Attachment disorders: classroom strategies to identify cases, limit emotional outbursts and

Transcription

1 Attachment disorders: classroom strategies to identify cases, limit emotional outbursts and reduce the barriers to learning RajVinder Singh Gill, Senior Ed. Psychologist Children s Support Service (rajvinder.singhgill@essex.gov.uk) Vivien Rosier, Senior Learning Co-ordinator for INSET (vivien.rosier@essex.gov.uk) Essex Local Authority

2 Objectives To support classroom practice in working with children who have experienced attachment difficulties. To support adults in developing interventions to lessen the impact of the children's behaviour on classroom environment. To support proactive behaviour strategies that afford the children containment and builds resilience. To support good learning outcomes for children with attachment difficulties.

3 Content of the Workshop We will introduce theoretical and practice models Attachment Theory Internal Working Model Attachment Models The Triad Relationship Personal Construct Psychology Experience Cycle And complement this with a focus on case studies and interventions

4 What is Attachment? The propensity to make strong emotional bonds to particular individuals is a basic component of human nature. J. Bowlby, 1988a. Evolution ensured that when infants experience distress, anxiety and fear they seek proximity with an adult who provides them with protection, care and comfort and it is this relationship between infant and caregiver that lays the ground work for future social and emotional development. Attachment Theory; (John Bowlby A Secure Base 1988)

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7 Categories of attachment behaviours Securely attached: an IWM characterised by confidence in the caregiver s ability to comfort and be available. Anxiously attached avoidant: lack of confidence in the caregiver s availability, leading to either control or down regulate emotions and show little distress during separation and lack of interest at reunion. Anxiously attached ambivalent/ resistant: show distress at separation but not comforted by the caregiver s return. They seem to exaggerate affect to gain the caregiver s attention. Disorganised/ disorientated: seek proximity to the caregiver but in strange and disorientated ways. Freezing in the middle of a movement or just staring into space. (Main & Solomon, 1990)

8 Interaction in Learning Adult/ Teacher Shared Space Pupil

9 The Learning Triangle Task Adult Pupil Secure: Avoidant Pattern: Pupil/ Task Resistant Pattern: Pupil/ Teacher Disorganised Pattern: Pupil

10 A child formulates in his own way; constructs through which he views the world of events creates his own way of seeing the world in which he lives. (Adapted from Kelly, 1955) An individual is committed to prediction and control of the world, his thinking, expectations and perceptions are all processes linked by ways in which he anticipates events. (Adapted from Kelly, 1955)

11 The three behavioural systems regulating developmental adaptation Attachment Exploration, and Fear

12 Behaviour: Communication with intentionality Behaviour is a function of the person and the Situation they find themselves in. Welearn to behave by having experienced relationships with significant others, such as mum, dad and siblings. Later on we learn to act by seeing others such as peers and friends model it for us. Meaning and behaviour have a recursive or circular relationship. We voluntarily behave as we do because we have certain beliefs about the context we are in, and our beliefs are supported or challenged by the feedback from our behaviour. (Campbell et al., 1988: 16)

13 The Experience Cycle Make sense of the events by observing the world around us. Based on the experience make a prediction. Changing in light of the feedback or carrying on with the behaviour: Changing OR Staying. Deciding to Act: Testing Checking to see if it s ok or not: Has it worked Carrying out the action by having made the prediction: Doing

14 Teachers Beliefs and Classroom Action Teachers Beliefs Neville Bennett; (1998) ; Research on teaching-learning processes. Theory into practice; Practice into Theory Reflection Actual practice General teaching orientation Teachers Intentions

15 Strategies for Learning Rehearsal Imposition of a structure Through categorisation Similarities Grouping etc Telling a story, making links Are products of a literate society/culture not natural

16 Learning Insecurely attached children have difficulty in making transitions. Consequently some of the following indicators for practitioners have been noted. Children often display a narrowing of the mental field linked to episodic grasp of reality. They are unable to tell a coherent narrative. Often learning remains context dependent and there is a failure to generalise. Failure to take the risk of learning. Self-esteem is low and the child is not prepared to take a risk or make a mistake. Information needs to be provided in small incremental steps. Learning is superficial or surface learning as the focus is on outcome rather than making sense or developing a meaning. Attention and motivation to engage within the academic learning lacks belief about success leading to disruptive behaviour with more rejection and loss to the individual.