Child Behavior & Dysregulation Online Course(s) & Continuing Education

Research emerging from Relational Neuroscience, including polyvagal theory, regulation theory, and the neurosequential model of development, has shifted our understanding of the origins of behavior. When parents, caregivers, and child development professionals are armed with the latest science about what behavior really is, they increase their capacity for connecting with dysregulated behavior in a way that promotes positive growth and development of the relational, social, and behavioral brain of the child. This workshop will briefly summarize the latest research from the relational neuroscience and then move into practical interventions that will help caregivers soothe difficult behaviors while promoting attachment, regulation, and stress resilience.

Interoception is a term used to describe our nervous system's awareness of the sensations from the gastrointestinal and visceral system, as well as the primary sensory part/input to baby's Autonomic Nervous System. ANS function and regulation underlay all automatic processes of the body, from heart beat to breastfeeding and digestion function, as well as maintaining a calm state in order to engage in social interaction or to transition easily in and out of sleep. More simply put, interoception is "feelings from the body". In addition to visceral information, interoceptive pathways carry information related to affective touch, itch, temperature and pain and are delivered to a separate area of the brain, the insular cortex, which also contains a map of the body, similar to the well known homunculus. Interception plays a large role in dynamic equilibrium and autonomic regulation of tissues of the body. Interoceptive information and the processing is the basis of all important activity to optimize energy utilization. This system is often compromised in babies who present with complex oral dysfunction, tethered oral tissues, postural asymmetries, fussiness, gas, reflux or other dysregulation in function. How babies feel is mirrored in how they function, compromised function equals compromised interoceptive processing. This talk covers the basics of this system and practical clinical applications for precrawling babies to optimize neurodevelopment and breastfeeding abilities.

How a child is cared for in the earliest months and years of life, pre-birth to three or so, can foster the implicit development of what will be seen as self-discipline in the preschool years and later. In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to connect the dots between respectful, attuned caregiving, self-initiated activity, authentic communication and the development of self-regulation, the necessary precursor to healthy self-discipline.

We will explore the basics of Dr. Allan Schore’s Regulation Theory, which integrates Bowlby’s classical Attachment Theory and modern interpersonal neurobiology, as well as practical ways to put it into practice in the home or anywhere infants and young children are being cared for. The Educaring Approach, which will be referred to, offers replicable strategies and tools for building the secure relationships that form the basis for children to develop into to peaceful, cooperative and confident people who exhibit the benefits of self-discipline.

Sensitive or orchid individuals make up about 20% of the population, children included. These individuals face what we call ‘differential susceptibility’ based on their environments, child-rearing included. In environments that are not well-suited to their sensitive nature, they face higher rates of disease, mental health disorders, and other negative outcomes. In contrast, when in environments that are supportive and well-suited to their nature, they thrive and can have outcomes that surpass those of their less sensitive counterparts. The problem for most parents is that the advice and techniques common in our culture are at odds with what these children need, putting parents in a difficult spot of either not knowing how to parent such a child (but knowing the advice seems wrong) or giving in and finding themselves in ongoing struggles with their child. This talk will review the research on sensitive/orchid children and how we can use this information to help families identify parenting methods and techniques in the areas of general parenting, sleep, child care/schooling, and discipline that will provide the type of foundation these children need to thrive.

The Crying Curve is an evidence-based pattern of crying that begins at about 42 weeks of gestation (2 weeks of extrauterine life), peaks at 6-8 weeks of age, and sharply declines by 12-15 weeks. As many as 15 different studies have concluded that this pattern is common across infants of all cultures, gestational ages (based on a 40-week gestation), and parenting styles—and the applications are many in the early parenting world. How can parents use this pattern to help them navigate breastfeeding? How can they gather their support people, family or village to maximize positive relationships and get the support they crave? How can they utilize it to help assess their newborn and understand what is needed for their specific situation? How much crying is too much crying? Lactation consultants, postpartum doulas, and other postpartum professionals who possess this information are well positioned to help to educate parents on how to best approach their postpartum recovery period, as well as navigate the ups and downs of breastfeeding and early newborn sleep. This session will aim to explain and apply the Crying Curve in multiple ways to support and guide the newborn family.

Research in neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology sheds light on the need for parents/caregivers to act as their child's external regulator during states of dysregulation as the child learns how to self-regulate. When activated, children need to borrow the parent's regulatory capacity as their own regulatory system is developing. Without an understanding of what regulation is and what it isn't and the importance of parents knowing how to regulate their own arousal states, parents may inadvertently be increasing the child's dysregulation instead of helping to modulate it for integration. Over time, this can significantly impact the parent's ability to stay attuned and present to the child, as well as themselves. It can also lead to a child's regulatory system not being patterned to its optimal potential. In this discussion, Lisa Dion will discuss what regulation is and is not helping participants understand what it really takes to create a deep connection.