UNIT 2-3

Children who experience chronic traumatization frequently experience developmental delays across
a broad spectrum including:
Cognitive skills
Language skills
Motor skills
Social skills
Important brain elements in development

Facts and Roles In the face of trauma

Brain stem Sensitive developing period from in We may see an infant born with a faster heart
utero -8 months rate who is very hard to soothe, wont settle
First part of our brain to develop so readily and will find suckling difficult.
Most developed brain part at birth
Responsible for basic life functions This in turn will impact on the development of
Responsible for our heart beat, attachment relationships.
breathing, sucking, temperature control,
blood pressure, regulates sleep cycle
Cerebellum Sensitive developing period from 0-24 If the child has had a traumatic experience as
months this part of the brain is developing, they are
Cauliflower shaped structure located less likely to have relationships that will
just above but behind the brainstem support the repetitive experiences required
Helps us to know where our body is in for physical and motor development.
space
Helps us with our posture and balance,
equilibrium and muscle tone
Helps us not to fall over and to control
our movements
Hippocamus Mature between 2-3 years of age The hippocampus and the amygdala combine
Often referred to as the 'memory together to generalize fear responses to the
puzzle sorting centre' as it provides a context in which the original fear response
context to memories and embeds them in was generated. Eg. Children will not only
our long term memory respond to being yelled at directly, but may
also respond to all yelling in their proximity.
Amygdala Mature at birth An impaired amygdala response in children
Responsible for arousal that is means that they find it difficult to recognize
necessary to respond to threat and/or the emotions that others are attempting to
perception of threat' express with their face or their voice.
Often referred to as the smoke
detector of the brain as it is highly
responsive to sights and smells
Quickly recruits many areas of the brain
to deal with threat and of the body to deal
with danger
Impacts autonomic responses in the
body and also stores implicit memory
Diencephalon Sensitive developing period from birth-12
months
Consists of the Thalamus and the
Hypothalamus
The Thalamus...
Referred to as the sending and sorting part
of
the brain
Receives information from within the body
and
from the external environment and relays it
to
pertinent parts of the brain and body
Interprets sensations of sound, smell, taste,
 pain, pressure, temperature and touch
Regulates some emotions and memory
The Hypothalamus...
Uses hormones to send information to the
body
Hormones signal the body with what it needs
in
terms of: heartbeat, digestion, sleep and
circadian rhythms, regulates the endocrine
system
Links the nervous system to the endocrine
system via the pituitary gland
Interprets hunger and thirst
Helps regulate anger and aggression
Has a lot to do when our survival mode is
under
threat
Links with survival related responses such as
flight, fright and freeze
Limbic Lobe Develops mainly after birth, 2-4 years
Helps us attach an emotion to a
thought or memory
Is particularly involved with the
emotions of fear and anger
Includes the Amygdala and
Hippocampus and the Diencephalon.

Pre-Frontal Final part of the brain to finish

Cortex sensitive development
Maturing in a persons mid 20s
Responsible for higher order, executive
functions such as: foresight and
anticipation, focusing and sustaining
attention, planning, prioritising and
organising, decision making, reflecting,
enthusiasm, motivation and persistence
Relevant to motor activity and connects
the brains motor, perceptual and limbic
regions
Neocortex/Cortex Develops significantly between the ages In a moment of trauma an individual will find
of 2- 6 years and continues to develop as it that the cortex is temporarily unavailable to
is stimulated with learnings them. Their survival responses will come from
Largest part of the brain the Limbic System and as such they may not
Associated with higher order thinking be able to draw on language to explain why
and action they did something (left hemisphere is
Plays a key role in memory, attention, inaccessible) or show logic, reasoning or sound
perceptual awareness, thought, language judgement.
and consciousness
Related to reasoning, judging, showing
logic and contributes to voluntary
movement
If the brain was an orchestra, the
cortex would be the conductor

Ingredients for healthy brain architecture are:

1. The genes we inherit

2. Experience and environment
3. Interpersonal, social experiences

Complex trauma impairs emotional health and impacts the regulation of feelings, the ability to
have clear thoughts or memories and disrupts the way feelings are stored and expressed in the
body.
Neuronal connections are strengthened best when an individual repeats an experience over and
over.

To master a motor activity for example, a child is required to repeat and repeat a running motion
and in the practice of it, becomes more precise and faster. Similarly when playing a musical
instrument, learning times tables, singing a song, reading or dancing.

However, if a child experiences complex relational trauma then their neuronal connections have
formed to support survival in a stressful caregiving environment and not to support educational
success.

Our aim is to assist these children to experience educational environments as safe, and to teach
them more appropriate ways of responding that wont be to his or her detriment. In other words,
we offer many reparative opportunities, and repeat them consistently.

We have synaptic influx (the opportunity for potential leanings) at three critical stages of our
development; birth, 6 years and 12 years.

6 years of age- At this time it is crucial for us to offer children a plethora of experiences so we can
help grow the brain: dance, music, art, mathematics, language, physical movement, practical
activities, helping with chores etc. If we do, and these are repeated and repeated, the brain will
lock these in for life

12 years of age- We have our next synaptic influx at around 11 years of age for girls and 12.5 (-ish
for boys).

Again it is crucial for us to offer children of this age a plethora of experiences so that we can
grow the brain.

If we do not use these synaptic neuronal growing potentials, they will die away; in other words they
will be pruned back.

This is important because if all a child knows is abuse and neglect, yelling, screaming, violence,
emotional and physical abuse and their brain is stimulated in no other way, then this is how it
will be wired.

Hemispheric maturation
In the face of trauma, the cerebral cortex doesnt necessarily avail itself to the child. This has an
impact on the left hemispheric accessibility. The left hemisphere can go offline in modern speak.
Therefore when triggered by trauma, the child may not be operating with logic, positive emotional
responses or language.

They will be utilising the right hemisphere which takes on fear and disgust, they may not be able to
explain why they responded to a situation as they did and they will be focusing on body language
(which may often seem threatening to them).

The impact of trauma on the developing brain

Trauma creates changes in brain functioning that elevates vigilance to a high priority leaving the
cortex; the thinking, planning and reasoning part of the brain, high and dry.

When hemispheric activation is kept separate there is reduced opportunity for hemispheric
integration. The RH is seeing the whole collage but is trapped in the present (feels like the trauma
is still happening) while the LH is unable to pick out details and put meaning to what is happening
using its ability to consider the past or what possibilities it can apply to the future.

The Limbic Lobe activates the amygdala the smoke detector- and the body becomes aroused and
prepares for fight/flight or active freeze response.
The hippocampus the memory puzzle sorting centre- cannot place memories in their correct place
in time.

The language area (in the LH) has little activity and thats why children and adults are left
speechless and cannot describe, with words, their experience.

You cant self -regulate emotion and self- soothe when you are in a panic state and go into survival
mode.
Neuroplasticity
The brain is at its most plastic in early childhood.

In childhood, the brain is most vulnerable to harm, but also has the greatest potential for healing.

Neuroplasticity gives us hope.

Defining Trauma
Trauma can be defined as any single, ongoing or cumulative experience which:

is a response to a perceived threat

overwhelms our capacity to cope
feels/is outside our control
evokes a physiological and psychological set of responses based on fear or avoidance

Complex relational trauma:

Most often involves multiple incidents
over an extended period of time
Is blaming or stigmatising of the victim
Based in relationship and associated
with shame
Is an isolating experience due to the
interpersonal element, often
underpinned by intentionality
Induces a sense of disconnection from
others and their support
More about this image

Abuse related trauma can lead to significant difficulties.

Traumatised children are dealing with the impact of their experiences in all elements of their lives.
It effects:
regulation of emotions
relationships and connection
memory
representation.
Understanding the impact of traumatization on children is a crucial step in facilitating change.

The key to transforming trauma is the relationships that children and young people experience.

Time does not heal trauma, processing is crucial

Trauma is a personal experience two people may experience the same event but one is
traumatized by it and the other isnt.

The individuals response to trauma can be influenced by:

personality
support available
previous experiences of trauma
 age.

Trauma makes you more vulnerable, it does not toughen you up.

Patterned, repetitive experiences

Children are very vulnerable to the effects of trauma because of their brains developmental
immaturity.

Children have under-developed cortical resources, so they find it difficult to understand why they
were abused. Their brain responds to perceptions of threat without an awareness of what has
triggered the reaction.

They often have under-developed vocabulary for feelings, so they find it difficult to identify, name
and express feelings.

They require secure relational experiences in order for them to feel able to explore their world. As
a result, they are so dependent on the very adults that harm them.

Because a childs brain is so malleable, the impact of trauma is faster to manifest. It leaves deeper
tracks of damage. As a result, it requires intensive, collective effort to change patterns of
activation and responses.

Child with Regulated Arousal

The regulated child will be engaged with you, their peers and themselves. He or she will
have eye contact
speak with intonation
get to task
change facial expressions
turn head for listening
remain calm
be responsive and intuitive.

Child with Dysregulated Arousal

The dysregulated child might be
action orientated
hyper-vigilant
impulsive
emotionally flooded
reactive
defensive
self-destructive.