Upcoming Course for Adoptive Parents: “Trauma-Related Behaviors”

Do you ever wonder how your adopted child’s past could be influencing their current behavior? If so, we have a new course to help you navigate life after adoption.

On Saturday, April 22nd, from 2-4 pm EST, our Adoption Coaching & Training (ACT) team will provide a special training for adoptive parents, “Trauma-Related Behaviors.” It will be live and online.

During this 2-hour, instructor-led course, you will:

• Learn how chaos, threat, neglect, and other adversity during development can alter the developing brain, changing how children think, feel, and act. 
• Understand the major stress responses we use to cope with perceived and actual threats. 
• Recognize the reasons and range of adaptive symptoms from inattention and distractibility to avoidance and shutdown.
• Learn about reasons for rejection and testing.
• Recognize survival skills and coping strategies that result in a complex range of behaviors.  

This course is ideal for any parent whose child has experienced past trauma. It can also be helpful for social work professionals who want to understand the effects of trauma on children.

The cost is $75, and you can sign up using the link below.

https://adoptiontraining.digitalchalk.com/learn/trauma-related-behaviors

This course is part of a new series of virtual live training courses for adoptive families and prospective adoptive families. Email Jennifer Knight with any questions, and stay tuned for future offerings!

Meet Your Instructor

Jennifer Knight is an adoption professional with 15 years of experience across domestic waiting child, domestic infant, and international adoption. She is also an adult adoptee bringing a lifetime of personal experience into her interactions with adoptive families. After a mid-life career change to pursue a Master’s in Social work, Jennifer launched a small non-profit providing social services for families interested in adopting waiting children from the foster care system. In addition to her work in adoption, Jennifer has experience as a mental health therapist for children and adolescents with a history of trauma. Jennifer joined America World Adoption Association in 2020 and currently serves as the Director of Social Services for the state of Ohio and the Post Adoption Program Director.