The Washington Post – Michael Alison Chandler
“Children in the District are disproportionately exposed to traumatic experiences, including poverty, homelessness and gun violence, that affect their ability to learn, a new report says. But schools can help them by training teachers and employees to be responsive to their emotional needs, according to the report the D.C. Children’s Law Center released on Tuesday…According to the report, children can be affected by a single event or ongoing trauma. It harms executive functioning and their ability to regulate emotions, and it shapes how their brains develop. Children who have been traumatized often feel unsafe and can’t concentrate; they may be withdrawn or have a strong emotional reaction to something seemingly harmless.”(more)