History

In the early 90s I was able to be involved as a parent in a parent participation preschool that was connected with Sacramento State University and the local school district. It was Reggio Emilia inspired and was a lab class for students and parents combined with a parenting class and volunteering. I was taught the basics of the Reggio model. This was my first experience as a parent with preschool and with parenting classes.

In 2011 we adopted a sibling group from foster care. Within a few years of adopting my boys, I began to create the list of problems in education and therapy included on the problems page in this website. I was frustrated and feeling the need to vent. I needed to do something productive with that energy. I started to write down the problems I was facing and how I wished that things could be better. As inspiration crystallized, I would keep adding to the idea. This eventually turned into the white paper that I include at the end of this page.

With the idea that something should be done and the naive thinking that it could be done easily, I started sending the paper to as many people in education administration that I could find. I thought that someone would grasp the idea who had some power to make it happen.

Little did I know that the system in Idaho Health and Welfare was undergoing a massive update. They were looking for stakeholders to give comments and participate as volunteers on steering committees. I am not sure who shared the paper with H&W, but somehow in 2015, I was invited to share in that work. Along with professionals and other dedicated parents, I had opportunities to bring some of the problems to the awareness of the committee. I worked with the development of the YES program, the Youth Empowerment System as it became known. The committees I was able to participate in included, Crisis, Practice Manual, Wrap-around, Education, and the General Services and Supports work group. I was able to see many important changes implemented such as improvements to access, respite care, crisis response, wrap-around, and care coordination.

My little idea for the treatment center was overshadowed by the gaping holes that had existed in the system that were gradually being filled. At some point, before COVID brought life to a halt, I gathered some people we met to discuss the school. We had a great time getting together and talking about the ideas. We got stuck on two issues that I am sure you have already thought of if you have read the other pages. One of them was funding and the other related topic was the business and school structure for the site.

The question arose about what kind of administrative program the school should have. Should it be set up as a charter, a magnet, a specialized district alternative, a state-sponsored alternative, or a private school? Each model holds pros and cons, mostly involving funding and freedom to operate as designed. We got stuck at this point. I was not sure how to proceed.

At some point, I was able to get a meeting for some of us to meet with Dr. Charlie Silva, the Director of Special Education with the Idaho Department of Education. She had an opportunity to review the white paper beforehand and was ready with some valuable feedback. She pointed out that the state needed solutions that can be implemented across all districts. She talked about the work she was doing to encourage trauma-informed training for teachers across the state. She was encouraging her response. Her feedback was incorporated into later revisions.

I could sense that I lacked the leadership skills to be the leader of the group, but I was the one who brought everyone together, the idea was generated mostly by me, and I was the most passionate about the idea specifically. I sat on things and procrastinated following up. I felt inadequate and still do.

I took those feelings of inadequacy and decided to go back to school. I started working on a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from Boise State University with a minor in psychology. I graduate in December of 2022 and will start work on a Masters in Social work also at BSU in January of 2023.

I started using my time at BSU to refine this idea and to make it presentable. I have posted a few projects here that show the transformation of the project. Of note is the Integrative Learning project where I use the feedback from Dr. Silva to grow the idea into something that can be used at a local level at any school site. Also of note is the podcast where she shares her ideas about trauma-informed education.

I also spent some time volunteering at a local elementary school, right before COVID hit, in a specialized pilot special education class that was the brainchild of Lonnie Taylor, a special education teacher and behavior specialist at that school. She was essentially on her own with the project except for a paraprofessional and the help of classroom teachers. She gave the feedback that she really could have used the help of a dedicated social worker.

I think the next step is to create a pilot class at an elementary school. We really need to collect some data and answer the question if the Reggio Emilia model will work as well for this population as I think. We also need to find an ideal size for the class and understand if this population can be educated together without creating problems for each other.

As we adapt the classroom with the data that we gather, we will create a model for local sites that can be used anywhere there is a need and where funding can be found to pay for added professionals.

If we are able to build the day treatment school, it becomes the hub for research and training. The therapeutic day school is available as a truly mid-level service for children with greater need than local schools can handle, and as a step down from other services such as residential placements and hospitalizations.

Ideas for a Therapeutic Day School

by Linda Miller, parent of adopted children

affected by complex early childhood trauma and mental illness lindabelmiller@gmail.com,

I have met and become friends with many parents who are struggling to navigate effective services for children with Serious Emotional Disturbances or SED. The state of Idaho desperately needs mid-level services that would be less expensive, less restrictive, and more effective than hospitalization and residential treatment. I am looking for people who are willing to work together to create new schools for Idaho, starting in the Treasure Valley area.

The school would need to be supported by strong partnerships between school districts, the Idaho State department of education with the support of the state legislature, Health and Welfare, Optum and other insurance providers, universities, hospitals, health care providers, nonprofits, and stakeholders. The first school could be located in the more populated Ada County but would be a model to create other schools as the concept is perfected. It would also be a training location for Idaho teachers and parents, as well as a training and research site for Idaho Universities. Elements of the model could be implemented right away in local schools. This effort would correspond with and not supplant other efforts to educate Idaho teachers about the need to be “Trauma-Informed”, an important ideology that is moving across the nation.

There are very few non-residential therapeutic schools across the nation. The school I am proposing would build upon what has been done elsewhere but in many ways would expand the current idea of a therapeutic school. Most therapeutic schools near or in Idaho are residential. This option is currently available to Idaho children but is very expensive. This school would be a step down from that and would be more integrated into the community and state.

Who would the school serve? What issues and problems will it deal with? Pre-K thru GED or graduation.

Foster and adopted children would be automatically qualified

Developmental trauma

Mental illness

Educational neglect

Suicide ideation

Autism and ADHD

Emotional challenges and behavioral challenges resulting from any of the above.

What are some of the ways that traditional schools and traditional counseling are unable to meet the needs of families and children suffering from these problems? (Note; this is not meant as a criticism of the people who work so hard in these services but an observation of problems in the current system.)

a. Clinical appointments are difficult to work into the family and school schedule and often get pushed out to a frequency that is ineffective.

b. The scheduling of appointments is too rigid and does not recognize or develop readiness in the client.

b. Families are unaware of treatment options.

c. The schools and the judicial system are bearing the burden of mental health issues due to a lack of services in the community.

d. Parents and teachers need training to deal with the very difficult behaviors resulting from mental illness, neglect, abuse, and trauma. Lack of training can lead to dangerous outbursts and inappropriate restraint and seclusion.

e. As the needs continue to be unmet the children become a burden on the school population.

f. School policies sometimes act as a barrier. examples; school uniforms, attendance requirements, length of the school day, length of the school year and too frequent/inconsistent days off, no hats, etc.

g. Gaps in learning cannot be covered by the scope and sequence of the grade level. Students continue for years with unmet needs.

h. pull-out system of meeting IEP requirements means that students miss class time getting further behind.

i. It takes extensive testing to determine that the pullout instruction is appropriate. and then it is only a few hours a week of instruction at the student's level.

j. The time they do spend in class is often wasted in wading through material they do not understand and teacher instruction they cannot follow. This parent estimates that these students are engaged in learning 20% of the day if they are lucky. This creates a bored and disengaged student.

k. There is no effective plan in place to deal with school avoidance which can develop because of the lack of an appropriate and engaging curriculum.

l. Peer relationship issues that are more problematic in this population cannot be responded to in an effective, timely, and proactive way. The student becomes ostracized.

m. The needs of parents relating to the education and health of these children are not met. Sometimes the parents become a source of problems rather than part of the solution.

n. Private schools can exclude this population. Private residential therapeutic schools are very expensive and are also restrictive as to who they serve. Staff is often ill-prepared

A summary of ideas for the school

1. The educational system based on Regio Emilia concepts builds healing relationships, invites inquiry, and is integrated with mental health care. All activities are therapeutic.

2. Extended school day and school year.

3. Low adult-to-student ratio.

4. A wide variety of onsite therapies delivered in a nontraditional way using a trauma-informed invitation-based model that is integrated into education. Traditional group, individual, and family therapies are offered in the evening and after school hours.

5. On-site integrative health care; Pediatrician, Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Dietitian, Chiropractor, Naturopath, Optometrist, Audiologist, Speech therapist, Counseling.

6. Top-quality behavior management, trauma-informed, developed with much forethought and understanding of mental illness. A focus is put on regulation rather than behavior.

7. Parent participation in the classroom. Parent education for students’ parents and parents in the community. Adult education for families of students.

8. Service learning opportunities

9. High security, communicating to the student that safety is a priority. 10. Involvement with local universities through student observation, research, and internships. University involvement on the board of directors.

11. A tiered system

12. Funding generated from partnerships

13. Training program for Idaho teachers and mental health workers.

#1-3 The educational and therapeutic model is inspired by Reggio Emilia philosophy. This model was developed in an Italian post-World War II town, interestingly an area affected by extreme trauma. It embraces the idea that all children in their diversity have something to offer the community.

Learning happens when people interact, communicate and share ideas with one another. When they are surrounded by people they trust, children feel empowered to observe, experiment, express ideas, test theories, watch others and collaborate. Through interaction with caring adults, children feel secure and confident to take risks in their learning. Through interaction with peers, children challenge each other and expand their own thinking.

Adults, too, learn best through interaction with each other. Parents and teachers learn from each other. Collaboration is the vehicle for enriched learning.

An essential goal of a Reggio-inspired program is to build and maintain supportive relationships between children, parents, and teachers in every direction that lead to genuine, mutually empowering learning. Some components include:

1. Mixed-age classes supported by two teachers, one with an education background and one with a therapeutic background (typically the second teacher would have a mental health background, this would be unique to our school). The ratio of 4/1 to 15/1 kids to adults, depending on the tier, ratio includes parents, paras, interns or other volunteers. Students in the first tier may have a 1/1 ratio depending on behaviors.(especially those who act out against other students)

2. A highly structured environment created collaboratively with the students, with engaging choices. Play-based learning. Regulating spaces.

3. Large blocks of time in which students can make choices in partnership with adults who are trained to draw out and respond to children’s creativity. This also allows for therapeutic elements to be integrated into the curriculum.

4. Curriculums are unit based allowing for mixed ages and the ability to take the learning as far as they can. The reading program is literature based with an emphasis on literature that supports therapeutic elements.

5. Parental involvement that encourages relationships and gives parents the opportunity to observe the teacher’s positive interactions with students.

6. The sensory needs of this population are met with multiple opportunities for movement, even collaborative movement with parents, peers, and teachers. This is part of the choice time as well as the specific time for Physical Education. Our school would also include space for Occupational Therapy and specific occupational therapies for trauma.

7. The Reggio Emilia assessment process (grades) is extensive but is a radical departure from tradition. It involves documenting in writing and also with photography, developmental steps as they are achieved. It is a mastery-based assessment. Traditional assessments can also be used as they become more tolerated by the student. Improvements in mental and behavioral health are also documented. Improvements are shared with parents in student-led conferences.

#4. The organization of the clinical components of the school would be a radical departure from the current system of delivery. Evidence-based therapies would be used but in a more voluntary and enticing way. Opportunities for therapeutic involvement would exist every day both as activities integrated with academics and as stand-alone therapies. Students would “sign up” for the type of therapy they see as a benefit to them. Adults would influence the choice in the same Regio style that is used with academics, that is, in the context of relationships. Traditional hour-long, weekly appointments would be available after school hours for Tier 4 through 6. For the other tiers, there would be more flexibility and therapies would happen during the choice times during the day. As the child

progresses, and they are able to hold onto intention longer, they can move to a set time and a set therapist. Children choose a therapist in the context of a developing relationship. Therapists spend a portion of their time developing relationships in the classroom in a playful environment. This investment of time into the child’s school day would dramatically reduce the time it takes to form a relationship. It would multitask relationship building and educational engagement. This is a critical element of this child-centered approach.

#5. An onsite health clinic would increase the availability and access to critical health care. This idea was used with success at an alternative high school in Walla Walla and is documented in the film “Paper Tigers”. We could expand on this idea by offering other medical specialties.

#6. Trauma-Informed Behavioral management has received attention lately for good reason. There is significant scientific research on the brain that supports this approach as the most beneficial for all students, but especially those that have experienced trauma. As the training hopefully spreads throughout the state, benefitting all counties, the therapeutic school can become a training center for educators throughout the state. It could also be a site for university research

#7. Parent Education classes would be offered in formal settings and would be supported and enriched by parental involvement in the class setting. Training prepares the parent to support in the classroom. The class becomes a lab for the parents learning and also supports deeper

attachments. The parent becomes a resource for the school in lowering adult-to-child ratios, but more importantly a resource for the child. Most parents look to the school setting for help in raising their children. Parental involvement is an untapped avenue for school success. I feel that this is an efficient use of resources to provide true help for children and families. This is also a critical element in healing and the approach of the school.

#8. Service Learning opportunities are built into the unit-based curriculum. They can also be planned collaboratively with youth ready for leadership. This creates a positive culture, reduces stigma, and builds self-

esteem. Older students tutoring younger kids as a service also gives place for teens to fill in learning gaps in a less embarrassing, more natural, and meaningful way. This also provides mentors for younger students.

#9. High Security

#10. University involvement

#11. The tiered system:

The tier system is meant as a structure but is not meant to be rigid. The needs of the student come first. The goal is to move the student back into the traditional school, however, we realize that due to the nature of some problems and the timing of our intervention, some students will not be able to move back into the regular school system. A High School program will be offered for those students. All time frames are meant as an ideal, for some they may not be realistic and must remain flexible. The tier system orders priorities. Students can enter services at the appropriate tier for them. Higher tiers could be offered at multiple satellite locations in local traditional schools

First tier: 1-2 weeks

Getting the crisis under control. The goal at this level is to get the emotional and clinical needs met. If needed the child is separated from others. Residential care may be offered (if on-site opportunities are available). Daily counseling, group therapy, and relationship building can move into medical and educational testing. Medication and nutritional supplements are started. The child’s diet is examined and he starts to get used to the cafeteria food and new diet at home as a source of strength. An adult mentor moves the child through his day. Educational needs are addressed only in relationship-building activities. Regulatory needs are met and skills are taught. Reggio Emilia approach to education is introduced as an interesting activity that fills in extra time between the higher priorities of health. Interesting activities are introduced to the child.

Adult to child ratio 1:1

Second tier: 3 months

The Reggio Emilia approach is used to switch the child's paradigm back to an attitude of enthusiastic approach. Educational therapies and testing such

as occupational, vision, brain exercises, speech therapy, ext. are started at an appropriate pace so as not to be met with resistance. The child can participate in special interest activities as interest grows. There is a continued emphasis on regulation

Adult to child ratio 1:4

Third tier: 6 months

More thorough educational testing can continue. Targeted intervention can be started. The student can be introduced to a classroom situation where there is a scope and sequence (one or more classes) as the Regio Emilia model continues, the student is able to participate in elective classes of interest. Classes are formed in response to interest. A science lab, community garden, home economics, animal therapy, sports are offered if that was not already started. Of necessity, the classes are multi aged as appropriate. High school students work for credits online if able. Counseling and group therapy continue. Service learning is introduced.

Adult-to-child ratio: 1:15

Fourth tier: 6 months

The child’s day is more traditional with ability grouping, and classes with a scope and sequence. Of necessity, the classes are multi-aged but become more separated as to ability. If in high school, students are able to receive credit for the classes, Students can work online for credit. Counseling and health services continue as needed. Students become mentors in group therapy and on campus as they are ready. Service learning is incorporated. Sports are encouraged.

Adult-to-child ratio: 1:20

Fifth tier: 6 months

Students are dual enrolled and continue to receive needed services at therapeutic school. Mentoring and service learning continues as time allows. Sports and extracurricular activities are encouraged at traditional schools. If needed, training is provided to local schools to keep them up to date on the needs of the child and trauma-informed practices.

Sixth tier: ongoing

Students are enrolled full-time in traditional school and return for counseling and other services once a month and as needed. Service learning is continued. Trauma-informed instruction and support is offered to the traditional school.

#12. Funding is one of the biggest challenges to be faced in creating this school. I can see a need for deep partnerships, and some possible need for rule changes. As I see it the players are:

1. Per student state funds for education allotted for each special needs child.

2. Special appropriation from the state legislators

3. Medicaid/Optum

4. Private insurance

5. Capital from the sponsoring agency or agencies.

6. Fundraising and grants

7. Private pay

The special and essential way we would combine school and therapy creates some problems for us with the accounting.

One way to reduce the need for micromanagement would be for the mental healthcare providers to be compensated as teachers, with a salary, rather than by individual appointments. A record of how the time is spent would still be needed for process development.

This creates a problem however with the Medicaid funding stream, so we would need to ask for a different classification for reimbursement, maybe a blanket charge for a certain amount of time spent at a certain tier in therapeutic day school.

Using state special education funds also creates a problem with the structure that is mandated to monitor progress. Progress monitoring in the Regio Emilio model is more extensive but different.

The mixture of private pay into a state-sponsored school is also a delicate matter. Maybe there can be a way to separate out the charge for school and for therapy. I suggest that we come up with an operating budget and a cost for each student. Then subtract what is paid by the state for education. The amount left is the cost that will be paid by Optum, private insurance, private pay, and fundraising for student scholarships. Capital expenses for building and building maintenance would be covered by the sponsoring agency, fundraising, grants, and possibly state appropriations.

Self-pay and scholarships would be needed for newer and effective therapies that are not yet covered by insurance or that are a blend of education and medical therapy, for example, brain and eye therapies, somatic experiencing, and neurofeedback.

#13. A Training program for teachers, mental health care providers, and university students is also an important element that protects the sustainability of the schools. I envision partnerships with universities to provide internship and research opportunities. Research on the effectiveness of our unique approach would lend credibility to future schools and would also inform modifications to the approach. Also, there is a great need in the state for sharing trauma-informed approaches with educators. The school could provide classes for teachers as well as opportunities to observe.

Summary

These ideas are just a starting point and of course, they need to be refined and built upon. I have not included very many ideas about the clinical work. I know that at some point, others will have input.

Over the past years, this has become a document in progress. I started the paper in October 2015 during a frantic search for resources. Our family has dipped in and out of crisis as we have fumbled to support our struggling children. The longer I work with them and learn about their struggles, the more I am convinced that our current approaches to mental health do not work for deeply wounded children. Three of my boys have seemingly intractable needs that are keeping them from getting an education in the current environment. My work with them keeps me drained of energy to move things forward on my school ideas. At this time, all I have to offer is my ideas and my feedback. I would love to serve on a committee, however, that will continue onward to build these schools.

I pray that you will consider my ideas.

I would love to hear your feedback

Thank you for your consideration. Linda Miller, lindabelmiller@gmail.com,

A look at Trauma Informed School Practices in Idaho, Podcast

Annotated Bibliography

Linda Miller

English 102 - 006

Ann (Alias), Personal Communication, October 1, 2019

Ann (Alias), an educator at an Idaho alternative high school, explains the need for investing personal initiative to connect with at risk and struggling teens. Ann gives us background around the reasons for extreme behavior in the class. She helps us understand that youth want to do well. She talks about how punishment can escalate behavior.

I was impressed with her relaxed demeanor and her caring for students. She talks about how the teachers support each other, training teachers at her school, and some of the methods used.

Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health. https://www.bcidahofoundation.org/healthyminds/

This is a resource referenced by Dr. Charlie Silva with instructions for partnering with local providers to bring mental health services into the schools. This is one of the most exciting developments that I was able to find in my research and of special interest for those of us in the parent network who have been looking for a more effective and accessible ways to offer services to waiting youth. It is a step by step guide for partnering with agencies that are already saying they want to be a partner, they are the ones who wrote the manual. This was also sponsored by Terry Reilly, Southwest Health Collaborative, St Lukes, Lifeways, Pathways, and Nampa school district.

Brown, Jennifer, Personal Communication, September 30, 2019.

Ms Brown, a third grade teacher at Pepper Ridge Elementary, takes us around her classroom and explains the importance of connecting with students. I was able to see the props around the room such as comfortable spaces to sit and various sensory manipulatives. Ms Brown is one of two teachers at the school who try to use trauma informed practices. She explains some of the class management strategies, but more importantly she talks of her relationship with students. Ms. Brown later explains off record her motivation for being a teacher of at risk students. I am impressed with her dedication to using trauma informed practices even when no one else has asked her to use them.

Cox, G. L., Arnold, K. F., Kummer, T. R., McCullough, D. K., & Settle, A. E. (2017). Hand in hand: a manual for creating trauma-informed leadership committees. Boulder, CO: Beyond Consequences Institute, LLC.

I chose this book to share the philosophy behind trauma informed practices. We find a nice definition for a trauma informed school system. The book goes on to instruct teachers and administrators on the implementation of trauma informed practices. This book is important to include because it is a manual for implementation. It is a companion book to Help for Billy.

Forbes, H. T. (2013). Help for Billy: a Beyond Consequences Approach to Helping Children in the Classroom. Cork: BookBaby.

I chose this book as part of my research because it gives great case studies and stories that illustrate the types of behaviors that are a symptom of trauma. Behaviors like hitting, throwing things, violence of other types, and also avoidance. Ms. Forbes walks us through brain and what changes can be made to the brain due to trauma. She explains fight, flight or freeze response governed by the central parts of the brain and the amygdala. We learn that due to these changes in the brain, what looks like “won’t” is actually “can’t”, at least until the child has a regulated body system. We learn about regulation, dysregulation and the window of tolerance, and about hypo-arousal and hyper-arousal. This is basically trauma 101.

The book is written for educators. It is sensitive to the problems and goals of education systems. It gives practical day to day methods and examples of how they have helped in the classroom. The only negative thing to say about this book is that it is sometimes to basic.

Hoover, S., Lever, N., Sachdev, N., Bravo, N., Schlitt, J., Acosta Price, O., Sheriff, L. & Cashman, J. (2019). Advancing Comprehensive School Mental Health: Guidance From the Field. Baltimore, MD: National Center for School Mental Health. University of Maryland School of Medicine.

This reference was created by a collection of contributors to provide information to administrators. Statistics referenced by Dr. Charlie Silva appear on page 14-15 of this scholarly paper. As stated in the report “This report offers collective insight and guidance to local communities and states to advance comprehensive school mental health systems. Contents were informed by examination of national best practices, performance standards, local and state exemplars, and recommendations provided by federal/national, state, local and private leaders.”

I included this source to give statistics that emphasize the need for trauma informed systems. Trauma informed is a subset of a comprehensive school mental health system. The fact that the statistics were important enough that Dr. Silva chose to quote them, tells me that the paper has made its way to persons in the state that have authority to influence changes.

The paper goes on to summarize changes that need to be made. It gives a timeline of work that has been done and lists the agencies involved. The article also summarizes; “Effective comprehensive school mental health systems contribute to improved student and school outcomes, including greater academic success, reduced

exclusionary discipline practices, improved school climate and safety, and enhanced student social and emotional behavioral functioning.” These are all goals that can be seen as important by educators.

Jarvis (Alias) and Leon (Alias), Personal Communication, October 1, 2019

Jarvis (Alias) and Leon (Alias), Administrators at an Idaho alternative high school, share the unique challenges for administrators working with at risk youth at an alternative high school. They talk about underlying problems the students have. Leon speaks about the need for teachers to know how to deescalate a situation rather than escalating it. They explain a process that they used to train teachers at their site. They offer some strategies for calming students and helping them prepare to learn. They speak about the training for their building teachers and administrators. From the trainings, Jarvis mentions that the most trans-formative thing for him was to learn about current brain research. Leon and Jarvis then speak about compassion and how useful that is for connecting with students. Jarvis gives a prediction that we will need to look at public education under a new lens and expresses his enthusiasm for that.

I was impressed with how calm and collected Jarvis and Leon were as they spoke about serious issues. They seem invested and able to make changes.

Marzano, R. J., Warrick, P. B., Rains, C. L., Dufour, R., & Jones, J. C. (2018). Leading a high reliability school. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

I am including this book because it was part of the research process. I attended a back to school night at my own child’s alternative middle school. The book was introduced to show some of the principles followed at the school. It talks about using teams effectively and uses the term Positive learning community, or PLC. There is an emphasis in the book on keeping statistics and on testing. The focus is on creating leadership teams among the teachers. There is also a focus on maintaining standards by encouraging teachers to support one another and to promote the curriculum.

While the principles in the book are important, there was one key focus that was missing, that was the focus on the needs of the child. It was concerning to me as it is my child who they seem to overlook. Ironically, no team meetings had been proposed at the time of me doing this research to discuss his needs, even though he is still on record there but not attending.

My purpose in attending the event was to listen to the presentation and hopefully ask for an interview. I did ask for the interview, but was rejected the next day.

Psychological and Behavioral Impact of Trauma: Middle School Students. (2008). PsycEXTRA Dataset. doi: 10.1037/e563382009-001

This article was referenced to help define situations that are traumatic and to give us some background ideas and stories of how trauma can affect learning. I wanted to find examples of behaviors in the classroom that may indicate trauma.

I liked that the authors explained that students can act out and act in. Behaviors of avoidance also negatively impact a student and can be symptoms of trauma. “Be aware of both the children who act out AND the quiet children who don’t appear to have behavioral problems. These students often “fly beneath the radar” and do not get help.”was given as an explanation.

Ultimately I did not use the case studies as I felt they did not communicate the emotional depth of the problem. I will use stories from the other sources. The list of symptoms provided in this article was useful as a summary.

Silva, Charlie, Dr., Personal Communication, October 1, 2019

Dr. Charlie Silva, Director of Special Education Services with the Idaho State Department of Education, reaffirms the importance of trauma informed practices, offers national statistics and shares current efforts and future plans for trauma informed training of educators in Idaho. Off record, she reminded me of the Family and Community Engagement conference and the corresponding Safety conference that the department was sponsoring. I was able to attend that conference and was able to be a part of an idea gathering activity about safety. There were many opportunities to add to the ongoing conversation about trauma informed practices and about training.

Interviewing Dr. Silva was part of an ongoing conversation that myself and a few other parents in the Federation of Families Parent Network have had with her. A year ago she met with us. She has been gracious to listen to our challenges and to talk with us about the plans that the state has for mental health and promoting trauma informed education. At that time, we gave her an idea that I had for a therapeutic school. She liked the idea but helped us understand that the direction that she needed to promote at the time was moving forward to get the trauma training to educators. She helped us see the need to lift every school, not just build one special school.