Trauma affects the way people show up in the world, how they interact within social situations. Under pressure in school settings, and in particular IEP meetings, these already strained social interactions become even more burdened. Learning how to recognize reactions/behaviors stemming from trauma and respond to them with understanding requires a tool set that is instrumental in assisting with a family’s recovery. Some examples of tool sets include creating a supportive environment, assisting in building healthful social coping skills, and balancing accountability with understanding. (The Recruitment, Training and Support Center- RTSC; Trauma Sensitivity During the IEP Process; Boston, MA.) In this presentation, we will discuss factors involved in trauma, trauma markers/identifiers, how to be conscious of our own challenges working with families experiencing trauma and/or who have trauma histories, and strategies for creating safe and constructive IEP meetings where the effect of trauma is a factor.
