Presented by
Diane Gennuso, MA
Resource Teacher, Westside Union School District
Board Member Attachment & Trauma Network
&
Anna Paravano, MS, CID
Therapeutic Parent
Education Director, Attachment & Trauma Network
Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc. 2013
Essential Vocabulary for Parents & Teachers
Term
Abandonment
Definition
The act of: forsaking completely, giving-up or leaving behind. (Dictionary.com)
What You Need to Know:
Attachment
Developmental
Delays
Emotional Safety
Fight, Flight or
Freeze
Hypervigilance
Paradigm Shift
Primary Caregiver
Leaving the infant/child in the care of someone whom the child does not know or with
whom the child does not feel safe is abandonment. It’s essential to view the feeling of
abandonment from the child’s perspective.
The reciprocal process by which an emotional connection develops between an infant
and their primary caregiver. The quality and consistency of this connection influences the
child’s development on all levels: physical, neurological, cognitive, and psychological. As
the infant grows the type of attachment experienced in infancy becomes the basis for:
that child’s sense of basic trust or mistrust, how they will relate to the world, learn and
form relationships throughout life. (ATTACh; Eshleman)
What You Need to Know: A child who has experienced trauma early in their life is at
greater risk for problems with healthy attachment than one who has not. Healthy
attachment is the basis for trust, positive self-image, positive world view and ability to be
resilient. Children with attachment challenges, including Attachment Disorder, will need
therapy and therapeutic parenting to provide the opportunity to heal and develop this
emotional connection.
A developmental delay is any significant lag in a child's physical, cognitive, behavioral,
emotional, or social development, in comparison with norms. (Children’s Health
Encyclopedia @ Answers.com)
What You Need to Know: Early childhood trauma, including trauma in-utero or at
birth, can contribute to developmental delays-- not only emotionally, but in other ways as
well.
What You Need to Know: Emotional safety is the CHILD’S sense of being safe, not
the adult’s belief that the child should feel safe. Does your student feel safe, or is he/she
acting out of fear?
A response in the brain to danger that motivates someone to attack, escape from, or try
to make themselves “invisible” to the source of danger. Children with attachment
disorder may the “fight, flight or freeze” response to normal stimuli, leading to behavior
problems and impaired development. (Eshleman)
What You Need to Know: This brain response to danger is often at the root of our
students behaviors. Although their actions can feel very personal, we need to understand
that their behaviors are based in this brain response to perceived threats.
An enhanced state of sensory sensitivity accompanied by an exaggerated intensity of
behaviors whose purpose it is to detect threats. (Eshleman)
What You Need to Know: Hypervigilance can become a “normal” state for children
who have experienced trauma and is often mistaken for lack of focus and attention, i.e.
ADHD.
A dramatic change in the paradigm of any discipline or group. A paradigm is a
framework of basic assumptions, ways of thinking and methodology. (Dictionary.com)
What You Need to Know: It’s necessary to “see” our students, their history, their
present state and their needs for what they truly are, so it is necessary to shift our teaching
paradigm to new ways of thinking.
The person who assumes primary responsibility both physically and emotionally for the
care of the child.
Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc. 2013
What You Need to Know: Whether it is the child’s biological parent, foster parent,
PTSD
Sensory
Integration/Sensory
Experiences
State Memory
Stimulation Levels
Therapeutic
Interactions
Trauma
grandparent,or adoptive parent, it is their job to care for the child day in and day out as
the primary caregiver, regardless of how many previous caregivers they’ve had.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a
terrifying event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well
as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. (Mayoclinic.com)
What You Need to Know: You may have students with PTSD. It is sometimes labeled
as ED (Emotionally Disturbed) by IEP teams.
The normal neurological process of taking in information from one’s body and
environment through the senses, organizing and unifying this information, and using it to
plan and adapt responses to life. (Kranowitz).
What You Need to Know: Sensory experiences are the primary way that an infant and
young child perceives the world. If what a child experiences is trauma, then it effects their
ability to process information received through the senses. Trauma triggers are frequently
sensory. Trauma-informed, sensory integration work often helps traumatized children to
better process and respond to sensory information.
Body sensations or changes in physical functioning that are recorded in the brain and
associated with a trauma. The remembrances of these sensations can be felt/reexperienced when similar occurrences cue, or trigger, the stored memories. (Sidran
Institute)
What You Need to Know: Traumatized children may experience physical/sensory
reactions to triggers of past traumas that are confusing to us as teachers. They may seem
to be over-reacting or blowing things way out of proportion to the actual
situation. Recognizing that these reactions (including physical pain, reacting to noises,
touch, smells, etc.) are connected to their trauma memories helps us to understand and
respond therapeutically.
Over/Under – Stimulation to the sensory channels of the body (taste, sight, sound,
tactile, smell, vestibular or proprioceptive) that input information to the brain. Examples:
Over = too much stimulation which for each child is different. For some it might be an
amusement park, bright lights, or a touch to the shoulder. Under = too little stimulation
such as being left in a crib for hours on end with no sensory input, not being spoken to
for hours on end.
What You Need to Know: Stimulation in-utero and after birth help build the brain.
Remember what wires together fires together. Thus some children may become
overwhelmed with too much sensory input while other children may crave sensory input
to deal with stress. Each child is different; so the teacher will want to tune into their
students to see what stimulation levels they require to feel safe and able to process stress.
The ability to use one’s personality consciously and in full awareness in an attempt to
establish relatedness and to structure interventions. Providers must possess selfawareness, self-understanding, and the following: rapport, trust, respect, genuineness, and
empathy.
What You Need to Know: The intentional interactions you have with your students
that provide an opportunity for the students to feel safe and able to trust, thus creating an
environment where they can process past trauma and/or move toward a place of
attachment.
A painful experience or shock that can create substantial and often long-lasting damage to
the psychological development and well-being of the individual. (Eshleman, p. 37)
What You Need to Know: In children, feelings may not be verbalized but acted out
through disorganized or agitated behavior.
Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc. 2013
Essential References & Resources for Parents & Teachers
Books for Parents and Teachers (T)
Adopting the Hurt Child, and Parenting the Hurt Child, Gregory Keck and Regina Kupecky
Adopting the Older Child, and Coping with Separation and Loss, Claudia Jewett
Adoption Parenting, Creating a Toolbox, Building Connections, Jean MacLeod and Sheena Macrae
Attachment in the Classroom: The Links Between Children’s Early Experience, Emotional Well Being & Performance in School,
Heather Geddes, PhD (T)
Becoming a Family: Developing Healthy Attachments with your Adopted Child, Lark Eshleman
Beyond Consequences, Logic and Control, Bryan Post and Heather Forbes (T)
Building the Bonds of Attachment, Daniel Hughes
Connecting with Children Through Stories, Using Narratives to Facilitate Attachment in Adopted Children, Denise B. Lacher
Healing Parents: Helping Children Learn to Love and Trust, Michael Orlans and Terry Levy
Help for Billy: A Beyond Consequences Approach to Helping Challenging Children in the Classroom, Heather Forbes (T)
Inside I’m Hurting: Practical Strategies for Supporting Children with Attachment Difficulties in Schools, L. M. Bombier (T)
Learn the Child: A Good Practice Guide for Social Workers, Carers & Teachers, Kate Cairns & Chris Stanway (T)
Nurturing Adoptions, and Attaching in Adoption, Debra Gray
Raising a Sensory Smart Child, Biel and Leske (T)
Reaching and Teaching Children Who Hurt: Strategies for Your Classroom, Susan E. Craig (T)
Sensational Kids, Lucy Jane Miller (T)
Sensory Integration and the Child, A. Jean Ayres (T)
The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, Bruce Perry (T)
The Challenging Child, Stanley Greenspan
The Connected Child, Karyn Purvis
The Great Behavior Breakdown, Bryan Post (T)
The Misunderstood Child, Larry B. Silver
The Out of Sync Child and The Out of Sync Child Has Fun, Carol Kranowitz and Lucy Jane Miller (T)
The Primal Wound, Understanding the Adopted Child, Nancy Verrier
Toddler Adoption: The Weaver’s Craft, Mary Hopkins-Best
Trauma Through a Child’s Eyes, Levine and Kline (T)
When a Stranger Calls You Mom, Katherine Leslie (T)
When Love is Not Enough, Nancy Thomas
Why is Johnny So Detached, Thomas Ottavi, PhD (T)
Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc. 2013
Books for Children
To provide information, help with transitions,
reinforce what loving relationships look like, or suggest a sense of self
General Topics
A Boy and A Bear by Lori Lite
(a Child’s Relaxation Book – teaches a child how to do deep breathing using a bear and boy in the story)
A Difficult Day by Eugenie Fernandez
Harriet You’ll Drive Me Wild by Mem Fox
I Forgot to Say I love You by Miriam Moss
I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont
It’s Okay To Be Different by Todd Parr
Jessica and the Wolf – A story for children who have bad dreams by Ted Lobby, MSW
Just Because I Am, A Child’s book of Affirmation by Lauren Murphy Payne, MSW
The Way I Feel Books – this is a series of books
Sensory Processing
Meghan’s World by Diane M. Renna – The story of one girls’ triumph over SPD. A book for a bit older child
with a very good description for parents and teachers of each area of SPD
The Goodenough’s Get in Sink – for an even older child about SPD and the different types
Adoption
A Koala For Katie by Jonathon London (a book about adoption)
A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza (about a bird who is taken in by a mother bear)
All Together Now by Anita Jeram (a book about a mother rabbit who also takes in a duck and a mouse as her
children)
Families are Forever by Deb Capone (Asian child in adoption story)
How I was Adopted by Joanna Cole (explains both birth and adoption with simple pictures
In My Heart by Molly Bang
Just In Case You Ever Wondered, Max Lacado
Let’s Talk about Adoption by Fred Rogers, i.e. “Mr. Rogers” (simple book on adoption for child about ages 5 and
up.)
Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc. 2013
Websites
www.a4everfamily.org
www.adoptiontoday.com (online magazine)
www.attach.org
www.attach-china.org
www.attachmenttraumanetwork.com
www.attachtrauma.org
www.attachu.org
www.beyondconsequences.com
www.child.tcu.edu
www.Childtrauma.org
www.danielhughes.org
www.emkpress.com (publishing house with some free downloads on website)
www.empoweredtoconnect.org
http://www.lesley.edu/center/special-education/impact-of-trauma-on-learning/ (trauma sensitive schools training
program)
www.sinetwork.org (sensory issues)
www.tapestrybooks.com (adoption publishing company)
www.traumacenter.org
www.traumasensitiveschools.org (trauma sensitive schools)
Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc. 2013