Category: Brain
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Have You Heard of the Tendril Theory?
Have you heard of the Tendril Theory? I came across it online a few years ago, and understanding it has helped me to support my neurodivergent sons. The graphic I have seen shows a Medusa-like cartoon character. The person is engrossed in an activity with multiple swirling lines connecting from their head to the activity.
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Challenging Outdated Practices in Behavioral Assessment: A Call for Change
In an era where education must rise to meet the needs of all learners, the recently released guidance titled “Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments” (November 2024) fails to reflect approaches grounded in trauma-sensitive care, neuroscience, and neurodiversity-affirming practices. The guidance reinforces outdated frameworks that prioritize managing behavior over fostering safety, connection,…
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Comprehensive Strategies for Fostering Cognitive and Emotional Growth in Trauma-Affected Children
Children placed in out-of-home care often face trauma and various adversities that significantly impact their cognitive, emotional, and social development. While trauma-informed practices offer a foundation, there is a growing need for targeted, long-term strategies that directly address cognitive challenges and foster recovery.
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Accommodations Prepare Children for The Real World
October 2023 was very different from October 2024. My children were enrolled in public school in a small town in Connecticut, and we were all feeling miserable. My oldest son, Frankie, was in second grade and struggling tremendously. We had yet to have an IEP meeting after nearly two months of school. His anxiety was…
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Be Curious and Dig Deeper
Struggles with non-preferred tasks. How many of us have read this sentence about our child? How many have written this sentence about a child we work with, or had it written about you? I heard this sentence in my son’s annual IEP (Individualized Education Plan) review meeting and am still kicking myself for not addressing…
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Building Bridges: Embracing Growth Through Dialogue in Education
I’ve always been transparent about my personal growth in understanding and managing student behavior, and I take pride in that journey. I openly share my experiences to create an emotionally safe space for others who, like me, have reflected on and challenged systemic practices and training. As educators, it can be incredibly unsafe to voice…
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How To Use a Sensory Room For Self-Regulation
Whenever I’m asked about sensory rooms and sensory processing issues, I often toss back the question, “How do you self-regulate?” This question is often met with confusion unless the person asking has reflected on their own self-regulation habits and routines. Typical adults often find ways to self-regulate throughout the day. Morning coffee, chewing gum, exercising,…
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Back to School for Educators: Setting Intentions
As educators and students return to classrooms across the country, it is prudent for all stakeholders in school communities to set intentions around the type of learning environments we want to cultivate together. We cannot leave seclusion and restraint out of these discussions. The language we use about these practices matters as we strive toward…
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The Overflowing Cup: Sensory Processing and Kids
We humans are a sensory species. Every single hour, minute, and second of our lives are made up of sensory input and integration. What we see, taste, smell, hear, touch, feel, and the lack of, are all important parts of sensory experience. These different forms of sensory input not only affect our senses themselves but…
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Stickers Don’t Work for Adults Either
We are a society of “earners.” The transactional systems many of us have been raised on that focus on earning prizes, tickets, and rewards do not have the expected effect. It does not create intrinsic motivation. I could quote Alfie Kohn from his book “Punished by Rewards” here. But what I am seeing is that…