Stages of Learning through Trauma

1. Foundational Trust and Safety (Birth – Age 2)

• Typical Development: Secure attachment to caregivers; exploration and sensory learning.
• Trauma Impact: Difficulty forming attachments; hypervigilance or withdrawal; delayed speech and motor skills.

2. Emotional Regulation and Autonomy (Ages 2–6)

• Typical Development: Beginning of emotional control, early social learning, and language growth.
• Trauma Impact:
• Poor impulse control and extreme emotional responses (fight, flight, freeze).
• Delayed language or cognitive development.
• Increased aggression or extreme passivity.

3. Socialisation and Academic Foundations (Ages 6–12)

• Typical Development: Growth in learning, peer relationships, and problem-solving skills.
• Trauma Impact:
• Difficulty focusing or processing information (due to a chronically activated stress response).
• Problems with authority figures and rules.
• Underachievement or learning disabilities may be misdiagnosed.

4. Identity and Independence (Adolescence, Ages 12–18)

• Typical Development: Development of identity, abstract thinking, and self-regulation.
• Trauma Impact:
• Risk-taking or self-destructive behavior.
• Struggles with self-worth or identity confusion.
• Challenges in planning, organizing, and managing emotions—often misinterpreted as defiance.

5. Healing and Re-learning (Variable – Trauma-Informed Interventions)

• What This Stage Involves:
• Rebuilding trust and emotional safety.
• Developing coping strategies.
• Engaging in consistent, supportive relationships and trauma-informed educational settings.
• Brain plasticity allows for reorganization and recovery with the right support.

Key Principles in Supporting Trauma-Affected Learning:

• Safety (emotional and physical).
• Predictability and routine.
• Regulation before instruction: Calming the stress response before expecting academic focus.
• Relationship-based approaches: Stable, supportive adults can help children rebuild trust.