Back in November, we posted a video on YouTube that helped teachers understand the traumatic pasts our children have come from. The video was a hit and was shared with hundreds of schools and teachers around the country. Today, we’re including the audio version in the latest episode of Honestly Speaking…
Between Nicole and her husband, and us, we’ve been in hundreds of IEP meetings with our children’s teachers and principals. We’ve had many that went extremely well, and some that…well…didn’t! What we’ve learned from our experience is that teachers really do want to understand where we’re coming from, and why our children need the special care that they do.
Our goal is partnership, camaraderie, and a common path to help our children succeed. That’s why we created the video, and now the podcast version of 5 things Every [Foster] and Adoptive Parent Wants Teachers to Know About Trauma. This special audio version may be more accessible than watching a YouTube video…
Listen To The Podcast.
[podcast]
Notes and Quotes from The Show.
As we already mentioned, the video, which aired back in November, received rave reviews. You can read the original post here. Below is the YouTube link and the sample letter we include with the video link…
[youtube id=”QSE00Mn4MzY”]
Click here to download the sample letter that we send to teachers along with this video link.
Here are the 5 things that Kristin and Nicole share in the episode:
- Communication is key. Everything that is happening in your classroom could be a direct result of our child’s traumatic past. You must proactively communicate every day with us.
- We’re not being mean. We are working on helping our children understand logical consequences.
- We’re working on a bigger picture. Our children were traumatized at birth because of separation, but they’ve also experienced secondary trauma in entering our family. Therefore, we are actively working on establishing trust, a healthy bond and attachment with our children.
- Trauma changes the brain. Our children have suffers immediate trauma when they are separated from their birth mother at birth.
- Our children’s information is private. We often do not share the details of our children’s past openly out of protection for them.
Resources and Links.
Here are some of the valuable resources we shared during the podcast…
- NoFAS.org– National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. There are many great resources on FASD and FAS on this site that you can share with teachers.
- The Refresh Conference– the nation’s best conference for weary and exhausted foster and adoptive parents. Registration ends soon!!
- Our original YouTube video– You can grab the original YouTube link and share it with your child’s teacher!
As we’ve already said, both in this post and on the show- we hope this resource enriches and uplifts you and your family. We would love to hear from you. Share your thoughts and feedback or even some great resources you have used to help form a better partnership with your child’s teacher.
[reminder]What have you learned from IEP meetings? How have you and your child’s teacher formed a solid relationship? Share your story with us![/reminder]