BUILDING

RESILIENCY
Presented by: Sarah Lipman, School Psychologist
Intern

What is ACEs?

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Wolpow, Johnson, Hertel, Kincaid, 2009; Weinhold,

Consequences of Trauma in the Classroom

Defiance and aggression
Avoidance behavior
Not responding
Impulsivity
Hyperactivity
inattention
Depression and anxiety
Ramirez, L.

RESILIENCY FOR THE TYPICAL

STUDENT

Resiliency Defined:

Resilient
response

Adaptive
brain
functioning

Vulnerabl
e
response

Dysregulate
d brain
functioning
(Sapulsky, 2004)

Resiliency in the Typical Student

Individual
Self efficacy
Humor
Assertiveness
A sense of
responsibility over
ones life
Self-regulation
Strong work ethic
Persistence

(Noltemeyer & Bush,

Resiliency in the Typical Student

Family
communication
skills
nurturing parental
practices
parental
monitoring
firm behavioral
(Noltemeyer & Bush,

Resiliency in the Typical Student

School
peer support
caring studentteacher
relationships

(Noltemeyer & Bush,

Resiliency in the Typical Student

Community
feelings of
belonging
identity
faith

(Noltemeyer & Bush,

Typical Resiliency Factors Not Present

Often there is no
family/community support
Self-efficacy is lowered by
dysregulated bodily functions
Unsuccessful outcomes = greater
expectation of future unsuccessful
outcomes
Heightened arousal = greater judgment
of the self as not capable
(Hass-Cohen, Clyde Findlay, Carr, & Vanderlan, 2014; Everly, Welzant & Jacobson, 2008)

SO WHAT CAN WE AS EDUCATORS

DO?

There Are 2 Ways You Can

Help!

Action 1: Ask For Whole Class, Small Group, and

Individual Interventions

Elementary schools in the

Appalachian region (eastern
United States) significantly
improved resiliency skills
(p<0.001) in comparison to
other programs when they
used multi-level
interventions (Shamblin,
Graham, & Bianco, 2016).

Middle school and high

school aged students were
given whole class
interventions, and after 12
sessions there was a
significant decrease in
maladaptive thoughts and
behaviors, (Gelkopf &
Berger, 2009).

(Shamblin, Graham, Bianco, 2016; Gelkopf & Berger,

Behavioral Contracts You Can Use

Action 1: Ask For Whole Class, Small Group, and

Individual Interventions

Elementary schools in the

Appalachian region (eastern
United States) significantly
improved resiliency skills
(p<0.001) in comparison to
other programs when they
used multi-level
interventions (Shamblin,
Graham, & Bianco, 2016).

Middle school and high

school aged students were
given whole class
interventions, and after 12
sessions there was a
significant decrease in
maladaptive thoughts and
behaviors, (Gelkopf &
Berger, 2009).

(Shamblin, Graham, Bianco, 2016; Gelkopf & Berger,

What Does a Whole Class Intervention Look Like?

(Gelkopf & Berger,

Action 2: Build Relationships With Your Students

Remembe
r,
resiliency
is:

Nurturing
Consistency

Students
with high
ACEs
scores:

May have never had

supportive factors
Had a traumatic event
that led them to question
previously held ideas
about others
(Tummala-Narra, Liang, & Harvey,

Action 2: Build Relationships With Your Students

Secure
attachment

Anxious
attachment

trust

lack of
trust
seeks
constant
validation

Avoidant
attachment

lack of
trust
stays
away
(Tummala-Narra, Liang, & Harvey,
2007)

Action 2: Build Relationships With Your Students

When students are

insecurely
attached
Negative or no
interactions with others
Keep a running inner
dialogue of selfdefeating thoughts
(Tummala-Narra, Liang, & Harvey, 2007)

Action 2: Build Relationships With Your Students

Data collected on 126 individuals in

both inpatient and outpatient units
found a significant and positive
correlation between secure
attachment and those rated by
their clinicians as having mostly
recovered from symptoms,
(Tummala-Narra, Liang, & Harvey,
2007).
(Tummala-Narra, Liang, & Harvey, 2007)

(Wolpow, Johnson, Hertel, Kincaid,

Action 2: Build Relationships With Your Students

Provide opportunities
Always
for empower
meaningful participation
Provide
Be aunconditional
relationship coach
positive regard
Check assumptions,
Maintain high
observe,
expectations
and question

(Wolpow, Johnson, Hertel, Kincaid,

Take Home Message:

3 or more ACEs =
more likely than
peers to struggle
academically and
socially

Less likely to have

typical resiliency
factors

As educators, we can
build resiliency for
these students by
Advocating for more
interventions at multiple
levels
Helping our students to
form secure attachments

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

References (slide 1 of 2)
Everly, G. S., Welzant, V., Jacobson, J. M., (2008). Resistance and Resilience: The
Final Frontier in Traumatic Stress Management. International Journal of Emergency
Mental Health, 10(4), 261-270.
Gelkopf, M., & Berger, R. (2009). A School-Based, Teacher-Mediated Prevention
Program (Erase-Stress) for Reducing Terror-Related Traumatic Reactions in Israeli
Youth: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal Of Child Psychology And
Psychiatry,50(8), 962-971.
Hass-Cohen, N., Clyde Findlay, J., Carr, R., & Vanderlan, J. (2014). Check, Change
What You Need To Change and/or Keep What You Want: An Art Therapy
Neurobiological-Based Trauma Protocol.Art Therapy: Journal Of The American Art
Therapy Association,31(2), 69-78
Noltemeyer, A. L., & Bush, K. R. (2013). Adversity and Resilience: A Synthesis of
International Research.School Psychology International,34(5), 474-487.
Ramirez, L. (2015). Trauma: Its Impact on Behavior and Learning. Retrieved from
power point presentation.
Shamblin, S., Graham, D. & Bianco, J.A. School Mental Health (2016) 8: 189.
doi:10.1007/s12310-016-9181-4.

References (slide 2 of 2)
Tummala-Narra, P., Liang, B., & Harvey, M. R. (2007). Aspects of Safe
Attachment in the Recovery from Trauma. Journal Of Aggression,
Maltreatment & Trauma,14(3), 1-18.
Weinhold, J., (2015). The Long-Term Effects of Adverse Childhood
Experiences. Colorado Professional Development Center. Retrieved from:
http://coprofdevcenter.org/the-long-term-effects-of-adverse-childhoodexperiences/
Wolpow, R., Johnson M. M., Hertel R., Kincaid, S. O. (2009). How the
Traumatic Experiences of Students Manifests in School Settings. The Heart
of Learning and Teaching: Compassion, Resiliency, and Academic Success.
(2016). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Centers for Disease control
and Prevention. Retrieved from:
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/acestudy/