Invertebrate, soft bodied, parasitic, hermaphroditic, microscopic . . . you might be wondering where I’m going with this, or how it has anything to do with children or trauma or resilience. I’m describing a platyhelminth, or, as you might have heard of them, a flatworm. Here’s a picture of one. I love flatworms, and I probably know more about them now than the average science teacher or even a worm enthusiast. Well, I don’t know about the worm enthusiasts. In fact, I don’t even know a worm enthusiast. Anyway, you’ll probably need some context to understand why flatworms have become my favorite up-and-coming muse.

As I was searching for a craft for the kids to do the first week of July, I had a lot of things to consider. It had to be easy enough for a 3 year old but also engaging enough for a 12 year old, it had to cultivate a somewhat fascinating discussion, and it had to take up at least a half hour. Tough crowd. But then I stumbled upon something perfect: a sock worm. It met 2 of my 3 criteria— it would be easy and engaging for all ages, and it would take at least a half hour. But it still left me wondering how making a stuffed worm out of a sock could possibly spark an interesting conversation. 

My second love, coming right behind flatworms, is the Internet. After a few minutes of Google searching, I came across an article that discussed the flatworm’s incredible ability to regenerate itself. In summary, humans and flatworms both have regeneration abilities. And, though ours are mostly limited to healing cuts and scrapes, flat worms actually retain pluripotent stem cells throughout adulthood that would allow, for example, a flatworm cut down the middle to completely regenerate the other half of its body, eventually forming two worms. It was almost, shall I say, empo-worm-ing.

Not only was cell regeneration just plain interesting, but I also knew exactly how I could make a discussion out of it. If flatworms could regenerate their cells when they got hurt, we could certainly do the same thing. In fact, we sort of do, physically. When we have an open wound, like a cut, our bodies employ tactics that heal it: blood cells clot to stop the bleeding and form a scab, white blood cells fight infection, and collagen forms the foundation for new tissue to grow. But, this isn’t the most pressing issue that the kids at SVFS face (although I did include it in the presentation, I’m a true physiology fanatic at heart). It’s trauma: abuse, neglect, an incarcerated parent, substance abuse or mental illness in the household, the list could continue on. And, when a child experiences these events, it can cause a myriad of problems, including dysregulated stress hormones, increased risk for anxiety, depression and PTSD, physical neurological damage and adverse brain development, and increased risk of cognitive impairment and a lower IQ. 

I can’t fix it all, even though I wish I could. One thing I can do though, is teach kids how we can “regenerate,” so to speak, or regulate, our emotions when we’re feeling hurt, just like our friend the flatworm. Research shows that practices like conscious breathing, yoga, and meditation help regulate both the autonomic and central nervous systems and sometimes help decrease symptoms of anxiety, depression, and anger. When we do the right things, our bodies take care of the rest. And, while the issues the kids face are much too complex to be solved by yoga and deep breathing, they are practices they’ll be able to take into adulthood as a tool for emotional regulation. 

So yeah, flatworms are cool, but our bodies are even cooler. Let me leave you with this quote written in the book The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk: “Beneath the surface of the protective parts of trauma survivors there exists an undamaged essence, a Self that is confident, curious, and calm, a Self that has been sheltered from destruction by the various protectors that have emerged in their efforts to ensure survival. Once those protectors trust that it is safe to separate, the Self will spontaneously emerge, and the parts can be enlisted in the healing process.”