Description:
This beginner-friendly course introduces new caregivers to the basic ideas behind trauma-informed care. Participants will learn what trauma is, how it affects children’s feelings and actions, and how caregivers can help children feel safe, supported, and understood.
v2026.2
Course Content
Lesson 1: What is Trauma?
Lesson Content
Define trauma using a child-centered explanation.
Differentiate between acute, chronic, complex, and historical trauma.
Explain how trauma affects the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex.
Identify at least three behaviors that may be trauma responses.
Select trauma-informed responses in realistic care scenarios.
Lesson 2: How Trauma Affects Children
Lesson Content
Identify behaviors that may be trauma responses, not defiance
Learn to interpret signs of stress, fear, and survival-based reactions
Shift perspective: From “What’s wrong with this child?” to “What happened to this child?”
Lesson 3: Responding with Trauma-Informed Care
Lesson Content
Apply the principle of regulating first before correcting behavior.
Demonstrate validating language that supports emotional regulation.
Select appropriate de-escalation techniques in care scenarios.
Offer structured choices that promote safety and autonomy.
Distinguish between trauma-informed responses and punitive or shaming reactions.
Use repair strategies to rebuild connection after conflict.
Lesson 4: Putting It All Together — Practicing Trauma-Informed Care
Lesson Content
Integrate trauma-informed response principles into daily caregiving routines.
Distinguish between trauma-informed and punitive responses.
Demonstrate regulation-focused responses in applied scenarios.
Reflect on personal accountability in creating safe and healing environments.