Strategies for Engaging the Child with Special Needs: Building our Programs through Intrinsic Motivation. Dr. Lisa Bayrami Self Regulation Institute

Transcription

1 Strategies for Engaging the Child with Special Needs: Building our Programs through Intrinsic Motivation Dr. Lisa Bayrami Self Regulation Institute

2 Systematized developmental approach that synthesizes and integrates the best knowledge about how the brain & mind develop Sensory-affect-motor integration issues are at the heart of developmental delays High quality social interactions could improve these difficulties Six core levels: o Organize where we want to work with the child o Identify where the child is, not only with respect to language & motor development, but with respect to core functional emotional developmental capacities

3 Six Core Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities 1) Self-regulation & shared attention (need as a foundation) 2) Engagement with warmth, trust, and intimacy 3) Two-way purposeful communication (circles of communication) 4) Interactive problem-solving & use of gestures 5) Functional use of ideas (language; pretend play) 6) Building bridges between ideas

4 DIR Model Comprehensive view of the child o Interaction with the environment o Internal biologically mediated processing differences o Child's developmental roadmap D Functional Developmental Levels I Individual Differences in Processing R Relationship-based

5 Assessment Observation of child and caregiver with some coaching, for minutes across different time points is the cornerstone CFDC: where is child on developmental ladder? Processing capacities o o o Visual-Spatial Expressive language Auditory History, family functioning, bio-medical Interdisciplinary approach identify team based on child s developmental profile

6 Developmental-Based Intervention Plan Spontaneous interactions (Floortime) minutes (as long as the child can go) 6-8 times/day Follow child s lead (Interbrain) Support each of the FDCs Flow of interaction Keep child affectively engaged Help child learn to cue and interact Content not as critical (process)

7 Floortime: The Power of Play Difficulty with joint-attention and engagement o Good engagement o Sustained interaction o Good flow of back and forth Spontaneous Without this foundation, the higher symbolic skills (ideas, thinking) will not go very far.

8 DIR/Floortime Semi-Structured Create opportunities for learning: Build on child s interest but not initiated by child (4-6 periods of activity each day) o e.g. select game because it serves multiple purposes Enticing child to play with others Support any one of the underlying processing capacities & emerging cognitive skills (our agenda but harnesses the child s motivation)

9 DIR/Floortime Can teach child anything within his/her range of capacities, in a structured or semi-structured way, if we create problem solving interactions. o e.g. Up favorite toy goes up on the shelf o e.g. Imitative game (touch your nose) o e.g. Quantity concepts (negotiate for cookies) o e.g. Reading (read, pretend, discuss) Everything is problem-solving & meaningfully oriented

10 DIR/Floortime Series of physical activities: o Sensory integration (running, jumping, spinning, deep tactile pressure) o Perceptual-motor (throwing, catching, tracking, reaching) o Spatial problem-solving (hide-and-seek, treasure hunting) Additional programs/therapies o SLP, OT, Visual-spatial specialist, educators

11 Power through Play Give the child the power o e.g. child doesn t like rules, make him the rule-maker (game) When child feels in charge, he asserts himself, his confidence increases, his affect increases Create a calm environment Example

12 Six Milestones Vital for emotional & intellectual growth: o self-regulation & interest in the world o Intimacy or engagement in human relations o Two-way communication o Complex communication o Emotional ideas o Emotional thinking

13 Self-Reg: The Foundation

14 Thayer Matrix Close connection between mood, energy, & tension Self-Reg is a powerful method for understanding stress and managing energy & tension Stress is anything that requires us to burn energy in order to keep systems in their optimal functional range

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17 What is Calm? Operates on 3 Levels: Physical: To know what it feels like to release the tension in your body Emotional: To enjoy these feelings Cognitive: To know this is what calm is This process takes time

18 Detecting Calm Our limbic system is always monitoring our physical & social world for signs of threat & safety (subconscious process) Picking up & responding to signals Limbic Resonance

19 Enhancing Self- Awareness Introception Awareness of our physiological state & how we respond to internal thoughts & feelings Extroception Awareness of things around us o E.g. sounds, scents, etc. Self-Reg is focused on how introception and extroception are negatively impacted under severe stress

20 Restoring Vs. Stress Reduction Step 5 and Step 3 are different: Restoration versus Stress reduction o Examples Proactive approach Energy flow (fill your gas tank!) Not a strategy for accomplishing a goal positive outcomes naturally unfold Respond to Restore

21 What Helps you Restore? Variance between and within individuals across time Relationship between Dynamic Systems Theory and Restoration Magnetic Pull : Step 5 helps us understand the distinction between being pulled toward restoration versus being pulled toward suppression Begin by observing self and child where do we/they go naturally? Reflect before, during, and after look for signs that it was restorative (restorative practice is its own reward)

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