A young child's behavior flips and becomes intense—think screaming, threatening, "hiding" in a closet. (We call this a "flipped lid.") How can teachers respond in ways that keep everyone safe?
The brain is like a house with a basement (i.e., your limbic system and amygdala) meant for safety in times of threat) and storage. Students who've experienced trauma are familiar with their "basement." They're in a constant state of alert, and when a child's lid is flipped due to a trigger, the thinking part of the brain shuts down, and the lower system puts him in that "basement." It's a response born of habit. At that point, presenting consequences or having the child choose a calm-down strategy won't work. Here are tips to help a child get "upstairs":
