Advanced Attachment and Discipline with Children Who Have Experienced Chronic Trauma

Level: Advanced Practice – Lineworkers and Supervisors

Credits: 6

Intended Audience: Lineworkers and supervisors, who would like increased knowledge and skills with regard to effective discipline with children who have experienced abuse and neglect. Especially applicable to those who work directly with caregivers, in facilitating understanding of the ineffectiveness of many traditional discipline strategies, with children in care

Intended Objectives:

• Understand Attachment Theory, and resulting Foundational Brain Development – for nurtured children, and for children who have been abused, neglected, or experienced chronic trauma.
• Understand developmental milestones, Erikson’s stages and Maslow’s hierarchy with increased knowledge of missing or compromised development, and their relationship to discipline.
• Learn and understand why traditional discipline methods (time out, consequences, rewards, etc) are largely ineffective with children who have experienced chronic stress/trauma.
• Understand the ‘re-parenting’ philosophy and the discipline tools that build connection, and assist in strengthening the compromised foundational brain building blocks that are a result of inadequate nurturing.
• Participants will be able to facilitate caregivers’ understanding of why children who have been abused or neglected often do not respond to traditional discipline methods.
• Participants will be able to facilitate caregivers’ use of relationship/attachment based discipline tools and strategies.

Topics Include:

• Review of Attachment Theory in relationship to children who have experienced trauma and their differing needs for structure and discipline
• Value of the heritage each person brings to their parenting style.
• What happens in the brain during the Arousal/Relaxation cycle
• Foundational brain building blocks: Causal Thinking, Trust, Conscience Development, and Delayed Gratification.