Trauma

Recent Canadian research shows that over 61% of adults report experiencing at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE) during their childhood, making it essential for educators and caregivers to understand how trauma affects learning and behavior (Joshi et al., 2021).

The the science behind trauma responses shows that when children experience trauma, three key brain areas get affected in ways that directly impact learning:

The Alarm System (Amygdala): Imagine a smoke detector that's so sensitive it goes off when you make toast. That's what happens to the amygdala after trauma - it sees danger everywhere. So when you raise your voice to get the class's attention, Maya's brain screams "DANGER!" and she either fights, runs, or freezes.

The Memory Center (Hippocampus): This is where we organize and store memories. Trauma can shrink this area in individuals who've experienced multiple traumatic events (Teicher et al., 2016). This means students might genuinely not remember instructions you gave five minutes ago, or they might have trouble organizing their thoughts for that essay.

The CEO of the Brain (Prefrontal Cortex): This is our planning, decision-making, and self-control center. Trauma disrupts its development, which explains why some students seem to make the same "poor choices" repeatedly. Their brain's CEO is “offline.”

Students don't experience trauma in isolation - they experience it as a racialized student, an Indigenous student, female student, 2SLGBTQ+ student, student with disabilities, or a student whose family is struggling financially. Each part of their identity shapes how trauma impacts them and what helps them heal.

Students from diverse racial and cultural or religious backgrounds may experience:

• Racial or cultural trauma from bias and discrimination

• Historical trauma passed down through families due to system racism and discrimination

• Immigration trauma and fears

• Ongoing political conflicts in the world

• Pressure to be "perfect" that particularly affects some cultural groups

Indigenous students and historical trauma: 

Indigenous students carry the legacy of residential schools, which operated in Canada for over 150 years. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada described the residential school system as a "cultural genocide" that forcibly removed more than 150,000 Indigenous children from their families and communities. Children were subjected to harsh discipline, malnutrition, poor healthcare, abuse, and the deliberate suppression of their cultures and languages. The intergenerational effects of this trauma continues to affect educational and social achievement, levels of interpersonal violence, and affects relationships between parents and children.

Trauma and racism: 

Students who experience racism face both immediate harm and long-term effects that hurt their well-being, grades, and sense of belonging at school. TDSB's TDSB's Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Strategy recognizes that fighting racism requires looking at whole systems, not just individual incidents. The Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement helps students deal with racism, provides healing support, and teaches them how to advocate for themselves. 

Schools must understand that racism creates ongoing stress that can show up as anxiety, depression, and students pulling away from school. Addressing this requires comprehensive changes to school systems and policies, rather than expecting students to simply cope with discriminatory environments. 

2SLGBTQ+ students and trauma

These students often face unique trauma including:

• Family rejection trauma

• Identity concealment stress

• Discrimination in multiple settings

• Significantly higher rates of violence

• Systemic discrimination

What helps: 

Using chosen names and pronouns, visible 2SLGBTQ+ affirming materials, inclusive language training for all staff, enforced anti-discrimination policies and the recognition of ongoing systemic discrimination. See the TDSB's Gender and Sexual Alliances Club Resources. 

Trauma and students experiencing poverty

Poverty creates ongoing stress affecting:

• Housing stability

• Food security

• Family responsibilities

• Shame and stigma

What helps: 

Emergency supplies, flexible policies, free meal programs, community resource connections, treating all students with dignity.  For more information about how the TDSB supports students experiencing poverty visit Student-Nutrition  and Social Justice. 

Assessment considerations:

• How might trauma affect this student's learning and behavior?

• Are there trauma triggers in the school environment?

• What are the student's strengths and coping strategies?

• How do trauma symptoms interact with disability-related challenges?

Present levels of performance:

• Note environmental factors that help or hinder the student

• Include information about regulation strategies that work

• Describe the student's communication and social interaction patterns

Goals and supports:

• Include trauma-informed strategies alongside disability accommodations

• Build in sensory supports for students who have both sensory processing differences and trauma

• Consider how trauma might affect the student's ability to use their usual coping strategies

• Focus on building emotional regulation and self-advocacy skills

Accommodations and modifications:

• Access to trusted adults throughout the school day

• Flexible seating and movement breaks

• Alternative assessment methods when stress interferes with performance

• Modified discipline approaches that focus on teaching rather than punishment

Sensory supports 

• Provide multiple ways for students to demonstrate understanding and progress

• Include interests and preferences in planning

Memory problems:

• Difficulty remembering instructions, especially multi-step directions

• Problems with both short-term memory ("What did the teacher just say?") and long-term memory (recalling previously learned information)

• Trauma memories can intrude during learning, making it hard to focus on academic content

• May remember emotional content while forgetting factual information

Executive functioning (a set of mental processes that help individuals plan, monitor, and successfully achieve goals):

• Problems with planning and organizing work

• Difficulty managing time and completing tasks

• Trouble with self-control and managing behavior

• Challenges with flexible thinking and problem-solving

• May struggle with transitions between activities

Trust issues:

• Difficulty trusting adults, including teachers

• May be suspicious of others' motives

• Challenges forming positive relationships with peers

• May test relationships to see if adults will reject them

Social skills:

• May have missed opportunities to learn appropriate social skills

• Difficulty reading social cues and understanding others' emotions

• May interpret neutral situations as threatening

• Challenges with conflict resolution and negotiation

Sleep problems:

• Nightmares or difficulty falling asleep

• Fatigue affecting daytime learning

• Hypervigilance interfering with rest

• May fall asleep in class due to sleep disruption

Physical health:

• Frequent headaches or stomach aches

• Getting sick more often due to stress on the immune system

• Physical tension and stress responses

• Changes in appetite or eating patterns

Sensory processing:

• Heightened sensitivity to sounds, lights, or textures

• May seek or avoid certain sensory experiences

• Difficulty filtering out background noise

• Physical comfort items may be especially important

Build a sense of security: 

Making sure students feel both physically and emotionally safe is very important when dealing with trauma. When a person experiences something traumatic, they can feel unsafe or anxious about what will happen next. Feeling safe means being protected from harm and feeling secure. This includes physical safety, like not being in danger of getting hurt, and emotional safety, like feeling supported and not judged. When people feel safe, they can relax, focus better, and handle problems more easily. To help children/youth feel secure, create a welcoming, caring, and inclusive environment that is consistent and where they know what to expect.

• Give gentle reminders about expected behavior, but remember that having a positive relationship is key to getting their cooperation.

• Use regular and consistent routines. Post and maintain a consistent schedule. Warn about any potential surprises (e.g., fire drill).

• Allow time for transitions. 

• Use clear communication and visual aids whenever possible.

• Avoid punishments that might upset them or make their trauma worse.

• Create safe places/zones (e.g., comfortable corner with favourite or calming items).

Build relationships and connect children with caring adults: Supportive, responsive relationships with caring adults as early in life as possible can prevent or reverse the damaging effects of toxic stress response. 

• Help develop a support system for children and youth. It’s essential to have caring adults (e.g., mentors at school or religious or cultural organizations) that can provide emotional and practical help. 

• Welcome children to the classroom or school and show genuine interest in what matters to them.

• Let children/youth talk about what happened if they want to and provide support and understanding. You don’t need to know all the details about the trauma. 

• Listen and reflect back what they are saying.

• Validate them by letting them know their feelings are okay and understood. 

• Remember to approach their feelings with empathy, not judgment.

• It's important to recognize and understand each student's unique experience of trauma, taking into account any cultural considerations, to respond to trauma in a respectful and effective way.

Develop resilience through teaching emotional regulation: 

Resilience is the ability to bounce back and keep going when things get tough. When someone is resilient, they face challenges, problems, or difficult situations and manage to recover from them. They might feel upset or stressed, but they find ways to handle their emotions and keep moving forward. 

• Teach children and teens how to identify their feelings.

• Teach deep breathing, meditation, and grounding techniques to help them feel calm and focus on the present. 

• Post visual reminders of these tools. 

• Practice these skills when they are calm so that they can use them when they’re feeling overwhelmed. 

• One helpful exercise is the “5-4-3-2-1” technique. This involves:

1. Looking around and naming five things they can see.

2. Touching and naming four things they can feel.

3. Listening and naming three things they can hear.

4. Smelling and naming two things they can smell.

5. Tasting and naming one thing they can taste.

Be patient: 

Trauma can make it difficult to manage emotions and affect behaviour. Even if it seems minor to adults, if a child feels stressed or unsafe, it’s a real issue for them. 

• Be patient and give them time to heal. 

• Schedule regular breaks to help them stay focused and calm.

What educators can do - Educators are uniquely positioned to provide crucial support through:

• Creating safe, predictable classroom environments

• Building caring relationships with students

• Recognizing signs that a student may need additional support

• Implementing universal trauma-informed strategies

• Collaborating with mental health professionals

Why these boundaries matter:

• The lack of specialized clinical training to diagnose or treat trauma

• Inappropriate questioning can re-traumatize students

• Well-meaning but untrained interventions can cause harm

• Professional boundaries protect both students and educators

Children/youth dealing with trauma can require professional support to cope. 

Seek professional support when:

• A student discloses abuse or neglect

• A student expresses thoughts of suicide or self-harm

• A student's behavior poses a safety risk to themselves or others

• You observe significant, persistent changes in a student's functioning

Consider consultation with the School Support Team when:

• A student's trauma responses interfere significantly with learning

• You're unsure how to support a student's specific needs

• Classroom strategies aren't showing improvement over time

• You need guidance on trauma-informed accommodations

Where to seek help: 

• Counseling or therapy with a regulated mental health professional such as a psychologist, psychological associate, social worker or psychotherapist may be appropriate. Your School Team can provide some resources.

• Some children may benefit from medication. A consultation with child's family doctor or pediatrician may be helpful if the family agrees.

See our section on community mental health supports.

Signs of secondary trauma:

• Emotional: Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, angry, or numb

• Physical: Headaches, fatigue, getting sick more often

• Behavioral: Avoiding certain students, working excessive hours, withdrawing

• Cognitive: Intrusive thoughts, difficulty concentrating, questioning effectiveness

Negative changes in thinking and mood:

• Persistent negative thoughts about themselves or the world

• Distorted thoughts about the cause of the trauma

• Persistent negative emotions (fear, anger, guilt, shame)

• Loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy

• Difficulty experiencing positive emotions

Students with PTSD may experience:

• Difficulty concentrating in class

• Memory problems affecting academic performance

• Emotional reactions that seem out of proportion to the situation

• Physical symptoms like headaches or stomach problems

• Difficulty with peer relationships

• Increased absences from school

• Regression in academic or social skills

• Maintain consistent, predictable routines

• Provide clear warnings before transitions or changes

• Create a safe space where the student can go when overwhelmed

• Work with the school's mental health team for additional support

• Avoid pushing the student to talk about their trauma

• Focus on strengths and building resilience

• Understand there will be good days and difficult days

Research shows that resilience isn't something you're just born with—it's something you can build and grow stronger over time. Scientists have discovered that our brains can actually change throughout our lives, and just like bad experiences can hurt our brains, good experiences and caring relationships can help heal them.

The brain can reorganize itself by forming new connections throughout life, allowing us to learn new skills, recover from injuries, and adapt to new experiences. This ability is called neuroplasticity, and it's the reason we can become more resilient.

When people face stress well, their brains don't just ignore the stress—they actively work harder to fight back against it.