It really helps to understand post-traumatic stress disorder. Things that we might not notice could be very upsetting to a child, keeping them in that part of their brain where it’s 'fight or flight.' So it’s a reminder every now and then that we just need to check ourselves and think, "What are some things that we can control that could be helpful to a child in distress?"
– Susan Stanley, Principal, Salina Elementary School, Dearborn, MI
Overview
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Many immigrant students live with high levels of fear, anxiety, stress, and depression. To better understand the reasons why, take a look at our section on how immigration issues impact students.
Building relationships with students and families can provide opportunities to identify students' needs, while providing professional development on a variety of topics in a respectful setting can help increase awareness across the staff. Here is some information to get started.
Immigrant students' social-emotional distress
In a UCLA survey studying the impact of increased immigration enforcement on schools, almost 90% of administrators surveyed "indicated that they have observed behavioral or emotional problems in immigrant students," and 25% indicated that it was a significant problem (Gándara & Ee, 2018b, p. 2). One administrator notes,
“Several students have arrived at school crying, withdrawn and refusing to eat lunch because they have witnessed deportation of a family member. Some students show anxiety symptoms…All of this impacts their ability to focus and complete work, which further affects them academically.” (p.9)
Pediatricians serving immigrant families have noticed the same thing, according to a December 2017 Kaiser Family Foundation report, as well as negative effects on health such as problems sleeping, headaches, stomachaches, and mental health issues.
Loss of motivation
In addition, students' loss of motivation is another challenge. In this Education Week article, Principal Nedda de Castro of the International School at Prospect Heights in Brooklyn observed that, "Some of the students are assuming that they're just going to be deported anyway and starting to talk about how there's really no point in coming to school anymore. It's a lot of lost potential."
According to the UCLA research, administrators and educators across the country also reported that high-achieving students are giving up on their plans for college. After a nearby raid, a teacher in the Midwest observed the following:
"I noticed those students behaving so differently. They don't sit or stand tall. They do not want to participate in presentations. They do not want to be called. They seem disconnected or uninterested now…I serve in an academically advanced setting where students are selected and good performers" (p. 10).
Another teacher from Oregon observed,
"I have students who were college-bound now questioning if it's worth it, because they don't believe that they could get a job in their field after graduating" (p. 12).
And in our own travels to Dearborn, MI, we met teachers and community members who spoke about the toll of lengthy separations on students and families from countries such as Yemen and Syria.
Identify resources for addressing student anxiety and depression
Why this matters
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has publicly stated their expectations that increased strains on immigrant families can also increase students' toxic stress level, particularly if students experience trauma. (The AAP also released a 2018 statement on the impact of family separations at the border.)
Researchers at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) documented the impact of this anxiety on children as young as three, including an increase in finger biting and toilet accidents (Cervantes, Ullrich, & Matthews, 2018, p. 9), while teachers of older students report an increase in severe depression and a decrease in motivation and engagement. See more on the impacts of this anxiety on young children in our section on supporting young children in immigrant families.
Tips for getting started
- Learn about the impacts of anxiety on students in your age group, such as impacts on behavior, as well as strategies for supporting students' social-emotional health.
- Consider pulling together a team of educators, cultural liaisons, mental health professionals, administrators, parents, students (as appropriate), and community partners to identify (a) the types of challenges students are facing and (b) culturally appropriate approaches to social-emotional health for your families.
- Determine which supports are currently in place and what else might be needed, such as more professional development, community outreach, and family engagement; extra time for discussion in peer groups; or creating new community partnerships that can address specific issues.
- As a group, determine your priorities and next steps to implement those priorities.
- Continue to revisit these topics, particularly if new immigration policy changes are announced.
- Keep in mind that students may be keeping these concerns quiet out of fear for their safety.
- Remember that any training or discussion should always respect student/staff privacy; nothing personal should be shared without explicit permission.
Recommended resources
- Sesame Street in Communities: Care, Cope, Connect (Toolkit available in multiple languages)
- Bilingual activities and videos on self-expression from Sesame Street
Recommended videos 
When immigration status impacts young children: Lori Dodson, ESOL Specialist, MD
Trauma-informed instruction for immigrant students
Why this matters
More and more educators across the country are learning about the impacts of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on students. Researchers estimate that half of the U.S. student population has experienced or is still experiencing some type of trauma, violence, or chronic stress (Zacarian, Haynes, and Alvarez-Ortiz, 2017). One teacher wrote in our 2017 survey on how schools are supporting immigrant students, "Staff need training in trauma-informed education and supporting students who've experienced many kinds of trauma. We brought in the Center for Victims of Torture to train our staff to support our specific refugee populations."
For immigrant students, the sources of trauma may be complex and may be related to:
Immigration experiences
- the reasons the family left their home country (such as war or wide-spread violence)
- difficult conditions, violence, sexual assault, or casualties during the journey to this country
- forced separation from a parent or sibling on the journey
Experiences related to immigration enforcement
- witnessing a loved one's arrest
- being separated from a parent during interrogation
- a forced separation for an extended period of time
- detention in an immigration detention center
- coming into contact with immigration enforcement officers
- a lengthy separation from families or siblings
Current stresses
- stressful situations such as economic stress and homelessness
- other challenges at home, including domestic abuse.
Note: See the resources on addressing trauma in our resource section about family separations at the border.
Articles from school psychologists and social workers
These articles from Colorín Colorado feature school professionals who work regularly with immigrant students:
- Helping Students Heal Through Love and Trust: A Social Worker's Perspective on Serving Immigrant Youth
- Social and Emotional Support for Refugee Families: A School Psychology Perspective
- Finding Where the Hope Is: Supporting Immigrant Students as a School Psychologist
- Using a Strengths-Based Approach with ELs: Supporting Students Living with Trauma, Violence and Chronic Stress
Changes in behavior
Take a look at our section on how trauma and anxiety can impact students' behavior and the importance of getting a complete picture of the source of the issue before taking steps that can have long-term consequences for the student.
Tips for getting started
- Learn more about the impacts of trauma and signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for students the age group you work with.
- If possible, look for clues and try to learn a little bit more about your students' backgrounds, keeping in mind that every individual's situation is unique, even within a family, and protecting student privacy. Start with a trusted colleague, parent liaison or community partner. If appropriate, give students opportunities to share their stories privately, or, if they wish, with classmates.
- Discuss ideas for addressing students' needs with colleagues and identify next steps to implement those ideas.
- Learn more about trauma-informed instruction in the following resources.
Recommended resources
Trauma-informed instruction
- The How and Why of Trauma-Informed Teaching (Edutopia)
- The Transformative Power of Trauma-Informed Teaching (Education Week)
- A Glimpse Inside the Transition to Trauma-Informed Practices (KQED)
- Why Mindfulness And Trauma-Informed Teaching Don't Always Go Together (KQED)
- Developing Trauma-Sensitive Classrooms to Support Students and Educators (Institute of Education Sciences)
Strategies and toolkits
- Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
- Helping Traumatized Children Learn: Supportive School Environments for Children Traumatized by Family Violence (Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Harvard Law School, and the Task Force on Children Affected by Domestic Violence)
In the news
- Trauma and Transitions: How San Diego Schools Grapple With Educating Refugees (KPBS)
- Lego Foundation and Sesame Street Team Up to Help Refugee Children (The New York Times)
- When Schools Meet Trauma With Understanding, Not Discipline (NPR Ed)
- For Traumatized Children, An Offer of Help from the Muppets (NPR Ed)
- A Pediatrician's Advice for Treating Student Trauma (Education Week)
- Student Trauma Is Widespread. Schools Don't Have to Go It Alone (Education Week)
- The Transformative Power of Trauma-Informed Teaching (Education Week)
- Student Trauma Is Real. But Connection Can Heal. (Education Week)
- Social-Emotional Resource: Addressing Trauma (The Education Trust-West)
Recommended videos
Video playlist: What educators need to know about trauma
Video: When loud noises cause post-traumatic stress in schools
Video: A superintendent recalls a distressing journal entry from his teaching days
Video: Why not all changes in behavior require a special education referral
Take a closer look when you notice changes in a student’s behavior
Why this matters
The impact of immigration issues on students can lead to changes in students' behavior. The American Psychological Association notes, "These stressful experiences can lead to a number of negative emotional and behavioral outcomes including anxiety, fear, depression, anger, social isolation and lack of a sense of belonging." The impacts can be especially severe on young children.
When such changes present themselves, it is critical to dig deeper to find the root cause, especially before taking action that will have serious, long-term consequences for the student. This is where having a relationship with the student can make a big difference. Viridiana Carrizales, co-founder and CEO of ImmSchools, says "An educator who does not have a relationship with their students is only going to see a kid who is misbehaving or disengaged" (Dillard, 2018, p. 45).
Often the first response to a change in behavior is a special education referral or disciplinary referral, which is not necessarily appropriate for the situation (see more on these issues below). It is also essential to use a team approach that includes a variety of perspectives, including that of the family and an interpreter or cultural liaison, in order to:
- address concerns or changes in student behavior
- ensure that families have access to all information in their home language.
Student stories
For some concrete examples of this issue, see the following student stories:
- A preschool child's experience with post-traumatic stress
- A young student's alarming change in behavior
Special education referrals
In their chapter on cultural dilemmas in Teachers as Allies: Transformative Practices for Teaching DREAMers and Undocumented Students, Dr. Eva K. Thorp, Dr. Sylvia Y. Sánchez, and Dr. Elaisa Sánchez Gosnell share the following experience. A teacher approached the group out of concern about an immigrant student's sudden change in behavior; the teacher was weighing whether or not to refer the student to special education. The team suggested that the teacher make a home visit; upon doing so, the teacher learned that "(t)he child's father had recently been detained, no one in the family knew where he had been taken, and out of fear, the student's mother had left the country. The student was living under the care of her 18-year-old sibling" (p. 20).
Based on this information, the teacher was able to find a more appropriate avenue of support rather than a special education referral. Lori Dodson talks more about this issue in her video below, "Why not all changes in behavior require special education."
Tips for getting started
If you are concerned about a student's behavior, consider looking at the following questions as you think about how to respond, always taking care to respect students’ privacy.
- What do you know about the student and the student's home life?
- Is there a colleague who can provide some additional insight on the student’s situation?
- Are there particular stressors impacting the student?
- Are any of the following issues playing a role?
◦ Challenges in meeting basic needs
◦ Immigration issues that impact students
◦ Causes of stress and anxiety
- What is your school's typical protocol for behavior/discipline issues? Is that appropriate in this case?
- Who should be part of the team to address this issue?
- What should next steps be?
Recommended resources
- Chapter 2: "Embracing Cultural Dilemmas" (Excerpt from Teachers as Allies)
- Fix School Discipline: School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
- What is restorative justice? (RestorativeJustice.org)
- Restorative Justice: Resources for Schools (Edutopia)
- What is like to grow up as an undocumented youth in America? (American Psychological Association)
Recommended videos
Why not all changes in behavior require a special education referral
Learn how your families approach social-emotional health
The notion of "mental health" and how to address different challenges or topics can vary widely across cultures. Collaboration among cultural liaisons, ESL/bilingual staff, school psychologists, and families is critical for meeting students' needs in this area. In addition, families have numerous strengths and coping strategies that can be harnessed in supportive settings.
Tips for getting started
Social worker Laura Gardner encourages schools to engage with families and talk about:
- what has helped the family overcome difficult situations in the past
- what the family sees as its strengths, and as their children's strengths
- their own coping strategies
- how difficult situations are addressed in their culture
- how the school/program might make members of a particular community feel welcome or supported
- how to rebuild their extended family systems/informal community networks
- what kinds of information or support the family may want.
Recommended resources
- Social and Emotional Support for Refugee Families: A School Psychology Perspective (Colorín Colorado)
- Helping Immigrant and Refugee Students Succeed: It's Not Just What Happens in the Classroom (Center for Health and Health Care in Schools)
- Culture and Trauma (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
- Refugee Trauma (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
- Culturally-Sensitive Trauma-Informed Care (Health Care Toolbox)
Recommended videos
Video: One principal's journey to a refugee camp
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