December 2, 2024
We are the lead teachers in the social/emotional classroom at Relief Nursery which was created to serve children who were not successful in other early learning programs. Children who might otherwise fall through the cracks. Children with behaviors, needs and feelings they can’t understand or express and whose parents and other professionals often don’t know how to help. Our focus is fostering social and emotional skills which are essential to a child’s success in kindergarten and in life.
Our class has 8 children – they are 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds with the most challenging behaviors. All have qualified for special education services and have a mental health diagnosis, often stemming from trauma, sensory processing issues and unidentified developmental delays.
This past spring a young boy, Jackson, was referred to our program from another agency. When he arrived, he had just turned 4 but he was bigger, like a 6 year old, which caused people to expect more from him than he could manage. In addition he had an unidentified language delay and issues around sensory processing, which essentially created an invisible disability. The experience of language processing delays, sensory overload, and unrealistic expectations caused a great deal of frustration on his part. He couldn’t possibly live up to the expectations of those around him and he deeply perceived the negative emotions toward him when he didn’t. He feared he’d be blamed for things because this was a pattern from his past. As a result, he felt isolated. Jackson was struggling and as a way to try and have his needs met, he developed an aggressiveness that caused problems for him. It didn’t take long for Relief Nursery teachers and counselors to realize that his development was unbalanced. In some ways, he was on track for a child his age and in other ways he was functioning like a much younger child. We put together a plan that addressed both his aggression and his language delay.
When a child comes to Relief Nursery we perform a variety of assessments to understand the child’s social, emotional and physical development and to set goals for success. At first, Jackson couldn’t perform the most basic skills such as repeating back instructions. He couldn’t tolerate the noise in the classroom, the glare of fluorescent lights, or even the sensation of sitting.
In our class we’ve learned that these children do exceptionally well when we are outside. The tension level really drops. They listen more, explore more, and engage more with each other. This was true of Jackson. He loved bugs so we spent a lot of time outside looking and digging for bugs. Language skill building and social skills training were embedded into “bug time.” He bonded with another child who also liked bugs. This allowed for positive social interactions and friendship that he wasn’t getting elsewhere. Nature is where he needed to be. Outdoor “class” is where we could integrate his special education skill building and his mental health therapy. It was transformative.
In just seven months, Jackson’s language exploded. We all delighted in the day he described in amazing detail how his dad washed his hair. He’d made so much progress!
Jackson moved on to kindergarten a few months ago, filled with confidence and a lot more peace. He will continue to receive support from the school district and be monitored by OHSU’s Child Development and Rehabilitation Center.
Jackson’s story exemplifies how individualized special education and mental health support, coupled with outdoor play, can benefit children who’ve experienced trauma and other adversity. We do everything we can to support families – increase the bond between the parent and child, help them develop social and emotional skills, create boundaries, provide resources and referrals, and perhaps most important, build empathy for others.
The two of us collectively have more than 50 years of experience serving vulnerable children at various agencies. Relief Nursery is unique in that children’s developmental needs and mental health needs are integrated into one set of services at the earliest possible stage of development. We intervene before a child enters kindergarten, when their class size will double or triple. We identify strategies and supports that can prevent children from going down the path of suspension, expulsion, and out-of-home mental health placements.
We couldn’t do this life and family changing work without your generous support. Thank you for believing in our work.
Gratefully,
Terrence Killian Ros Trotter
Mental Health Program Manager Child and Family Therapist
