Transcending Childhood Trauma reports the stories of about 30 people who experienced traumatic events during their childhoods. In many of the stories, the people reported that they had difficulty learning. They could not concentrate or process oral instructions, had poor memories, and could not complete academic tasks. Some had learned to read, but they reported no longer reading. Some of them were not attending school or attended sporadically, and theyhad difficulty completing grade levels or college courses. The traumatic events that they hadexperienced included common everyday events like sports injuries, falls, medical procedures, and vehicle accidents. Some had experienced parental abuse or loss. 

At the beginning of the 30-year project which is reported in Transcending Childhood Trauma, Dr. Jean Schumaker wondered whether individuals who had traumatic experiences in childhood and who were having difficulty learning would be more able to learn if they received Somatic Experiencing Therapy, a type of therapy designed to transcend trauma. As reported within many of the stories in the book, the people became more able to learn and complete academic tasks after participating in Somatic Experiencing Therapy. They were able to concentrate, do well on tests, and complete course requirements. They started to read for pleasure. Some completed high school, college, and advanced degrees. All of this occurred without them receiving remedial education or tutoring of any kind. In addition, they reported improvements with digestion, sleeping, physical coordination, daily health, and symptoms associated with mental illness (e.g., depression, anxiety). 

Based on these findings, Dr. Schumaker cautions individuals who are involved in making diagnoses for children having trouble in school to take very careful and detailed histories of the traumatic events in the children’s lives, including the common traumatic events covered in her book. Also, she cautions professionals to open their minds to the idea that these children can learn at high levels of performance if they receive appropriate trauma therapy. She suggests that professionals help families find appropriate trauma treatment. A later section of the book focuses on what teachers and other educators can do to promote the learning of students who have had traumatic experiences.