1.
Foundations to
Flourish
Providing Therapeutic Transitions to
Schools for Children
who have Experienced Trauma
Presenters:
Angela Kretz
Program Co-ordinator
Act for Kids Wooloowin
Marina Ringma-McLaren
Early Intervention Teacher
Act for Kids Wooloowin

2.
• Reviewing the Problem - Child Abuse & Neglect
• Who are Act for Kids & what do they do?
• Theories underpinning practice
• What is Trauma?
• Early Education Program – Key Focus Areas
• Transitioning from EEP to Prep
• Questions?
Presentation Overview

3.
Child Abuse and Neglect
Child abuse and neglect is one of Australia’s
biggest and most misunderstood social
problems. Despite being under-reported,
Australian authorities confirmed 40,844
children were abused or neglected between
2013- 2014
Harm is defined in legislation as “detrimental
effect of a significant nature on the child’s
physical, psychological or emotional
wellbeing”
Child abuse is typically categorised as
Physical, Emotional, Sexual, and Neglect.
Abuse is usually a pattern of behaviour; rarely
the result of a single incident
The effects of child abuse and neglect can be
significant and lead to lifelong problems.
Impact brain development
• Hippocampus – memory function
• Pre-frontal Cortex – learning
• Corpus Callosum – LB/RB connection
Impact physical development
• Overall growth - malnutrition
• Impairment of fine/gross motor skills
Impact social/emotional development
• Language delays
• Inability to form attachments
In the long term it can lead to drug and alcohol
abuse, mental illness, difficulty developing and
maintaining healthy relationships,
unemployment and all sorts of social
disadvantage.
The outcomes for children if someone takes
action to protect them can be overwhelmingly
positive.
With early and appropriate support, children and
young people can overcome their experiences.
It’s also true that with the right kind of support
parents can often change their behaviour,
routines and environment to provide a safe and
caring home for their children.

4.
How big is the problem?
 In 2013-2014 there were 304,094 notifications of suspected abuse or neglect
reported to Australian protection authorities; one child every two minutes
 In 2013-14, 40,844 Australian kids suffered abuse and neglect*. That’s one
child every 13 minutes suffering abuse or neglect.
 94% of abused kids are harmed by someone they know and should be able to
trust
 83% of the kids we see are harmed by a natural parent
 Over half of the parents we engage with report they too were abused as
children
 Child abuse costs the Australian economy at least $10.7 billion*
Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Child protection Australia 2013-14. Child welfare series no. 61. Cat. No.
CWS 52. Canberra: AIHW. http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=601299550762

5.
About Act for Kids
Act for Kids is an Australian not-for-profit charity providing free professional therapy and family support
services to prevent and treat child abuse and neglect.
Established as the Abused Child Trust in 1988, we have been helping Australian families keep their children
safe for more than 27 years. During that time we have grown from one part-time therapist to a team of over
300 providing services state-wide and interstate.
In 2008, at the ripe old age of 20, we changed our name to Act for Kids to better reflect our broader range of
services, and to share a positive call to action across communities.
Our Purpose
To prevent and treat
child abuse and
neglect.
Our Vision
All kids have a safe
and happy childhood,
free from abuse and
neglect.
Our Values
We are a professional,
ethical team who is
caring, courageous
and collaborative.

6.
Act for Kids Services
Therapy
(CIS/Flourish/WT/ITP)
Provision of
individual and
family therapy
utilising a variety of
modalities.
Collaborative
practice across
multi-disciplinary
team & stakeholder
group
Family
Support
(FaCC)
Connects families to
community services
(IFS/RAI)
Early intervention
counselling, coaching
& psycho-education
for children & families
provided within the
home
Residential
Services
The SafeKIDS
Program is a
partnership
between Traditional
Owners and Act for
Kids, and aims to
keep kids in their
local community

7.
Act for Kids Services Cont.
Education
Services
EEP
Protective
behaviours
program - grade 1
kids (LTBSWEAF)
In-school
therapeutic support
(individual/group)
Community
Education
Trauma informed
psycho-education
Government &
non-government
sector

8.
ACT For Kids - WooloowinAct for Kids Wooloowin

9.
ACT for Kids – Objectives
To work with children and young people (0-17) who have experienced trauma as a
consequence of abuse and/or neglect.
To engage with their families and/or carers around family functioning, communication,
parenting, and the impact of abuse and trauma on child well-being and safety.
To provide holistic integrated interventions that utilizes assessments and therapy to
achieve identified goals and outcomes for families, their children and young people.
To work with children and their relevant stakeholders to improve their social, emotional
and educational development.
To enhance community education, assessments and interventions through training and
workshops
Service Objectives

10.
Attachment Theory: helps us to understand human
relationship development from pre-birth onwards
throughout the life span.
Trauma Theory: helps us understand the neurobiological
and psychological impact of abuse and neglect on the
child
Developmental Theory: helps us understand typical
development and development under adversity
Theories Underpinning Practice

11.
Our earliest experiences are physical/sensory in
nature
• Infants are ‘wired’ to engage in social relationships
• Infants cries and behaviours are designed to engage
the attention, care and concern of those close around them.
• Attachment relationship is something that children and
caregivers create together in an ongoing reciprocal way.
• The quality of the attachment between an infant & parent
is strongly associated with the infant’s language development.
Attachment Theory

12.
There is no such thing as a baby,
there is a baby AND someone”
(Donald Winnicott)

13.
Trauma is any event that overwhelms the
infant or child’s capacity to cope.
What is Trauma?
Complex trauma however:
• involves multiple incidents over a period of time
• is grounded in relational connections which
involve isolation, shame and disconnection
• impacts on the person’s sense of self in relation to
others
• impacts upon the child’s development

14.
Children are more vulnerable
to trauma than adults because
they have had limited
experiences of facing and
overcoming challenges in
their life.
Understanding Trauma?
Their bodies and minds are still developing.

15.
Trauma occurs when an event is so frightening it
causes a prolonged alarm reaction, where the body
is primed and pumped with chemicals and
enzymes such as adrenaline and does not calm
down for a long time. In any person, this creates an
altered neurological state.
Trauma Response
“Children exposed to significant threat will ‘reset’ their
baseline state of arousal, such that even at baseline –
when no external threats or demands are present – they
will be in a physiological state of persisting alarm.”
Bruce Perry

16.
Hyperarousal (Sympathetic nervous system)
(separation anxiety, hyper-vigilent, low thresholds, emotional meltdowns)
Window of Tolerance
Just Right Zone
We can think and feel at the same time
Hypoarousal (Parasympathetic)
(Flat affect, shut down, passive aggressive, appears sluggish)
Emotional Regulation

17.
• The brain is at its most plastic in early
childhood
• In childhood, there is the greatest
vulnerability to harm but also the
greatest potential for healing.
Neuroplasticity

18.
Early Education Program Kindy
• The teacher & teacher aide are funded by Education Queensland
• 2 groups – Kindy 2-3 years of age; Pre-Prep 4-5 years of age
• Focus is on developing social/emotional skills & school readiness
• Multidisciplinary approach utilised within the EEP environment
Education & Prevention

19.
LCCH
school
Education
Queensland
Act for
Kids
Early
Education
Program
Working in Partnership

20.
Early Education Program –
Who can attend?
Open case
with Child
Safety
or
Engaged
with the
Intensive
Family
Support
Prior
history of
abuse,
neglect and
/or trauma
At high risk due
to
developmental,
social and
emotional
delays
Currently in
foster
placement or
being
reunified
Need support
to attain skills
that will help
them to enter
school

21.
Excellence in Inclusive Education

22.
Photo of room trashed

23.
The Iceberg Model
Context…..What children
do and say is
always driven by
things we can’t
see and things
they can’t
always explain.
We need to shift
our thinking
from:
What is wrong
with you?
to
How can I
understand
you?
Behaviours
Needs
Developmental challenges
Fight / flight / freeze

24.
Key Focus of the Early Education Program
Building strong
healthy relationships

25.
Key Focus of the Early Education Program
Provide a safe place to learn
and grow

26.
Key Focus of the Early Education Program
Helping them to understand their
overwhelming feelings and
emotions
• Emotional literacy
• Identifying emotions/ feeling
• Learning to control them

27.
Key Focus of the Early Education Program
Sensory Exploration

28.
Key Focus of the Early Education Program
Act for Kids
Reclaiming Childhood

29.
Key Focus of the Early Education Program
Moving beyond learned
helplessness and fixed mindsets.
Rewriting our understanding
about who we are as learners

30.
Transition to Prep
• Set small achievable daily goals
• Provide safe learning challenges which can be built
upon
• Clear expectations
• Reduce student stress levels and bring their
attention and awareness back into the classroom
• Create the belief that it is possible for them to
succeed
• Building a learning culture
• Building the skills to engage and learn
• Address the fears / anxiety
• Celebrating their success

31.
Transition to Prep
Documentation to help support a
successful transition to Prep

32.
School Really Matters
“Teachers who understand the
effects of trauma on children’s
education, who are able to
develop teaching practices to
help them, and who are able to
participate actively and
collaboratively (with carers) .. will
not only improve their
educational outcomes but will
assist in their healing and
recovery.”

33.
“When I first came to EEP,
my world was confused and angry ..
.. but I have learnt
about myself ... and I
am glad that I am

34.
Although we can't be there to rescue
them from their situations we can be
there to hold their hand, to give them
an experience of what positive
attachment looks like, to be calm and
consistent; to always be there for
them no matter their behaviour and to
show them the possibility that life
can be different.