What, you ask, is TBRI? Well, that is what I learned about today in a CASA inservice training. It stands for Trust Based Relational Intervention and is a program sponsored by TCU and the Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services to help children who are in or who have come from dysfunctional homes. Its mission is to help traumatized children who are victims of the same PTSD that we associate with our military personnel in combat situations. Facts:
- PTSD is experienced buy children in the US foster care system at a rate more than TWICE that of combat veterans
- Early trauma and stress can significantly alter a child's brain chemistry.
- A fearful child focuses strictly on survival issues so they cannot learn and cannot regulate their behavior as healthy children can. This is where our CASA children usually are.
- Brain development is crucially compromised.
I can't get this turned, but the PET-scan is of a normal 3 year old brain is
on the left, and on the right is a traumatized 3 year old brain.
The black areas are non-developed brain areas and the brain itself is
much smaller than normal. These kids are doomed to failure
without intervention.We also learned about calming techniques to use for children whether ADHD or traumatized (interestingly, the symptoms are almost the same):- Deep chewing
- Calming music or metronome
- Wall pushes
- Weighted items
- Fidgets (don't like these myself)
- Deep breathing
- Calming g smells (essential oils!)
Also learned that 20 minutes of sensory input organizes the brain for up to two hours.Anyway, I thought it was fascinating and I am glad to see that my children are using some of these with their children although they are not traumatized.Next time Nana is with her grandchildren, ask me about doing the weather forecast activity!
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