Growing evidence supports the important relationship between trauma and academic failure. Along with the failure of “zero tolerance” policies to resolve issues of school safety and a new understanding of children’s disruptive behavior, educators are changing the way they view children’s academic and social problems. In response, the trauma-sensitive schools movement presents a new vision for promoting children’s success. This book introduces this promising approach and provides K–5 education professionals with clear explanations of current research and dozens of practical, creative ideas to help them:




View poor academic and social progress through a trauma-sensitive lens.
Create a school climate that fosters safety and resiliency in vulnerable children.
Establish relationships with children that support their efforts to self-regulate.
Design instruction that reflects the social nature of the brain.
Work with the brain’s neuroplasticity to increase children’s executive functioning.
Reduce teacher attrition in high-risk schools by decreasing secondary traumatic stress.
Influence educational reforms by aligning them with current research on the prevalence of childhood trauma and its effects on learning.

Integrating research on children’s neurodevelopment and educational best practices, this important book will build the capacity of teachers and school administrators to successfully manage the behavior of children with symptoms of complex developmental trauma.


Dr. Susan E. Craig is a sought-after public speaker and professional developer, offering in-person training anywhere in the United States. Invite Dr. Craig to your facility to train your staff. Visit her blog: www.meltdownstomastery.wordpress.com

Foreword by: Jane Ellen Stevens