per day?
 Is homework a positive experience or is it a negative and
stressful experience for the child and the family?
 Does your student ever have opportunities to leave the
neighborhood?
 How does your student interact with other students in the
classroom and on the yard?
 Has your student’s family had problems with law
enforcement?

22. +
The Social-Emotional Case Study
Prompts (cont.)
 What is your student’s relationship with his/her parents?
 Does your student have siblings? What is his/her relationship
with the siblings?
 Does your student participate in outside curricular activities?
 Over the course of a week, what is your student’s general
mood?
 Has your student ever been hospitalized? Explain.
 Does your student have any ongoing health concerns
(physical or mental)?
 Are there any other questions that you think when answered
would help to create a bigger picture of the social emotional
issues impacting your student?

23. +
Exploring the Cumulative File
Attendance record
 Have there been excessive absences? When did these
occur?
Teacher comments
 Are there any behavior/attention related patterns?
 Are there any change in patterns?
Previous schools
 Has student changed schools or classrooms?
Birth certificate
 Who was present at the birth?
 Where was the child born?

24. +
Exploring the Cumulative File
(cont.)
Enrollment documents
 Does student have siblings? What were their ages at
time of enrollment? What are their ages now?
 Who are the adults listed on the enrollment form?
IEP and SST documents
 Review all IEP and SST forms.
 Look for information related to the student’s social
emotional learning and development
 What types of interventions and services has the
student received?

25. +
Exploring the Cumulative (cont.)
Report cards
 Grades, teacher comments, do parents typically attend
conferences?
 Are there any patterns? Do you see any change in
patterns?

26. +
Closing Thoughts
 By looking deeper at the social emotional issues that may be
impacting our students with disabilities and using what we
have learned about brain function and trauma we can use our
intent to start addressing each student’s social emotional
learning, which as research shows, has a direct impact on
academic learning.
 As the video suggests, we will work on “paying attention to
paying attention.” By peering through the lens of our case
study students we can ask ourselves,“What does life and
learning look and feel like through the eyes of our students?”

27. +
References
 Bryan,T., Burstein, K., & Ergul, C. (2004).The social-emotional
side of learning disabilities: A science-based presentation of
the state of the art. Learning Disability Quarterly, 45-51.
 Durlak, J. A.,Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B.,Taylor, R. D., &
Schellinger, K. B. (2011).The impact of enhancing students’
social and emotional learning: A meta‐analysis of
school‐based universal interventions. Child development,
82(1), 405-432.
 Zins, J. E., & Elias, M. J. (2007). Social and emotional learning:
Promoting the development of all students. Journal of
Educational and Psychological Consultation, 17(2-3), 233-255.