Trauma-Informed Care and Education: Birth to Age 8

Course Number:
ECE 237
Transcript Title:
Trauma-Informed Care and Education: Birth to Age 8
Created:
Aug 09, 2022
Updated:
Jul 11, 2023
Total Credits:
3
Lecture Hours:
30
Lecture / Lab Hours:
0
Lab Hours:
0
Satisfies Cultural Literacy requirement:
No
Satisfies General Education requirement:
No
Grading Options
A-F, P/NP, Audit
Default Grading Options
A-F
Repeats available for credit:
0
Prerequisites

IRW 115 or WR 115 or equivalent placement

Course Description

Develops knowledge and skills that support the learning and development of young children, birth to age 8, who have been adversely impacted by trauma. Explores types and symptoms of trauma, and emphasizes trauma-informed practices that can be applied in the child’s home and school setting. Identifies available resources and recognized strategies for working collaboratively with families and other professionals. Prerequisites: IRW 115 or WR 115 or equivalent placement. Audit available.

Course Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Identify structural inequities and trauma that adversely impacts children and families.
  2. Recognize the adverse impacts of trauma on the learning and development of young children, birth to age eight.
  3. Identify and explain resources that support the care and education of young children adversely impacted by trauma.
  4. Collaborate with families, colleagues, and other professionals to support young children’s learning and development.
  5. Apply trauma-informed practices to support the learning and development of children, birth to age eight.

Suggested Outcome Assessment Strategies

Assessments may include journal reflections, self-assessments, projects, research papers, presentations, quizzes, tests, and portfolio artifacts.

Course Activities and Design

The determination of teaching strategies used in the delivery of outcomes is generally left to the discretion of the instructor. Here are some strategies that you might consider when designing your course: lecture, small group/forum discussion, flipped classroom, dyads, oral presentation, role play, simulation scenarios, group projects, service learning projects, hands-on lab, peer review/workshops, cooperative learning (jigsaw, fishbowl), inquiry based instruction, differentiated instruction (learning centers), graphic organizers, etc.

Department Required Acitivities

This course should result in a minimum of one portfolio artifact for each of these NAEYC Standards:

  • #2 – Family-Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections
  • #4 – Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices

Course Content

Outcome #1: Identify structural inequities and trauma that adversely impacts children and families.
  1. Types of structural inequities
    • Income
    • Education
    • Housing
    • Health care
    • Race
    • Gender
    • Ableness
  2. Types of trauma
    • Early childhood trauma
    • Intergenerational
    • Acute
    • Chronic
    • Complex
    • Secondary
    • Vicarious
Outcome #2: Recognize the adverse impacts of trauma on the learning and development of young children, birth to age eight.
  1. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)
    • Dr. Robert Anda and Dr. Vincent Felitti’s research
    • Initial 8 ACEs
    • Effects of ACEs on children
  2. Impact on the brain and child development
    • Biology of trauma
    • Flight, fright, and freeze
    • Developmental domains
      • Social/Emotional
      • Cognitive
      • Physical
      • Language
  3. Symptoms of trauma
    • Trouble forming relationships
    • Poor self-regulation
    • Negative thinking
    • Hypervigilance
    • Executive function challenges
    • Triggers
    • Language of trauma
Outcome #3: Identify and explain resources that support the care and education of young children adversely impacted by trauma.
  1. state agencies
  2. Private practices
  3. Approaches, methodologies, and tools
    • Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3)
    • Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ-SE)
    • Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA)
    • Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
    • Conscious Discipline
    • Growth Mindset
    • Individualized Support Plans
Outcome #4: Collaborate with families, colleagues, and other professionals to support young children’s learning and development.
  1. Affirm and respect families’ cultures, religious beliefs, language(s), various structures of families and different beliefs about parenting
  2. Initiate and sustain respectful partnerships
  3. Effective communication
  4. Professionalism
  5. Use community resources to support children and families
Outcome #5: Apply trauma-informed practices to support the learning and development of children, birth to age eight.
  1. Develop supportive, respectful relationships with children and families
    • Trust
    • Safety
    • Empowerment
  2. Utilize observation and documentation as tools
    • Antecedent Behavior Consequence (ABC)
  3. Interpret the language of trauma
  4. Build on children’s strengths, protective factors, and capacity for resilience
  5. Safe and caring classroom culture
  6. Responsive interactions 
  7. Predictable routines
    • Support for transition times
  8. Trauma-informed environments
    • Culturally sensitive and relevant
    • Safe
    • Organized and clutter-free
    • Calm colors and soft lighting
    • “Calm corner” (peace corner, Zen den, etc.)
    • Nature and pleasing textures
    • Pets
  9. Sustain positive partnerships with families, colleagues, and other professionals.

Department Notes

NAEYC Professional Standards & Competencies for Early Childhood Educators:

#2 – Family-Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections

#4 – Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices

Oregon Registry Core Knowledge Categories:

FCS - Families & Community Systems (15 hours - pending)

UGB - Understanding & Guiding Behavior (15 hours - pending)