Neurosequential Model in Education: Knowing How the Brain Responds to Trauma Matters
I really like to know how things work. Everything. It is a curiosity that has only grown as I have grown older. I like to ask
questions to anyone that knows something that I do not. Why are you digging a hole there? How does that machine work.
What does that instrument do? Who is that? When is this going to be done? Why can’t I do that? How long will that take?
What can I do to help? Who knows the information I would like to know? When are can we meet up for coffee? Not only that,
but I touch everything. I want to know how it feels. How it turns. How heavy it is. People that know me well are always telling
me to stop. Why should I stop? It is how my works and I have learned this.
Our brains are fascinating. I want to know just as much about how our brains work as I do about how the excavator, digging
that hole, works. A few years back I was given the opportunity to take a class on how trauma affects the brain, and in turn how
that affects children and their education. This class was developed by Dr. Bruce Perry and his time at the Neurosequential
Network. They have many different course; Neurosequntial Model in Therapeutics, Education, Caregiving, Sport, Early
Childhood Therapeutics, and Reflection and Supervision. The class I was able to take was Neurosequential Model in Education
(NME). This course is designed to teach educators on how to best to handle students that have been affected by trauma. I
really opened my eyes to how much a persons brain can change when it is affected by trauma.
One of the most fascinating things I learned about how trauma affects the brain is that a person’s maturing around issues
relating to the trauma essentially freezes in place at the age the trauma occurred. If a person was sexually abused at the age of
7, when situations relating to similar sexual things occur as they age they will react as if they are still 7. This is important to
know as an educator because if you have a student or students that have had major trauma events in their life that is going to
explain why they react the way they do in school. I had a young lady, the last two years, that had some sexual abuse trauma. A
trigger for her trauma was men calling her sweetie. I did not know this. I was trying to have a restorative conversation with
(counselors were present. I did know she had trauma, I just did not know what form of trauma) and unfortunately I called her
sweetie. Immediately, she shut down and left the room. We were all confused. Find out later it was because I called her
sweetie. She reverted back to her age when the trauma occurred and her reaction was as if she was. Dr. Perry has an
interesting way to help these young people to heal from this trauma and become more functioning members of society.
Part of the process of healing is to know how the brain works. To know that the person is frozen at that age when it
comes to their trauma event. To help heal and move forward in a more productive way Dr. Perry brings the person back to the
age of the event. He helps that person age appropriately deal with and gain healthy coping strategies. Meaning if the event
happened when the person was 6 he would teach them 6 year developmental strategies to cope with the trauma. Once the
person has shown proficiency with that age he will move them to the next developmental stage, and so on until they reach the
appropriate developmental stage for the age they currently are. In his book “The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog” he tells many
stories like that involves this technique. In my life have friends who have experienced traumatic events. I have watched them
be triggered and essentially turn back into a 6 year old, or 9 year old, or whatever age the event happened. As heartbreaking
as it is, I find it absolutely fascinating. And because I am educated in trauma I recognize what is happening and I am able to be
more empathetic and understanding.
The same goes with my students. It has changed how I approach students. I can have more patience and grace with
them. Even if they haven’t has a big traumatic event, life still throws us curveballs and it knocks us off our game. The NME
website states that “it is a way to educate school staff about brain development and developmental trauma and then to further
teach them how to apply that knowledge to their work with students in and outside the classroom.” Knowing how our brains
work and why has only helped me become a better teacher and person overall. It has only fueled my curiosity and has driven
me to want to learn more.
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