Dr. Tanya Yerigan Professor Department of Education 1998‐Present
WHO IS TANYA YERIGAN? Former K‐12 Educator
5‐12 Social Studies K‐12 School Social Worker
SMSU Researcher, Writer, Author Business Owner
Center for Scholastic Inquiry • Executive Director
Reclaimed Treasures, LLC • Rental Properties & Furniture
Wife
Tim
Mother
Meg, Clint, Garrett, Kayla, Briana
Grandma
Maddie, Tanner, Kayden, Jaydin, Baby Boy
QUIRKY FACT
MODERN DAY RECLUSE Why do you need to know this? How does it benefit you?
EDUCATION’S SILENT OPPONENT: TOXIC STRESS… CHANGING EVERYTHING
TOXIC STRESS…CHANGING EVERYTHING
WHAT THE HECK? THAT’S NOT MY JOB? My unprofessional & not well received response…
It is what it is! If you don’t learn about it and address it, student learning is greatly hindered if not halted.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT Would you intervene for a student who was blind and deaf? ‐If I shared that some of your students have a profound issue that does not include blindness or deafness but hinders them from hearing or seeing most of what you are teaching? ‐What if something is blocking (not just filtering) your lessons?
Would you help them? Quite frankly, there is no one else. •
You have the access and the ability.
CHANGE EVERYTHING SHARE What is toxic stress in your own words? What do you know about this topic? What is your experience with it? Examples
WHAT IS TOXIC STRESS? WHAT IS TOXIC STRESS (:56) VIDEO
Personal Story
MORE ABOUT TOXIC STRESS Toxic Stress Derails Healthy Development: (1:53)
Brain Builders & Toxic Stress (4:08)
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? THINK‐PAIR‐SHARE Now that you’ve learned a little more about toxic stress, what is going through your mind?
WHAT IS TOXIC STRESS? WHAT IS THE SCIENCE BEHIND TOXIC STRESS?
CHILDHOOD STRESS
American Academy of Pediatrics
THE DEVELOPING BRAIN VIDEO (4:19)
Jay Meiners (2016)
DANCE BETWEEN NATURE VS. NURTURE
Plasticity is the greatest in the first years of life and decreases with age (easily shaped/molded)
Genes provide basic blueprint of our brain.
Experiences influences how or whether genes are expressed— epigenetics. ‐genes can learn but there is no change in the underlying DNA
https://www.aap.org
EARLY STRESS
American Academy of Pediatrics
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US? Reducing the science to ACTION…. CHANGE EVERYTHING video
THREE TYPES OF CHILDHOOD STRESS
In 2005, the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child proposed a scientifically grounded taxonomy of the stress experience. • The intention was to delineate between normative challenges that promote growth and development and challenges that may be threatening to child development. •
• • •
Positive Stress Tolerable Stress Toxic Stress
Reference: National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2005). Excessive Stress Disrupts the Architecture of the Developing Brain: Working Paper #3. Available at: http://www.developingchild.net.
POSITIVE STRESS Positive stress is the reaction to typical daily experiences that provide opportunities for grown and learning. Examples: ‐first day of school ‐test ‐spot a mouse ‐receiving a shot
TOLERABLE STRESS •
•
•
Reaction to more serious stressors (community violence, natural disaster, injury, frightening accident, illness, death of a loved one, etc.) and has the potential to damage the child’s brain structure if left unchecked. These stressors subside over time or are buffered by supportive caregiver relationships. Caregiver support • • •
Promotes feelings of safety Facilitate acquisition of coping skills Protect against escalation of tolerable stress to toxic stress.
TOXIC STRESS Toxic stress is the reaction to strong, prolonged, uncontrollable, or chronic stressors activate the body’s stress response system (e.g. abuse, neglect, parental substance abuse, maternal depression, etc.). • Toxic stress occurs in the absence of a stable and responsive adult or caregiver to offer buffering protection to the child. • Ongoing activation of the body’s regulatory/stress response system over time results in changes to the architecture of the brain. • Changes to the brain can promote short‐term effects on behavior and learning as well as long‐term impairments such as chronic and stress‐related health and mental health problems. •
ACUTE VS. CHRONIC Residual or Immersed ACUTE Severe and sudden in onset.
CHRONIC Develops over time.
Adverse Childhood Experiences Have you heard of the ACES? • Groundbreaking public health study between the CDC and
• • • •
Kaiser. • They discovered that childhood trauma (toxic stress) leads to the adult onset of some bad stuff. THINK…ACEs harm children’s developing brains so profoundly that the effects show up decades later People have an ACE score of 0 to 10. We all have an ACE score. Each type of trauma counts as one, no matter how many times it occurs. You can think of an ACE score as a cholesterol score for childhood trauma.
Information taken from: http://acestoohigh.com/got‐your‐ace‐score/
ACES ARE COMMON
https://www.aap.org
Adverse Childhood Experiences ACEs don’t occur alone….if you have one, there’s an 87% chance that you have two or more. The more ACEs you have, the greater the risk for chronic disease, mental illness, violence and being a victim of violence.
Information taken from: http://acestoohigh.com/got‐your‐ace‐score/
ACES & HEALTH OUTCOMES
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Let’s look at just a little of the compelling data.
CHANGING EVERYTHING… COMPELLING DATA
CHANGING EVERYTHING… COMPELLING DATA
CHANGING EVERYTHING… COMPELLING DATA
CAUTIONARY NOTE ‐ACES can create toxic stress but they are not the only things that can. ‐Things that create toxic stress or are traumatic for one may not be for another. EXAMPLE…siblings from same home A great deal depends:
RESILIENCY • The ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens. (http://www.merriam‐webster.com)
SUPPORTIVE PERSON INTERVENING
CAUTIONARY NOTE TRAUMA AND TOXIC STRESS RESPONSES ARE SUBJECTIVE! ‐Do not compare students! ‐Do not compare siblings! ‐Reign in your experiences vs. how you view the world and your expectations of others (pos. and neg)
BE CAREFUL
TOXIC STRESS WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SAY? Toxic Stress: The Facts CDC: Effects of Childhood Stress American Academy of Pediatrics
Study Highlights: • •
•
1000 kids from large US cities Teachers rated performance at the end of Kind. Students who’d experienced one or more previously reported ACES were more likely to struggle in the classroom: • Below average language, literacy and math skills • Aggression and social problems
TOXIC STRESS • • • •
•
•
The child functions in survival mode only. Living in a “RED ALERT” zone The brain CAN’T withstand this form of stress… it IS TOXIC! Without the presence of protective factors, the brain may sustain damage and health problems emerge. How soon damage happens and how severe it will be depends upon the individual. ACES do this but stressors do too!
SIMPLY…WHEN SOMEONE EXPERIENCES TOXIC STRESS, OUR BODY IS TOO BUSY FOR THE BRAIN TO LEARN
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO US? If our bodies and brains ARE wired to fight, run, or hide at times of threat…
They are NOT wired to learn or remember facts until the threat is gone. https://www.aap.org
SO WHAT DO WE DO?
WE MUST BE ABLE TO… IDENTIFY! INTERVENE! KNOW YOUR RESOURCES! PLAN TO EDUCATE!
TOXIC STRESS…WHAT CAN YOU DO?
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY How do you know when stress is no longer healthy?
https://www.aap.org
TOXIC STRESS…WHAT CAN YOU DO?
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO INTERVENE! ‐With the child? ‐With the parent/caregiver? ‐With the community/public?
DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK
https://www.aap.org
Interactions between kids and significant adults in their life are fundamental to brain architecture. When children reach out, adults need to be:
Present Attentive Consistent/Predictable
ACTION = INTERACTION Don’t take behaviors personally Avoid yelling/aggression Lower the tone and intensity of your voice Come to the child’s eye‐level Use single direction words/instructions Give directions without using strong emotions Tell the child it is ok to feel the way he/she does Give the child words to label the emotions Develop breathing techniques and relaxation skills Praise the child when he/she calms down Give messages that say child is safe, wanted, & capable Praise even neutral behavior Give choices Remain available, reliable, and responsive Be patient Be aware of your own emotional responses to the behavior Repeat, repeat, repeat https://www.aap.org
TOXIC STRESS…WHAT CAN YOU DO?
WE NEED TO KNOW OUR RESOURCES! ‐In the school? ‐In the community? ‐In the county? ‐In the state?
TOXIC STRESS…WHAT CAN YOU DO?
WE NEED A PLAN TO EDUCATE! • • • • • • •
YOURSELF School Staff Students Parents/Caregivers Community Members Community Agencies Lawmakers
WHAT CAN WE SAY?
LEAVE HERE & MAKE YOUR PLAN 1.
IDENTIFY •
2.
INTERVENE •
3.
How will you intervene with the child, the parents, and the community?
RESOURCES •
4.
What will you look for?
How will you learn what resources are available in your school, community, county, and state?
EDUCATE • •
How will you continue to educate yourself on this topic? How will you raise awareness with students, parents, co‐workers, other professionals, and the overall community?
TOXIC STRESS SUMMARY KQED TOXIC STRESS REPORT (6:30) VIDEO
QUESTIONS
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Possible Fall 2016 Locations: Granite Falls, Alexandria, Willmar, Marshall
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Tanya.Yerigan@smsu.edu