[NLA] Discussion: Adult Learners with Trauma
Art LaChance
arthur at ellijay.com
Tue Jan 21 16:00:56 EST 2003
Nancy and .....
My perception thus far is that a good many adult students enrolled in
our general literacy studies have histories that suggest they were
disarmed or confounded, or distracted, or threatened, or some other
feature of response that generated negative emotional energy blocks or
diversions that prevented them from effectively intaking and storing
and/or integrating new information as presented in the school room. In
extreme instances I think the effect could be associated with the
fight-or-flight response in varying degrees of strength. I have strong
feelings that Attention Defict with and without Hyperactivity may be
rooted here. Additionally, when the impact of such a situation occurs
early in the childs life I have strong belief that many cases of LD may
be rooted here.
I know full well that the intent of the ADD ADHD and LD diagnoses are
designed to identify certain failures in the mental processing arena and
most are supposedly genetic in nature, however I also think that the
indications presented by the above situations may mimick so closely that
it would be difficult to identify unless a complete and indepth case
history were associated and compared with actual sensory functioning
capacities. That is; if the sensory mechanisms function well within the
"normal" range, and the integrating mechanisms and retrieval mechanisms
for new information function within the normal range, yet the student is
not "learning", is it a function of the student organism or a function
of the delivery agent ?? More questions than answers here.
My experience in adult literacy tells me that if we address the
emotional issues first and ease the anxiety ("test" anxiety?) and or
otherwise downplay the emotional response we stand a better chance of
holding the student than not. There is a condition termed "math
anxiety" due to it's popularity amongst adult students. The next
question is: Where and when did the anxiety first become influential,
and why ? Does this look like Fight-or-flight response? I think so, or
some version thereof.
My experiences tell me that the basis for 'learning difficulties' of
many intensities are spawned from the death of a parent, the divorce of
parents, physical abuse, sexual abuse, teacher disregard, etc etc etc.
Situations that the child is unable to resolve yet which consume every
waking moment of conscious thought, however invisible to bystanders, and
which create a situation wherein the consciousness is unable to maintain
track of environmental input. The "daydreamer", the "shy" child? I
don't know. Do these issues go away as a matter of age. No. They
become part of the psychology and will surface once the adult is placed
back in the environment where they were first fostered.
art
Art LaChance
Gilmer Learning Center
Ellijay, GA
\
Nancy Hansen wrote:
> Debbie,
>
> A comment about your reaction regarding Janet's post:
>
> It was "a revelation" to >me< also to read on >ERIC< in a document the
> statement (page 4 under the sub-head "Policy and Advocacy" by Horseman
> 2000b) that "institutional policies and funding structures can make it
> less possible for educational programs to be sensitive to the needs of
> learners affected by trauma." It went on to detail that there are
> examples "out there" somewhere in which "time-limited literacy"
> "assessment practices" and "attendance policies" >>prohibit<<
> sensitivity to traumatized adults' with needs, if I'm reading this
> document correctly.
>
>
>
> So my question is, why do we not have policies >against< such
> limitations established by literacy program administrations and
> >block< such limitations against traumatized learners from happening?
> Is it all because of >funding< regs and who is setting those policies?
>
> Yes, I >also< would also like to hear from Art LaChance because he and
> I have had off-line discussions regarding the impact of trauma on the
> capability of adults to learn to read. He has made many great points
> about traumatized learners.
>
> How could this be happening in our 'industry'? Has any adult learner
> challenged such regulations/policies? I would imagine by now you know
> my feelings about the "assessment practices" of timed testing - does
> this >also< become an issue with traumatized learners? We ought to be
> advocating for the rights of our learners to ready access. It's hard
> >enough< to do outreach to this at-risk population! I consider this
> one a very serious barrier which should >not< exist anywhere, anytime,
> anyhow. Unwritten and unpublished rules??? That also would not be
> acceptable in the program I administer.
>
> Thank you David for bringing this "to the table" for discussion. Does
> anyone else have examples of actual policy or legal challenges? Or
> are the examples only historic data from 2000?
>
> Nancy Hansen
>
> Sioux Falls Area Literacy Council
>
> sfallsliteracy at yahoo.com
>
>
>
> Debbie Yoho <dwyoho at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> From Janet: "It seems
> more reasonable to think about policy that allows adults to
> seek time
> away for personal, health-related reasons; to have access to
> choices
> about how to address their issues without losing a spot in a
> learning
> program."
>
> It is a revelation to me that adults can "lose their spot"
> in a learning
> program. Does this mean some programs have policies that
> kick adults out
> due to absences? If so, maybe it is the absence of a policy
> that is
> necessary! I can't imagine running an adult ed program
> without open
> enrollment. What's going on?
>
> Deborah W. Yoho
> Co-moderator, NIFL-Health Listserv
> President, SC Adult Literacy Educators
> Executive Director, Greater Columbia Literacy Council
> 2728 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29205
> 803-765-2555 Fax 803-779-8417 dwyoho at earthlink.net
>
>
> > [Original Message]
> > From: Janet Isserlis
> > To:
> > Date: 1/20/2003 9:33:30 AM
> > Subject: Re: [NLA] Discussion: Policy or Legal Challenges
> on behalf
> ofAdult Learners with Trauma
> >
> > David, Nancy and all,
> >
> > First - thanks, the pushing us to consider the policy
> implications of
> > the questions of working with adult learners who have
> experienced (or
> > are experiencing) trauma of one sort of another.
> >
> > These learners (and colleagues) are not only those
> participating in
> > basic level classes -- there are men and women who have
> experienced
> > political, personal trauma in their countries of origin,
> in the
> > immigration process, in daily fear of abusers -- some of
> these men
> > and women are participants in adult education classes and
> programs.
> >
> > It's important to stress that knowing *who* has
> experienced trauma is
> > not the issue so much as creating learning environments
> that are safe
> > for all inv! olved. This does not mean finding out who may
> be in need
> > of counselling, but making known that counselling services
> are
> > available in the community -- or at the learning site,
> when this is
> > the case. Making known the availability of resources by
> leaving
> > brochures in common spaces, hanging posters that give
> information
> > about community resources (victims of crime hot line
> numbers, as well
> > as posters giving information about general health care,
> shelters for
> > women escaping domestic violence, etc) is part of helping
> adults see
> > the range of possibilities available to them.
> >
> > The policy issue is one that I think requires much
> thought. I'm
> > aware of at least two programs in Providence that have
> re-thought
> > their policies about attendance requirements. While not
> publicizing
> > their decisions broadly, they have made it known to their
> teachers
> > that if students have concerns (e.g. one woman afraid to
> leave a
> > child in the house when a potentially abusive relative was
> visiting)
> > , that teachers can tell students that if they have
> pressing family
> > matters, they can speak to their teachers about a need for
> an
> > extended absence without fear of losing their place in the
> program.
> > To "formalize" a program to allow women or men to ask for
> time out
> > because of trauma, per se creates other potential
> problems. It seems
> > more reasonable to think about policy that allows adults
> to seek time
> > away for personal, health-related reasons; to have access
> to choices
> > about how to address their issues without losing a spot in
> a learning
> > program. Some learners are able to stay in school; others
> need time
> > to stop out for a while.
> >
> > Other policy areas -- particularly WIA work requirements
> -- are
> > similarly tricky. Many adults receiving government
> benefits do have
> > case workers -- sometimes for better, some! times for
> worse. There are
> > domestic violence waivers (so that an errant parent cannot
> trace
> > his/her spouse or partner) vis a vis child maintenance
> payments;
> > domestic violence, however, is not the only issue on the
> table.
> >
> > More germane to our work, I think , is finding ways to
> broadly frame
> > policy to accommodate both the needs and strengths of
> adults for whom
> > trauma is an issue -- by extending attendance policies, by
> helping
> > teachers know more about a broader range of teaching and
> learning
> > strategies, by learning, more, ourselves, about how people
> learn and
> > teach while dealing with issues of trauma in their lives.
> Some
> > people view school as a respite from other ongoing issues
> they face;
> > for others, it's necessary to take some time away. Each
> person deals
> > with stressors and trauma in her/his own way.
> >
> > Have a look at the Canadian Centre for Victims of
> Torture's work
> > http://www.icomm.ca/ccvt/; consider that a program in
> Providence (and
> > other programs as well) have sought and received funding
> for the
> > services of a counsellor on site; please browse through
> some of the
> > resources at http://www.brown.edu/lrri/screen.html.
> >
> > I know many of us are working on this issue and I'm
> hopeful that in
> > raising a question of policy we may be able to move
> further (despite
> > the harsh economic outlook before us) to ensure that
> programs provide
> > access to learning for all who wish to seek it.
> >
> > Janet Isserlis
> >
> > >Nancy Hansen wrote me to raise a public policy question
> about
> > >support for learners who have been traumatized. I wonder
> if anyone
> > >is aware of proposed or actual policy, or legal
> challenges, in the
> > >U.S. or elsewhere which address this issue.
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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