TOLEDO, Ohio — About 150 educators, social workers, students and professionals packed the Owens Community College's Veterans Hall on Friday for the seventh annual Early Childhood Forum.
The room was lined with state and social services as attendees took notes from the keynote speaker on the mental health of a group many might not think about: babies and young children.
Johnathan Klocko, an OCC freshman in his second semester, said he understands how some may not realize just how early children can experience trauma and how their coping mechanisms aren't typically healthy.
"I'm very much a mental health advocate for children to start developing those steps early on," Klocko said. "Previously, it was believed that trauma isn't developed or memorized until around the age of 5 and self-regulation just in general is very important. But, I think it's almost becoming like a survival skill in a lot of children now."
Nicole Shetterly, who organized the forum and is a community engagement coordinator at Toledo Public Schools, said the average family dynamic steadily changing from two-parent to single-parent or guardian households and lingering effects of the pandemic, among other major life shifts, affect how trauma is showing up in behavior.
"Not learning routine in the classroom and they were just disruptive, there were a lot of behavioral issues. Fortunately, this year, I think we're seeing less of that," Shetterly said.
Michelle Arbogast, chair of OCC Teacher Education and Human Services, said the trauma affected teachers and administrators, too.
"This is helping our teachers who are working with those kids and those parents to recognize the signs of trauma, to recognize maybe misdiagnosis that could be trauma and just overall recognizing how children's brains develop," Arbogast said of the forum.
Klocko said the difficulties of the field discussed at the forum only further showed him it's what he wants to do.
"It's encouraging me to continue into the career and go headfirst into knowing that," he said. "As a child, I think it's important to also know there are people who you can approach."