The Impact of Trauma on Early Childhood Learning and Development

The Link Between Trauma and Academic Performance

All types of trauma can undermine children’s abilities to learn, create healthy attachments, form supportive relationships, and follow classroom expectations Children who experience trauma are two-and-a-half times more likely to fail a grade in school than their nontraumatized peers.Children’s brains develop in their earliest experiences; their neural development and social interactions are interconnected It is imperative, therefore, that early childhood settings be safe, trauma-sensitive spaces where teachers support children in creating positive self-identities.

Children who have secure attachments learn to trust their emotions and their understanding of the world around When children experience distress or feel threatened, parents or other caregivers support them in reestablishing a sense of safety and control.Children’s inability to access the support they need during a stressful situation can interrupt their ability to process, integrate, and categorize what happened. This leaves young trauma survivors at risk for being overwhelmed by feelings of distress and unable to regulate their internal emotional and physical states, such as heart rate and breathing (van der Kolk 2005).

 
Have poor appetite, low weight, or digestive problems Trauma can interfere with some children’s capacities for imaginative and creative play Through play, young children learn how others experience the world and how to develop control and competence to deal with scary feelings, individuals, and circumstances Children who have experienced trauma may not develop these skills because the feelings that arise during play may overwhelm them. 

Children without trauma backgrounds tend to be assertive in initiating play and can solve conflicts that arise during their play Children who have not been exposed regularly to words and phrases that allow them to identify and express their feelings may struggle to interact successfully with peers and teachers.When children’s early experiences have been unsafe and unstable, keeping others at a distance is a way to emotionally, and sometimes physically, protect themselves.

Children who have experienced trauma may engage in dangerous behaviors or use hurtful language. Example: Alex swears and yells epithets at his teachers and the other children as an unconscious means of protecting himself from forming relationships that could potentially cause pain or harm. He creates barriers to relationships and emotional distance between himself and others to protect himself from further injury.