[NLA] Adult learners with Trauma

[Alan Toops]

> Sunday, January 19th, Andrea wrote:


> David and Nancy,
>
> "Art has much to say about this topic, emotional trauma and its effect 
> on
> learning, and I hope he will, and will also describe a mini-study he
> completed."
> later she wrote:
>
> "I would be interested to know if there are any advocacy efforts that 
> take
> emotional reactions caused by stress into account.  Does anyone know of
> strategies that have been used?"
>
Andrea,

As a long time lurker on the NLA list, I seldom respond to postings as
most of the regular  respondents are much better at expressing themselves
than I, but you touched on a subject that has sparked this reply.

The Ohio Department of Education's Division of Adult Education funded a
study headed by Dr. Laura Weisel that investigated the nature of
educationally related trauma's and their impact on adults in basic 
literacy
programs. The study included beginning adult learners in a Springfield 
Ohio
basic literacy program and basic literacy inmates in two of Ohio's adult
male prisons.

The most significant aspect of this study was the use of a clinical
intervention called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Developed by Dr. Francine Shaprio and used by a number of clinical
practioners to treat Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome among other traumas. 
the technique helps the information processing portion of the brain to 
move through the block caused by the trauma, (for a more complete 
description, please visit (www.emdr.com). The study
attempted to treat the educational trauma(s) that were keeping these 
adults
from achieving educational success in basic literacy programs.

The study results are nearing publication. In addition, instructional
interventions developed for the adult learners participating in the study
were derived from PowerPath assessments which paid specific attention to 
the emotional support needed for the adult learners to be successful in 
the program.


Alan Toops - Consulting
Services for Juveniles and Adults in Corrections

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