Comment on Christopher Brown's post:
Your reflection raises something the module touched on but deserves greater attention — the mental disabilities carried by disabled veterans that often go unrecognized in campus communities. Physical disabilities are visible and acknowledged, but PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and other psychological conditions can be far more disruptive and far less understood.
Your experience of students breaking down in class, unrelated to discussion content, is honest testimony to a reality many faculty face but few are prepared for. Triggers can be invisible and unpredictable. A specific sound, a phrase, a smell, or an unrelated comment can surface trauma that has been carefully managed for years.
Your point about needing to understand how to deal with it is critical. Faculty and staff training on trauma-informed responses, awareness of campus mental health resources, and basic skills for supporting a student through an episode all matter. Veterans often resist being labeled "disabled" and underutilize support, which makes our collective awareness even more important.
In my context at an Early College Center, your reminder applies to faculty preparation for diverse student needs.
Thank you for naming this clearly.
