Annotated Bibliography

Bath, H. (2008). The Three Pillars of Trauma-Informed Care. Reclaiming Children & Youth,
17(3), p17-21. Retrieved from http://0web.a.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=0036952e-e423-4ee5b0c1-f087354015ba%40sessionmgr4004&vid=41&hid=4107
This article expands on the idea that healing from trauma can take place in a variety of
settings, and that all individuals involved in a traumatized child's life can make important
contributions to healing and growth. The author outlines three critical pillars of trauma
informed care; safety, connection, and emotional and impulse management. The first
imperative in working with traumatized children is creating an atmosphere of safety. This
includes providing consistency, reliability, predictability, availability, and honesty for the
child. The second imperative is establishing connections between children, care providers
and mentors; positive relationships are necessary for healthy human development and a
critical aspect of healing and growth. The third pillar is to teach and supporting new ways
of effectively managing emotions and impulses. The author suggests several approaches
and asserts that any approach that promotes the use of rational processing and the
capacity to reflect on feelings and impulses has a role in helping children to develop selfregulation skills. This is relevant to trauma informed PBIS because these three pillars can
serve as a very simple preliminary guideline for a general audience of individuals
working with traumatized children to providing trauma informed care. It also recognizes
the power that all individuals working with children have, in contributing to heal trauma.

Dibble, N. (2013). Using an RTI framework to help schools support students affected by trauma
[PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://blackboard.ric.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-1625460dt-content-rid-2527892_2/courses/1158-RICOL-CEP-603- SEC01/Creating%20Trauma
%20Sensitive%20Schools%20April%202013.pdf
This PowerPoint is titled Creating Trauma Sensitive Schools. It includes two
presentations, the first featuring Nic Dibble from the Wisconsin Department of Public
Instruction. He discusses the etiology and consequences of trauma on learning, and shares
how Wisconsin is using an RTI framework to help schools support students affected by
trauma. Mr. Dibble shares resources including Wisconsins toolkit for schools, links to
publications and websites that describe how schools can become more trauma-informed,
and specific strategies schools can adopt to be more trauma-sensitive. This webinar is
relevant because it not only serves as a model for implementing trauma informed PBIS, it
provides a wealth of resources and strategies for educators and school psychologists.

Dishion, T. (2011). Promoting Academic Competence and Behavioral Health in Public Schools:
A Strategy of Systemic Concatenation of Empirically Based Intervention Principles.
School Psychology Review, 40(4), 590-597. Retrieved from http://0web.a.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=b0c66a07-b5b3-4de799ea-7a2635d23279%40sessionmgr4002&vid=31&hid=4101
This article discusses shortcomings and obstacles to implementation of empirically based
intervention programs such as PBIS in public schools. While acknowledging their
affectivity, the author asserts that empirically based intervention programs adopted
without a realistic and effective overall strategy for implementation can lead to

unsustainable solutions that are disruptive to the development of an overall, effective

school system. The author discusses a process of systemically linking the empirically
based principles of intervention programs, and notes that the process itself has two major
requirements; a bottom-up approach to defining leadership, training, and support for
school staff, and a data system that monitors and tracks student outcomes throughout the
academic year to guide decision making and problem solving. This article also provides
an example of how empirically based principles derived from interventions that address
parenting support, teacher and school staff training in behavior management, and student
behavioral health can be connected with a school operating system while using the PBIS
framework. This is relevant to trauma informed PBIS because it recognizes significant
obstacles to implementing empirically based intervention programs, and offers solutions
for a more effective overall strategy for success.

Shantel D. Crosby, S.D. (2015). An Ecological Perspective on Emerging Trauma-Informed

Teaching Practices. Children & Schools, 37(4), p223-230. DOI: 10.1093/cs/cdv027
This article acknowledges the major role in schools play improving educational outcomes
for traumatized students, and focuses on responses to childhood trauma being contingent
upon the individuals and interconnected issues that exist within a child's ecosystems. This
article is relevant to trauma informed PBIS because it highlights existing and emerging
frameworks for trauma-informed educational practice, as well as discussing best practices
and how they fit into an ecological model. The author encourages teachers, school social
workers, psychologists and other staff to recognize their position in student ecosystems.

Shonkoff, J.P. (2012). Leveraging the biology of adversity to address the roots of disparities in
health and development. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United
States of America. Supplement, 17302-17307. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1121259109
This article presents a discussion about the importance of considering biological science
to inform a paradigm shift in what drives early childhood policy and practice. The author
highlights a strong connection between executive functioning and emotional regulation,
and explains how repeated exposure to threatening situations can disrupt development of
the prefrontal cortex which controls responses to stress. Hypotheses proposed by this
author reflect the belief that acquisition of executive functioning and self-regulatory skills
are fundamental to both learning, and positive long term health outcomes. The author
emphasizes the importance of adult caregivers having their own well-developed skills in
problem solving, planning, monitoring, and self-regulation to protect children from the
impacts of toxic stress, and suggests that interventions strengthening caregiver's
executive function and self-regulation skills can help young children develop effective
coping skills to reduce toxic stress. This article is relevant to Trauma Informed PBIS
because it highlights connections between the effects of trauma on behavior and learning,
and offers suggestions for re-evaluating what effective policy and practice looks like.
This article is brief, comprehensive, and very interesting to read.

Shonkoff, J.P., Nall Bales, S. (2011). Science Does Not Speak for Itself: Translating Child
Development Research for the Public and Its Policymakers. Child Development, 82(1),
17-32. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01538.x

This article addresses obstacles to public understanding of scientific research, and

suggests data driven approaches to effectively translate and communicate scientific
research to a general audience, including policy makers. Specific to translating child
development research, this article outlines the "core story of development" which was
developed to articulate characterizing principles of early childhood development, and
provide narrative of how child development works. Particular attention is paid to
developing architecture of the brain, and the physiological consequences of toxic stress.
The authors acknowledge policy making as an inherently "messy" process, and discusses
examples of success in using the core story to influence public discourse and policy
decisions by making a case for increased investment in young children. This article is
relevant to trauma informed PBIS because it offers an effective tool for communicating
important scientific research about child development to a public audience. This can be
very useful to school psychologists advocating for implementation of trauma informed
PBIS and instructional support; particularly at Pre-K and elementary levels when these
supports can be most preventative. Access to a comprehensive Core Story from the
FrameWorks Institute is available on the toolkit page of this site.

Tishelman, A.C., Haney, P., Greenwald O'Brian, J., Blaustein, M. (2010). A Framework for
School-Based Psychological Evaluations: Utilizing a Trauma Lens. Journal of Child &
Adolescent Trauma, 3(4), p279-302. DOI: 10.1080/19361521.2010.523062
This article expands on the concept that careful evaluation of children impacted by
trauma is required to understand his or her unique profile of skills and deficits. It
addresses critical considerations for trauma informed care in a school context, and

provides great detail regarding core issues that should be considered during trauma
informed evaluation. This includes multiple core issues that are specific to physical,
academic, relationship, and self regulatory developmental domains. The authors also
provide a student planning matrix chart for organizing assessment strategies and data
relevant to each developmental domain across a student's micro-systems. The article is
relevant to trauma informed PBIS because it provides an in-depth, trauma informed guide
for evaluating developmental domains, encourages school psychologists to apply a
trauma informed lens in using standard psychological evaluation, and provides
suggestions and resources for best practice.

Walkley, M., Cox, T.L. (2013). Building Trauma-Informed Schools and Communities. Children
& Schools, 35(2), 123-126. Retrieved from http://0web.a.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=2062ec6a-c6fa-49b0b163- dd5b5266242a%40sessionmgr4003&vid=9&hid=4101
This article briefly discusses the cultural challenge of altering traditional approaches to
student behavior when implementing a trauma informed approach in schools, for
example, when the existing school culture takes a more discipline-oriented approach to
The authors assert that adopting a trauma-informed approach requires commitment
across all levels, starting with full support and commitment of the leadership at each
school. This includes principals and administrators; however, school psychologists are
well suited to take a leadership role by assisting their school communities in becoming
more responsive to the social and emotional needs of children. This article is relevant to
trauma informed PBIS because it addresses the challenging need for universal

commitment, and recognizes the potential for school psychologists or social workers to
assume a leadership role by being trauma informed practitioners. This article also
highlights "10 Principles of Compassionate Schools" as well as the mnemonic, CAPPD
for educators which stands for being Calm, Attuned, Present, Predictable, and Don't a
child's emotions escalate one's own. These are both guidelines that can be used to help
schools create more trauma responsive systems.