How Can I Support a Student with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the Classroom?
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PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is the result of events which may include being a victim of or experiencing violence; or living through a disaster.
Young people with post-traumatic stress disorder experience the event over and over through strong memories, flashbacks, or similar troublesome thoughts. As a result, they may try to avoid anything associated with the trauma, overreact when startled and/or have difficulty sleeping.
Teachers may sometimes come across students who have PTSD.
As this student may not be able to attend classes regularly (due to therapy sessions), the teacher might provide special notes formulated so that the student can keep up with class activities.
The student may require a break from class or school to recover.
If the family and medical team feel that it is best to encourage the child to continue school, here are some tips that the teacher can keep in mind.
- Encourage the child’s normal activities
- Assist the child in regaining a sense of control of their life
In addition, the amount of work given to the child might be broken down into smaller units so that the child may not get overwhelmed but rather develop a sense of accomplishment once the task is completed.
Discuss here: How have you dealt with a situation where you had a student who had recently undergone a trauma?
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