Teachers’ self-reported awareness of trauma identification and practices among students with disabilities: An international study from Bangladesh, Egypt and Nepal

When working with students with disabilities who are prone to trauma, it is vital for teachers to be able to identify and manage trauma. Given that students with disabilities have varying levels of trauma, this study assessed teachers’ self-reported competence toward trauma identification and trauma-informed practice among students with disabilities. The Teacher Trauma Identification and Management Scale (TTIMS), which is based on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (2014) trauma model, was employed to investigate the suitability of non-western teachers’ ability to identify and manage trauma. Data was collected from 694 teachers in Bangladesh, Egypt and Nepal. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and moderation analysis. The results supported the hypothesized relationship between trauma identification and trauma-informed practice. The need for further development of teacher training aligned with the SAMHSA trauma model is discussed in detail.