Child and Adolescent Counsellor Simmone Boyce, and Anya Edwards from our education team, take a close look at developing expertise in developmental trauma

6 min read

Understanding how trauma and consistent stress can impact children’s learning, development and emotional responses is important for understanding how we can support them effectively. Here, Simmone Boyce and Anya Edwards reflect on how settings can develop expertise to support children.

By the time children arrive at a setting a number of them might have experienced traumatic events. These are painful experiences and events which impact the child directly and can leave them in a state of distress. The effects can appear in many ways, such as persistent crying, being easily startled, difficulty sleeping or eating, or often having a headache or stomach ache.

Understanding developmental trauma can help early years educators, to provide more of the support a child who has experienced trauma needs to learn and flourish.

The effect of trauma on the brain

Our brains are the driving force for understanding the world around us. New experiences help develop the brain and can teach it how to respond, and what to expect. For example, if a young child does not experience a caring relationship with an adult, then that connection won’t be developed and, more generally, they might not know how to experience caring relationships with other adults.

However, the brain is adaptable and can build new connections for children as they experience safe and positive relationships. Where early years settings are aware of a child’s trauma they can play an important role in helping a child’s brain to build these new connections.

Developing trauma-informed practice

To support children who have experienced trauma as well as possible, settings need to develop trauma-informed practice that is embedded in all aspects of the setting. This may include:

1/ Training and developing staff – It’s important staff recognise how a child exposed to trauma can be impacted emotionally and how that may change their behaviour, their capacity to learn, and their overall development. Staff need to understand what is meant by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and may need training or time to research the topic. You may wish to have a member of staff who leads on developmental trauma, receives training, and can support colleagues with best practice, resources and tools. Tapestry’s recent Guide to Developmental Trauma, written by Simmone, is also a useful starting point.

2/ Revising processes and procedures – Revisiting existing policies so that they support children who have experienced trauma can make a significant difference. For example, adapting the behaviour policy so that it reduces the risk of re-traumatising a child, and provides informed strategies to co-regulate, and/or create moments of safety for the child in need of support. Similarly, reviewing procedures can create an environment where children can feel more secure, for example can staff explore the setting through a child’s lens? What might be overstimulating? How could this be changed to create a physically, and emotionally, safe environment?

3/ The right environment – Offering quieter spaces for children to access during the day can help them to process their feelings. Also creating an environment where a child doesn’t rely just on their key person is important for helping them to realise there are other adults who area safe and they can feel confident to be with.

4/ Creating a community – Providing the child with several adults who support them and make them feel safe is helpful and avoids a child relying on just one person in the setting.  Building links with parents and carers is particularly important where a child has experienced early trauma. Sharing how their child is developing, what they find hard, and how the setting is supporting them to self-regulate, can help families to provide support at home as well. Sign-posting to voluntary or community organisations who provide support to families can also be useful.

Changing our expectations for children who have experienced trauma

As a setting you will have certain expectations for the children you support. Supporting children with trauma may mean changing these expectations. The following are good to consider:

Understanding ourselves

Trauma-informed practice takes time and experience, and requires a team approach. It’s important to create an environment where you can work together with colleagues to provide a community of support. This gives space for you to step back if the relationship dynamic shifts in a way you feel is no longer appropriate.  For this, it is helpful to have an understanding of transference.

Transference occurs when a child unconsciously projects their feelings about a person (often a parent) onto another adult (often key person) in a setting. For example, if a child has a parent who has been emotionally neglectful then the child might expect other adults to be emotionally neglectful. The child might also project their feelings about being emotionally neglected onto other adults if they remind them of their parent in some way. This can impact how we interact with the child, understanding this is an important step in maintaining professional boundaries.

One in three children and young people are exposed to at least one potentially traumatic event by the time they are 18[i]. Although there is little precise data about children’s experiences of early trauma, it is important settings are aware of the role they can play in reducing its detrimental impact. Getting the support right can positively influence the outcomes of a child throughout their lives.

To read Tapestry’s Beginners Guide to Developmental Trauma visit this page.