Tips for Recognizing and Addressing Stress in Students

1. Tips for Recognizing and Addressing Stress in Students College of Education University of South Alabama

2. Vulnerability • Children are particularly vulnerable to uncertainty and destruction • Children with special needs are even more vulnerable.

3. Biochemistry of Trauma Event • Brain triggers fear = Greater alertness or mental clarity = Greater physical reaction/stamina

4. Typical Stress Reactions

5. Classroom Related Symptoms • Loss of short term memory • Loss of ability to concentrate • Hypervigilance • What To Do: 1. Create safe environment. 2. Be patient. 3. Be supportive

6. Stay calm Learn about symptoms they may exhibit Obtain referral sources Give children an opportunity to talk. Listen. Directly address the hurricane and resulting problems Establish a comfortable routine Establish cooperative groups for learning. Children can develop social networks. Get family contact information. Helping Students

7. Helping Students • Teach coping skills • Teach problem-solving skills • Focus on what they can do well. Recognize past successes. • Answer their questions directly and in a positive way. Assure them adults are helping. • Recognize severely traumatized children may not be able to talk about it. They may be able to talk about what people did to help. Months later, they still may not be able to re-visit their feelings.

8. Helping Students • Parents and children may want to be together the first few days. • Consider an activity they can do together. • Help parent trust that the children will be safe. • Provide a balance in classroom discussions between talking about what happened to guiding them to what is hopeful. • Consistent discipline with understanding

9. Helping Students • Take care of yourself. Mourn your own losses. Talk to others. Eat nutritious food. Exercise.

10. Helpful Activities • Recreation (helpful in relieving stress and also in sense of belonging – particularly helpful for those in shelters) • Reading • Arts and crafts (ex., beaded bracelets for each other) • Cards • Writing activities • Restore regular activities

11. Teachers Need: • Understanding of trauma symptoms. • To adapt classroom strategies so success is created. They need time to meet and share ideas that work. • Consider assigning buddies to displaced students may help them adjust sooner. • To establish trust. Create wearable items that represent the school, class, etc. that all can wear. • To encourage parents to limit television viewing.

12. Consider How the Trauma Impacts Developmental Stages • Preschooler Initiative vs GuiltBegins to initiate activities; develops conscience and sexual identity. WHATTO DO: Activities to encourage positive action • School-Age Child Industry vs InferiorityBeginning development of self-worth by refining skills. WHAT TO DO: Reminder of prior skills and encouragement of new development; provide concrete activities – ways to help • Adolescent Identity vs Role ConfusionIntegrates roles (child, sibling, student, athlete,worker) into a self-image. WHAT TO DO: Talk about what people ARE doing to help one another; how people are establishing new roles of adaptation • Young AdultIntimacy vs IsolationLearns to make a commitment to another asspouse, parent or partner; WHAT TO DO: Discuss the importance of connecting with others; how this is working as people reach out in meaningful ways

13. Small and school-age children: Vulnerable to feeling abandoned May regress to bed-wetting, thumb sucking, throwing tantrums, withdrawing Six year old may not want to go to school May relive the problem through repetitive play. What to do: Spend time with them. Hug them. Older children: Encourage them to talk to you and share their feelings. Adolescents may try to minimize their worries. Age-Related

14. Look for More Severe Reactions • Overwhelming nervousness • Sadness that does not go away • Continuous aggressive or emotional outbursts • Preoccupation with the traumatic event • Extreme withdrawal • Any other signs of intense anxiety or emotional disturbance

15. Symptoms Likely to Increase or Change Over Time • Children returning to ruin will be newly traumatized • Long process of recovery can be exhausting and cause fear, confusion and anxiety • Could last for 1- to 3 years with problems varying according to circumstances

16. Reducing Stress • Rest; recreational activities • Talking about experiences (repetition, however, may promote depression • Exercise • Avoid withdrawal for an extended period of time

17. Resources American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress “In the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina” by Lerner, Mark D. http://www.aaets.org/index.htm American Counseling Association: Crisis Fact Sheets http://www.counseling.org American Psychiatric Association “Coping with Storm Related Natural Disasters” http://www.psych.org/news_room/press_releases/05-51Copingwithstormrelatednaturaldisasters.pdf

18. Resources American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/ Anger and Trauma http://www.athealth.com/Consumer/disorders/angertrauma.html Crisis Management Institute (free download -handouts) http://www.cmionline.org/

19. Resources Department of Education http://www.ed.gov/news/hurricane/index.html Department of Veterans Affairs “Effects of Traumatic Stress in a Disaster Situation” http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/facts/disasters/fs_effects_disaster.html

20. Resources Department of Veterans Affairs “Natural Disaster: Devastating Effects of Hurricane Katrina” http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/index.html Educators for Social Responsibility (lesson plans) http://www.esrnational.org/wtclessons.htm FEMA for Kids (resources for parents and teachers) http://www.fema.gov/kids/

21. Resources National Association of School Psychologists (excellent site for finding handouts) http://www.nasponline.org/NEAT/crisismain.html?CFID=1288899&CFTOKEN=65657334 UCLA School Mental Health Project: “Responding to a Crisis” (many links to resources) http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/crisisresp.htm

22. Helping: Contact Numbers • Habitat for Humanity Hurricane Recovery Effort:http://www.habitat.org/ • National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster:www.nvoad.org • Points of Light:www.pointsoflight.org • Red Cross: 800-HELP-NOW or www.redcross.org • Salvation Army: 800-SAL-ARMY or www.salvationarmyusa.org