A Trauma-Informed Transition Model for New Entrants with Dysregulated Behaviours

The Riroriro programme was a response to the needs of children with extremely dysregulated classroom behaviours, resulting from sustained exposure to traumatic high-stress and high-deprivation environments from pre-birth to school age. Evaluation of the accounts of key individuals involved in the pilot found that participants had improved emotional regulation abilities and interpersonal skills during and up to 1 year after the intervention. Academic performance was not improved significantly, but the interviewees' accounts suggested that "academic readiness" had been achieved. In line with previous studies, the results indicate preliminary support for the effectiveness of the Riroriro programme in supporting children who have experienced trauma to become mainstream classroom ready. These results suggest that a whole-school, multi-tiered approach providing support at the student, school personnel and system levels can help mitigate the effects of trauma.