Individual Learning Task: Understanding and Responding to Trauma

Focus Chapters:

1: Understanding Trauma and Its Impact

2: Trauma-Informed Assessment 3: Sensory-Based Assessment

Case Study: Leo, Age 7

Leo is a grade 2 student. He often hides under his desk, chews on his shirt sleeves, and lashes out when classmates get close to him. During lessons, he avoids eye contact, rarely speaks, and sometimes rocks back and forth. His teacher reports that Leo is "difficult and disruptive" and assumes he is just trying to avoid doing his work.

Respond to the following questions:

What possible signs of trauma do you see in Leo's behavior? (Refer to 1 and consider emotional, physical, and behavioral indicators of trauma.)

If you were completing a trauma-informed assessment for Leo, what areas would you want to explore further? (Think about factors from 2, such as trauma history, symptom presentation, developmental delays, and contextual factors.)

Choose one sensory-based assessment activity that could help Leo express how he's feeling without using words. Describe the activity and why it might work for him. (Use ideas from 3 like drawing, sand tray play, body scans, or miniatures.)