Impact of Childhood Trauma on Academic Performance: Trauma Sensitivity and the SESP

September 19, 2012 | 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

Doubletree by Hilton | 5400 Computer Drive | Westborough, MA 02032 | Directions

Trauma can dramatically affect children's lives, especially their academic performance, classroom behavior, and relationships. Special Education Surrogate Parents face these issues when they develop IEPs with the student's Team and take into account the effects of trauma, especially challenging behaviors.

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Conference Schedule

9:00 am - 9:30 am: Registration, Continental Breakfast
9:30 am - 10:00 am: Welcome Messages
10:00 am - 12:00 noon: Plenary Session
12:00 noon - 12:45 pm: Lunch and Door Raffles
12:45 pm - 3:30 pm: Concurrent Sessions: Each of the concurrent sessions will be offered twice.
Participants will be able to attend two different sessions:
Time Slot A: 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Time Slot B: 2:15 pm - 3:30 pm

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Workshops

Plenary Session: Complex Childhood Trauma and Its Implications for School Performance and Functioning
Margaret E. Blaustein, Ph.D. - Director of Training and Education, Trauma Center at JRI
Margaret E. Blaustein, Ph.D., is a practicing clinical psychologist whose career has focused on the understanding and treatment of complex childhood trauma. Building from the foundational theories of childhood development, attachment, and traumatic stress, Dr. Blaustein will examine the ways in which trauma impacts academic performance and school functioning. She is co-developer of the Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (ARC) treatment framework (Kinniburgh & Blaustein, 2005), and co-author of the text, Treating Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents: How to Foster Resilience through Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency (Blaustein & Kinniburgh, 2010). She has provided extensive training and consultation to providers nationally and internationally.

Workshop 1: Developmental Manifestations of Trauma
Kelly Pratt, LICSW - Trauma Center at JRI
Traumatized children present with different symptomology through developmental stages. Trauma sensitivity makes it imperative for parents, teachers, caregivers and other adults such as SESPs to understand that these students who have behavioral challenges are experiencing different neurological development than typically developing children. This workshop will address manifestations of trauma across domains (i.e., behavioral, cognitive, emotional, relational) as seen in children/adolescents at various developmental stages.

Workshop 2: Vicarious Trauma and Self-Care
Hilary Hodgdon, Ph.D., - Trauma Center at JRI
People who work with others who have experienced severe trauma may take on trauma-related symptoms, such as depression and anxiety. SESPs should be aware that this could be happening to them. This workshop will address the impact on caregivers of caring for and supporting children suffering from complex trauma, along with self-care strategies to address caregivers' needs.

Workshop 3: Making the Special Education Legal Process Work for Students Affected by Traumatic Experiences
Susan Cole, J.D., M.Ed., - Massachusetts Advocates for Children and Harvard Law School Education Law Clinic
This workshop will cover the special education legal process with a focus on advocating for students with disabilities affected by traumatic experiences. Among topics discussed will be: information to gather in preparing your case to be sure you are meeting the requirements of special education law and also providing a full educational picture of a complex child, what to consider when checking off the disability categories, what evaluations might be helpful, confidentiality issues with respect to sharing the details of the trauma history, creating empathy at the team meeting and making sure the child's voice is heard.

Workshop 4: Writing Trauma-Focused IEP Goals
Angi Stone-MacDonald, Ph.D., - UMass Boston
Writing measurable IEP goals is essential to measure effective progress. But how do you write measurable academic and non academic goals for students with emotional disabilities? This workshop will demonstrate how to develop IEP goals with a broad focus on building relationships with peers and adults, self-regulation, and social/emotional development. Participants will learn how an SESP can ensure that the entire IEP is "trauma sensitive."

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Registration

Please provide us with your current contact information:
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How long have you been an SESP? 0-1 year 1-5 years 5 or more years
Please list in order of preference: First choice... Workshop 1: Developmental Manifestations of Trauma Workshop 2: Vicarious Trauma and Self-Care Workshop 3: Making the Special Education Legal Process Work for Students Affected by Traumatic Experiences Workshop 4: Writing Trauma-Focused IEP Goals
Second choice... Workshop 1: Developmental Manifestations of Trauma Workshop 2: Vicarious Trauma and Self-Care Workshop 3: Making the Special Education Legal Process Work for Students Affected by Traumatic Experiences Workshop 4: Writing Trauma-Focused IEP Goals
Third Choice... Workshop 1: Developmental Manifestations of Trauma Workshop 2: Vicarious Trauma and Self-Care Workshop 3: Making the Special Education Legal Process Work for Students Affected by Traumatic Experiences Workshop 4: Writing Trauma-Focused IEP Goals
Fourth choice... Workshop 1: Developmental Manifestations of Trauma Workshop 2: Vicarious Trauma and Self-Care Workshop 3: Making the Special Education Legal Process Work for Students Affected by Traumatic Experiences Workshop 4: Writing Trauma-Focused IEP Goals
Special accommodations (such as dietary needs), please describe:
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