Development of the FILTERED Module began in 2018, well before the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and subsequent global pandemic. We realize that educators may be using FILTERED in classrooms where students have experienced a range of pandemic related impacts.

Trauma Informed Tips for FILTERED

• Prior to engaging with FILTERED, inform students that the game is set in a fictional pandemic.
• "Give children choices. Often traumatic events involve loss of control and/or chaos, so you can help children feel safe by providing them with some choices or control when appropriate."
  • Providing students with an alternative activity or assignment, for those that are hesitant to engage with FILTERED, can give students control over the amount of triggering experiences. Sample alternative activities are included in FILTERED Educator Resources.
• "Provide a safe place for the child to talk about what happened. Set aside a designated time and place for sharing to help the child know it is okay to talk about what happened."
  • Students may want to talk about their family's experiences during the pandemic. If the educator chooses to engage, those discussions should be conducted outside regular classroom context. Consider setting a before- or after- school meeting time for students to share how FILTERED affected them and their personal pandemic experiences.
• "Be aware of other children's reactions to the traumatized child and to the information they share. Protect the traumatized child from peers' curiosity and protect classmates from the details of a child's trauma."
  • Other students may be curious about their classmate's reaction to FILTERED and ask overly personal questions about their classmate's experiences. Protect the student from their peer's curiosity by holding conversations away from other students and not calling attention to providing an alternative assignment.

Traumatic Grief

Using FILTERED in the classroom could heighten the likelihood that an educator becomes aware of a student experiencing traumatic grief. Review the signs of traumatic grief and be prepared to refer the student to appropriate mental health supports.

*adapted from Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators The National Child Traumatic Stress Network.