The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services' (SAMHSA) Concept of Trauma:

Individual trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual's functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being.

A program, organization, or system that is trauma-informed realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery; recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system; and responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices, and seeks to actively resist re-traumatization.

The Three R's of creating a trauma-informed classroom, designing interventions and meeting student needs:

"Relationship: a meaningful connection with another human being-in particular, a student's healthy-enough, safe-enough relationship with a teacher."

"Responsibility: a sense of self-worth, efficacy, and competence. A student with these characteristics can proceed to the tough business of learning."

"Regulation: the ability to take in stimuli and manage emotional and behavioral responses accordingly. Regulated students can access reason in their upstairs brain."

Kristin Souers with Pete Hall