Interview with our colleague from partner organisation Østbytunet on education of children with challenging behaviour was published at on-line magazine Rodice vitani.

“I know  it’s not easy with these kids. But adults are adults and should be better able to control themselves than a child. We should learn ways to treat and helpthese children. Of course, this is not easy, because when a child dissolves in emotions, it evokes strong feelings in us adults as well. Cortisol also floodsus and we feel like runnig away or attacking.”There is no easy way to deal with this, and the following is especially recommended: try to recognize the child’s signs of a affect approaching,
and try to stop it before it starts. The sooner we intervene, the more tools we have at our disposal.When we see that a child is getting restless, he is getting a little angry, so as adults we have a chance to work with him. As soon as he starts and we start withbans and punishments, the whole situation will escalate and we will not have many options. The affective arc is practically impossible to be stopped when it starts”.

The whole interview is available here.

On June 20^th to 21^st November 2019, we first met with lecturers from Østbytunet, our partner organization; we met in a group composed of the ČOSIV staff, our partners from the Østbytunet centre, and participants of the educational program – lecturers in training who will, after having taken the training under the umbrella of the project, train pedagogical staff in techniques of supporting children with demanding behavior due to developmental trauma. At the meeting, the lecturers presented to us details of the system of services to help vulnerable children in Norway explained the targets of the educational programme and its main theoretical base. We sat down to plan our visit to the Østbytunet centre and the lecturers delivered their first seminar for the public at the Department of Pedagogy of Charles University. The seminar, lectured by Kaja Næss Johannessen and Ann Karin Bakken, two experienced psychologists, was remarkable and the response of participants was enormous. For a videorecording of this public seminar, please see our Inspiromat Support For Inclusion.

A public seminar dedicated to supporting pedagogical staff responsible for the instruction of children with challenging behaviour took part on Thursday 21^st November 2019 at the Department of Pedagogy of Charles University in Prague.

For the videorecording of the seminar, please visit the ČOSIV inspiromat “Support of Inclusion”.

The number of children with developmental trauma in the Czech Republic keeps growing. At school, these children tend to be very demanding and their challenging behaviour, especially its causes and triggers, is very difficult to understand. At the seminar, the lecturers presented information on the impact of the early trauma on the development of the child´s brain and its functioning in the later stages of the individual´s life. The lecturers presented the participants with a number of recommendations and procedures which are relevant and useful to alleviate demonstrations of challenging behaviour of children who had suffered developmental trauma.

The presenters were: Kaja Næss Johannessen – a clinical psychologist, she has 13 years of practice in supporting victims of domestic violence, children, and young people with developmental trauma and attachment disorder. She is the director of the Professional Development Department of the Østbytunet Children’s Psychiatric Centre in Norway. Her department is an estimated facility having highly appreciated experience in working with children and adolescents suffering serious behavioral problems.

Ann-Karin Nielsen Bakken – an experienced clinical psychologist with 15 years of practice in supporting children and young people with developmental trauma and attachment disorder. A deputy director of the Clinical Department of the Østbytunet centre. Apart from her work with the clients of the centre, she also acts as a lecturer and consultant for teachers, pedagogical staff, and other professionals working with children and the youth displaying challenging behaviour.

The seminar was one of the activities under the umbrella of a project called Práce s dětmi s problémovým chováním ve školním prostředí implemented by the Czech Professional Society for Inclusive Education and supported from EEA funds 2014-2021, program Education with Island, Liechtenstein, and Norway as the contributing countries.

Invitation to the seminar (PDF)