Enhancing Support for Special Populations through Understanding Neurodiversity

Transcription

1 Enhancing Support for Special Populations through Understanding Neurodiversity Dr. Ann P. McMahon Custom K 12 Engineering customk 12engineering.com

2 Select a puzzle from the container at your table. As you work alone to take the pieces apart, reflect on and list: Three feelings I am feeling inside. Two things I am telling myself. One wish I have as I work.

3 Drivers of Cognitive Capability Experience of Scarcity Emotional Arousal Attachment Style

4 Executive Function Skills of Maturation Holding and manipulating information in head over short periods of time (Working Memory) Mastering and filtering thoughts and impulses in order to resist temptations, distractions, and habits and to pause and think before acting (Inhibitory Control) Nimbly switching gears and adjusting to changed demands, priorities, or perspectives (Cognitive or Mental Flexibility)

5 Developmental Tasks of Maturation Developing positive relationships with adults outside the family (i.e. teachers) Developing positive relationships with peers Finding and developing personal strengths Finding satisfaction in pursuing a task to completion Finding satisfaction in pursuing personal interests Internalizing community values and norms Belonging to and working in groups

6 Attachment Related Abilities of Maturation Feeling loved and valued Feeling safe in the school environment Feeling a sense of control over circumstances Feeling a sense of belonging to a group Self regulating one s emotions Building, maintaining, and repairing trusting relationships with others

7 Attachment Activation of Complementary Systems Attachment System Responds to Threat and Seeks: Secure Base Protection Comfort Exploratory System Responds to Safety and Allows: Curiosity & Creativity Risk taking Mastery of Skills

8 Attachment Style

9 Felt (In)Security Happens in Relationship PREOCCUPIED: Seeks Closeness, Dependence; Socially Accommodating FEARFUL: Fears but Craves Closeness and Dependence; Socially Avoidant AVOIDANT: Seeks Distance, Self Reliance, Control SECURE: Seeks Connection and Interdependence; Socially Flexible

10 Felt (In)Security Happens in Relationship PREOCCUPIED: Seeks Closeness, Dependence; Socially Accommodating AVOIDANT: Seeks Distance, Self Reliance, Control

11 Felt (In)Security Happens in Relationship PREOCCUPIED: Seeks Closeness, Dependence; Socially Accommodating FEARFUL: Fears but Craves Closeness and Dependence; Socially Avoidant

12 Felt (In)Security Happens in Relationship FEARFUL: Fears but Craves Closeness and Dependence; Socially Avoidant AVOIDANT: Seeks Distance, Self Reliance, Control

13 Experience of Scarcity Relational Support Food Money Time

14 Scarcity and Tunneling Food Safe Shelter Planning Learning Emotional Support Relating Focus on Trade Offs for Getting Needs Met

15 Failure and Self Worth Success Oriented Overstriver Self Worth Failure Avoiding Failure Accepting

16 Responses to Failure Success Oriented: Failure helps me improve. Overstriver: I will do anything to succeed because I m worthless if I fail. Self Talk to Preserve Self Worth Failure Avoiding: I m worthless if I try and fail. I m not worthless if I don t try. Failure Accepting: I m a failure no matter what I do. I give up.

17 Emotional Arousal Emotional Arousal Cognitive Capability

18 Student Mental State and Its Effect on Learning Perry, B. D. (2010). Stress, distress and trauma: Hyperarousal and dissociative adaptations. On Train the Trainer: NMT Key Slides: The ChildTrauma Academy. Copyright 2014 by Ann P. McMahon. May not be reproduced without author's permission.

19 Key Influences: Then and Now Attachment Style Experience of Scarcity Past Enduring Influences present relationships Present Situational Chronic Temporary Response to Failure Emotional State Present Enduring Malleable Reflects selfworth Present Internal Immediate Transient

20 Toll on Cognitive Resources

21 A Relational Scaffold Sensitive Available Responsive Able to Mentalize SECURE BASE Non Interfering Empathically Fails to Meet Needs Encouraging and Accepting of Exploration

22 A Socioeconomic Scaffold: SLACK The space created by abundance that allows any person access to more of her/his cognitive and emotional resources. The space that doesn t force one to consider trade offs. EATING LEARNING

23 Uncertainty Conflict Circle of Insecurity Ambiguity Failure

24 Uncertainty Circle of Insecurity Conflict Identify Problem or Need Conflict Redesign Research Problem or Need Communicate the Solution Engineering Problem Solving Process Develop Possible Solutions Failure Test and Evaluate Solution Select Best Possible Solution Ambiguity Construct a Prototype Conflict

25 Social and Emotional Tasks Within A Problem Solving Process Constraints Empathy for the User Criteria for Success Engage Uncertainty and Ambiguity User s Ideas My Ideas Your Ideas Use Conflict and Repair Solution Fail Forward

26 Emotions are Necessary and Valuable Smart decisions require emotions Far from interfering with rationality, the absence of emotion and feeling can break down rationality and make wise decision making almost impossible. Damasio Emotions drive relationships The primary function of emotion is to mobilize the organism to deal quickly with important interpersonal events. Plutchik Emotions are universal Darwin The expression of the emotions in man and animals. (1872)

27 An Ability Based View of Emotions (Caruso, Salovey, Mayer) An emotion: 1. Occurs due to a change in the environment 2. Occurs automatically and quickly 3. Changes attention and thought 4. Connects to certain physical feelings 5. Motivates behavior 6. Serves an adaptive function

28 Ability Model of Emotional Intelligence (Caruso, Salovey, Mayer) IDENTIFY: How do you feel? Identify emotions accurately USE: How do the emotions impact you? Use emotions to help you think UNDERSTAND: What caused the emotions? Know the triggers of emotions MANAGE: How do you manage these emotions? Make good decisions and take effective action

29 A Secure Base with Slack Provides Conditions for Optimizing Internal Resources Sensitive Available Responsive Security Able to Mentalize SECURE BASE Non Interfering Slack Empathically Fails to Meet Needs Encouraging and Accepting of Exploration

30 Fostering Grit: Persistence, Determination, and Resilience Failure as Learning Secure Base Slack Grit

31 A Learning System Designed for Security and Slack Cognitive Bandwidth of Groups Many Opportunities for Meeting Learning Objectives in Multiple Subjects Engineering Problem Solving Process Practice Reframing Internal Narratives About Failure Relational Flexibility in Social Learning

32 Three Ms for Security and Slack Mindfulness Optimize Cognitive, Social, and Emotional Functioning Mirroring Mentalization

33 The RULER Approach Teaches 5 Key Emotional Literacy Skills is the ruler approach Recognizing emotions in oneself and others Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions Labeling the full range of emotions using a rich vocabulary Expressing emotions appropriately in different contexts Regulating emotions effectively to foster healthy relationships and achieve goals

34 Mood Meter is the ruler approach/

35 Identify Emotions (Caruso, Salovey, Mayer) Emotions contain data Afraid Happy Angry Sad Emotions communicate intent, which can enhance the quality of relationships Surprised Disgusted Write each of the emotions in the column to the right on a separate small sticky note. Place each sticky note on the Mood Meter where you think it belongs. Calm Interested Bored Excited

36 Plutchik s Flower of Emotions

37 Use Emotions (Caruso, Salovey, Mayer) Do you need to generate different emotions for different purposes? Match mood to task Leader mood and team performance Emotional contagion

38 Use Emotions (Caruso, Salovey, Mayer)

39 Understand Emotions (Caruso, Salovey, Mayer) What are my triggers for each emotion? What are others triggers for each emotion?

40 Manage Emotions A Blueprint for Emotion (Caruso, Salovey, Mayer) What is the desired goal for you? What is the desired goal for the other person? What were you feeling? What were you paying attention to and thinking about? What caused you to feel this way? What did you do to manage your feelings and the other person s feelings? What could you do now? What was the other person feeling? What was the other person paying attention to and thinking about? What caused the other person to feel this way? What did the other person do to manage his/her feelings and your feelings? What could the other person do now?

41 Manage Emotions A Blueprint for Emotion (Caruso, Salovey, Mayer) Emotions contain data Stay open to these feelings, whether comfortable or uncomfortable Leverage the power of emotions in appropriate ways

42 Implications for School Based Relationships with Special Populations Enable Emotional Regulation and Resilience Relief, Satisfaction, Gratitude, Love SECURITY & SLACK Enhance Cognitive Functioning Grit, Curiosity, Willingness to Explore and Take Risks Facilitate Prosocial Behaviors Positive Moods, Trust in Others, Interdependence

43 Security and Slack by Design Problem Solving in School and Service Culture Social Learning Problem Solving in Classroom and Counseling Culture Integrated Learning Iterative Learning Explore Together Fail Forward Problem Solving in Individual Practice Collaborative, Creative, and Curious Students

44 Thank You Contact Me: Dr. Ann P. McMahon Custom K 12 Engineering Website: customk 12engineering.com annpmcmahon@gmail.com