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We are all familiar with the sensory aspects of day to day life. You might find that going to the gym or on long nature walks help you to feel calmer and more focused during the day. Or perhaps you know that massages, music, aromatherapy, or super spicy food help you feel more alive, grounded, and able to cope with your day-to-day. Most of us have built ourselves a sensory lifestyle without giving it too much thought. How these processes work, and the impact they have on our health and well-being, deserves as much attention as other domains of wellness.

Our bodies and brains use specialized systems to register all the different sensory information in our environment and piece it together to build a complete picture of: what is going on around us, with our bodies, within our bodies, where we are, and what time of day it is. Sensory processing shapes our experiences in the world and impacts our feelings.

Touch, sight, sound, movement, body position, smell, taste, internal sensation. Each of these senses comes together to build your conscious reality.

This brain-body process is taking place every second of every day and through the attention, it pays to external and internal information we form our perception of the world, our lived conscious experienced.

How we sense, experience, and feel the world is critical to safety and helps us move our bodies, complete tasks, make friends, and fall in love. Making sense of sensation is what makes us successful.
We call this sensory processing.
Sensory Health & Wellness

Sensory processing is the neurology of how we feel. The sensory messages we receive from our bodies and the world around us are responded to in everything we do in life - whether it's the comfort we feel from a warm hug from a loved one, the joy from the music we listen to, the feeling of satiation after eating, the ability to stay upright on moving bus or the act of learning / mastering a sport. In each instance, our sensory systems contribute vital information that we use to be successful. We couldn't do these things without our sensory systems.

Our ability to process sensory data does not usually require conscious thought or cognitive effort. It provides emotional stability, a platform for social interaction, a sense of self, well-being, satisfaction, and/or accomplishment. Sensory processing can also influence every area of living including our preferences in diet, exercise, relationships, career, and hobbies.

It is through the senses (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste, proprioception, interception, and vestibular input) that infants first learn about their caregivers, through touch that they first form attachments, and through smell that they identify their birth mother. In the early years of life, there are very few, if any, experiences that are not deeply sensory in nature. Indeed, most early experiences are entirely sensory and entirely emotional. This is how we form relationships, learn to communicate, and develop the foundation blocks for psychological well-being. All of these experiences enable us to develop solid brain architecture that sets us up for success in school and later in the workplace.

Sensory processing is where we learn that we can impact the world. First through our bodies as we lift our heads up against gravity, roll over, crawl, and stand. Also through play as we knock over blocks, shake a musical rattle, and drop items off the high chair tray. This is where our intention first starts to marry with the action that we take. We develop sense-of-self through these early experiences, we learn how to solve problems, we learn that we can impact objects and people, we develop executive function and theory of mind. We also develop motor skills that demonstrate increased finesse and coordination and become more and more gracious and refined with practice.

The sensory domain is where the brain and body connect and thrive. It is through robust sensory processing that we develop resilience, and establish a tolerance for stressful situations, learn to be calm under pressure, and process experiences that are challenging or upsetting. With well-integrated sensory processing comes a wealth of daily sensory-affective and sensory-motor experiences that cultivates the development of autonomy, competence, interest in learning, goal orientation, sense of purpose, resilience, social engagement, and agency.

Sensory processing is a critical aspect of well-being through the life-span and the bridge between physical and mental health.

The Eight Sensory Systems

Most people are surprised to find out that we actually have eight sensory systems rather than five. Learn more about these eight systems in detail. Each of the eight sensory systems contributes to our sense of safety, to mastery of our own body, and the resultant sensory-affective combination.

Pioneering occupational therapist, psychologist, and neuroscientist A. Jean Ayres, Ph.D., likened SPD to a neurological "traffic jam" that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly.

Causes of SPD

The exact cause of Sensory Processing Disorder has not yet been identified. Preliminary studies and research suggest that SPD is often inherited. Prenatal and birth complications have also been implicated as causal in SPD, as well as certain environmental factors. A summary of research into the causes and prevalence of SPD is included in Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children With Sensory Processing Disorder (New York: Perigee, 2014, 2nd edition). written by Founder and current Executive Director of STAR Institute, Lucy Jane Miller Ph.D., OTR

Ten Fundamental Facts About SPD

When extended family, teachers, neighbors, other parents, and service providers ask you what Sensory Processing Disorder is, the following are research-supported statements you can make.

1. Sensory Processing Disorder is a complex disorder of the brain that affects developing children and adults.

2. Parent surveys, clinical assessments, and laboratory protocols exist to identify children with SPD.

3. At least one in twenty people in the general population may be affected by SPD.

4. In children who are gifted and those with ADHD, Autism, and fragile X syndrome, the prevalence of SPD is much higher than in the general population.

5. Studies have found a significant difference between the physiology of children with SPD and children who are typically developing.

6. Studies have found a significant difference between the physiology of children with SPD and children with ADHD.

7. Sensory Processing Disorder has unique sensory symptoms that are not explained by other known disorders.

8. Heredity may be one cause of the disorder.

9. Laboratory studies suggest that the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems are not functioning typically in children with SPD.

10. Preliminary research data support decades of anecdotal evidence that occupational therapy is an effective intervention for treating the symptoms of SPD.

- from Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children With Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD ) p. 249-250 by Lucy Jane Miller, PhD, OTR

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We are all familiar with the sensory aspects of day to day life. You might find that going to the gym or on long nature walks help you to feel calmer and more focused during the day. Or perhaps you know that massages, music, aromatherapy, or super spicy food help you feel more alive, grounded, and able to cope with your day-to-day.

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Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

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Our mission is to drive science-based innovation that achieves breakthrough outcomes for children facing adversity.

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Check out this sensory strategy activity guide!

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Check out this sensory strategy activity guide!

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Sesame Street has some great materials for many tough issues

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Sesame Street has some great materials for many tough issues

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Sesame Street Tool Kits provide opportunities to build closeness and confidence, make learning fun, and keep your child's world safe and secure.

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get elephant's newsletter

I was sitting in a school board meeting. Things were getting heated. Voices were rising and heads were shaking as egos battled it out, and there was no agreement on the proposed motion.

I was agitated, and felt wronged as my opinion was being ignored. I was ready to scream at the next person who would speak out.

Suddenly, Tim, who was usually quiet, spoke up.

His voice was soft and calm, yet assertive. We all kept quiet and listened as he continued to moderate our arguments and followed up by explaining each viewpoint. Within 30 minutes, we all came to a consensus.

Tim was "emotionally intelligent," and I was not.

This concept of emotional intelligence was championed by Daniel Goleman, Ph.D., a well-known writer and researcher on leadership who wrote the best-seller, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.

He went on to explain why many people with a high IQ were outperformed by many with good social intelligence in the workplace, schools and homes. Emotional intelligence is intangible, and thus difficult to measure. It is a road map to achieving the results we want, and can lead us to live a fulfilling life.
What exactly is emotional intelligence?
According to Psychology Today, it's:

"The ability to accurately identify your own emotions, as well as those of others. The ability to utilise emotions and apply them to tasks, like thinking and problem-solving. The ability to manage emotions, including controlling your own, as well as the ability to cheer up or calm down another person."

However, in order to understand emotional intelligence we need to embrace the five components below:

1) Self-Awareness.

People who are self-aware understand their emotions, and as such don't allow themselves to let their feelings get out of control. They reflect on themselves regularly, recognizing what they are good at-and what they aren't.

They know when to maximize their strengths, and how to manage their weaknesses so these don't hold them back. They appreciate that there is nothing called perfection, admit their vulnerability and take responsibility for their mistakes as much as their successes.

In Brené Brown's TED Talk, The Power of Vulnerability, she explains how embracing our imperfections raises our self-awareness.

2) Self-Regulation.

Self-regulation is managing and controlling our emotions, moods and reactions. Emotionally intelligent people take a few deep breaths to think before reacting, and thus respond much better to challenging situations.

They don't allow anger, jealousy or some other form of fear to affect their decisions. They are conscious of their reactions, knowing why they reacted in a certain manner. They are comfortable saying no, and lead well-balanced lives. They usually eat well, get plenty of sleep and have many interests outside their work or relationships.

In the above example at the school board meeting, Tim displayed his self-regulatory way of thinking by not only controlling his emotions, but also being able to direct all of us to an agreement.

3) Motivation.

This is the ability to push ourselves toward our goals, harnessing our emotions to take action, commit and follow through with them.

Self-discipline and willpower are important attributes of an emotionally intelligent person's character, as they are willing to forgo instant gratification for long-term results. They are highly productive, effective and positive about life, and don't allow people or situations to bring them down.

4) Empathy.

An emotionally intelligent person not only listens to others, but is also able to discern and understand their feelings to such an extent that they put themselves in the other's shoes. They don't stereotype and judge, but rather are willing to accept all kinds of opinions and viewpoints. They are open, honest and have a strong ability to manage relationships.

Mother Theresa, Gandhi and the Dalai Lama are well-known symbols of empathy, but there are many around us who often surprise us with how genuine and empathetic they are. They make us feel safe, heard and important.

5) Social Skills.

These are the team players who park their egos on the side and focus on developing others instead. They are communicators, manage disputes and build and maintain relationships. They adapt quickly to situations, aren't afraid of change and are curious about life and what it has to offer.

My colleague displays this kind of leadership; a smile is always on her face, making it easy for anyone to approach her. She continually asks after the well-being of her staff and is the first to praise them for doing a good job, yet she knows how and when to criticize them.

We can learn and cultivate emotional intelligence in our lives. We are usually stronger with one aspect than the others, but we can develop all five so that we become better leaders in our lives, whether at our workplace, our home or elsewhere.

These attributes can also help guide us in any circumstances we find ourselves, whether we are bankers, business owners, mothers, friends, artists or people living simple lives traversing the joys and vicissitudes of life.

It's not something that is easy to accomplish within a few months but rather it's a journey over many years. It's a roadmap of "How" to live our lives, rather than the "Why" or "What" of life.
Relephant Read: Author: Mo Issa Editor: Toby Israel Image: Neill Kumar/Unsplash
hot on elephant

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5 Attributes of Emotionally Intelligent People.

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get elephant's newsletter I was agitated, and felt wronged as my opinion was being ignored. I was ready to scream at the next person who would speak out. Suddenly, Tim, who was usually quiet, spoke up. His voice was soft and calm, yet assertive.

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Try some of these ideas to add sensory experiences to your TREE work.

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Try some of these ideas to add sensory experiences to your TREE work.

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Earlychildhood NEWS - Article Reading Center

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Earlychildhood NEWS is the online resource for teachers and parents of young children, infants to age 8. You will find articles about developmentally appropriate practice, child health, safety and behavior as well as links to teacher resources and networking opportunities.

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A resource to find information to share with parents!

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A resource to find information to share with parents!

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Building upon families' strengths and helping parents
create a home environment where children can become
caring, confident, and responsible

Top Ten Parenting Tips

Gain parenting support online:

Find one-on-one support:

To find out more about The Center for Parenting Education,
email us at info@ParentingEdu.org.

The Center for Parenting Education is a non-profit organization founded in 1997. Our mission is to provide parenting support and education to families so they can do the best job they can in raising their children. By gaining important insights and learning new skills parents can help their children can reach their potential.

Check out our parenting classes and resources to find the answers to your parenting questions.

The Center for Parenting Education, PO Box 561, Fort Washington, PA 19034

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The Center for Parenting Education: Parenting Support

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To find out more about The Center for Parenting Education, email us at info@ParentingEdu.org. The Center for Parenting Education is a non-profit organization founded in 1997. Our mission is to provide parenting support and education to families so they can do the best job they can in raising their children.

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The ChildTrauma Academy is a Community of Practice working to improve the lives of high-risk children through education, research and the dissemination of innovation.

A major activity of the CTA is to translate emerging findings about the human brain and child development into practical implications for the ways we nurture, protect, enrich, educate and heal children. The "translational neuroscience" work of the CTA has resulted in a range of innovative programs in therapeutic, child protection and educational systems.

Etienne Wenger, a leading social learning theorist, defines communities of practice as groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. This model has been discussed as optimal for promoting social change in our current complex world. The CTA works to create collaborative working relationships between organizations and individuals to most effectively promote positive change for children.

The CTA started as a typical center of excellence in an academic setting, initially at The University of Chicago and later at Baylor College of Medicine. Over time however, it was clear that the problems of abuse and neglect in children were much more complex and multi-dimensional in ways that our medical model was unable to address.

A medical school centered work group investigating and solving physiological problems in humans makes sense. Solving problems which involve parenting, education, the law, child protection systems, mental health, law enforcement and a host of related systems across every professional discipline is more challenging. In response to this challenge we have created a collaborative, interdisciplinary virtual Center of Excellence, The ChildTrauma Academy.

The mission of the ChildTrauma Academy is to help improve the lives of traumatized and maltreated children - by improving the systems that educate, nurture, protect and enrich these children. We focus our efforts on education, program consultation, research and disseminating innovations in the field.

Essential to this process is the collaboration of all sectors of society. As such, we engage in a continuous process of identifying key partners, drawn from academia, the corporate world, private organizations and public sector systems. While each partnership has a distinct focus- identifying best practices in child protection, evaluating the latest research in child development, defining optimal ways to provide resources to parents or creating a novel therapeutic approach with traumatized children- all are engaged in the continuous process of testing, refining and distributing innovations that can improve children's lives.

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The ChildTrauma Academy is a Community of Practice working to improve the lives of high-risk children through education, research and the dissemination of innovation. A major activity of the CTA is to translate emerging findings about the human brain and child development into practical implications for the ways we nurture, protect, enrich, educate and heal children.

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Dose their day with self-regulating activities!

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Ideas for helping the littlest ones...

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Home Children of all ages can experience the impact of trauma. When events such as parental incarceration, family separation, abuse or neglect, the illness or death of a parent or sibling, or natural disasters occur early in life, they weigh on children both emotionally and physically. With intense…

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For the most current information regarding Adverse Childhood Experiences-
ACEs Connection

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Wow, this issue is big! It has many layers. Who is responsible and who is in charge? Our society has evolved over time. People have had adverse childhood experiences from the beginning of time. That is because we are human! We make decisions and choices everyday.

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A great staff development resource!

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童年創傷如何影響一生健康

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童年創傷不是一件長大就能解決的事。兒科醫生娜汀‧哈里斯 (Nadine Burke Harris) 解釋虐待、忽視、和父母精神健康不良或有藥物或飲酒問題，都會影響兒童的大腦發展。童年經歷影響終身，在高壓環境下長大的兒童比他人得到心肺疾病的比例高三倍。這是一位慷慨激昂的兒科醫生祈求眾人面對、預防和治療心理創傷的演講。

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A video for ideas you can use!

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Another powerful TED talk

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A Call to Connection: Making Childhood Trauma Personal | Dr. Allison Jackson | TEDxRVA

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ACES information in a pretty straightforward article...

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Those who work with children, in health care and with incarcerated populations in Crow Wing County are seeking to bring local awareness to studies on adverse childhood experiences, commonly known as ACEs. A presentation earlier this month at the Brainerd Public Library explored the connection between ACEs and incarceration. It also focused on building resiliency among those with ACEs, a factor identified through research as essential in avoiding negative consequences of childhood trauma.

"The bigger movement is about how do we break the cycle?" said Lowell Johnson of Crow Wing Inside Out Connections, one of the groups that sponsored the presentation. "How do we intervene in a way so that those people that are adults with high ACEs don't pass that on to the next generation? So that's our challenge."
A body of research
Twenty-plus years of data collection show ACEs are directly linked to measurable negative impacts on brain development. These impacts dramatically increase the risk of children experiencing problems later in life.

The original study of childhood trauma and later-life health and well-being took place in 1995-97, when Kaiser Permanente collected data from confidential surveys completed by 17,000 of its HMO members. The surveys asked people to identify whether they'd experienced any of 10 adverse experiences in childhood: emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, mother treated violently, household substance abuse, mental illness in the household, parental separation or divorce, a criminal household member, emotional neglect or physical neglect.

The study was the first time the relationship between health risk behavior and disease in adulthood and childhood trauma was explored. The results were startling: a strong relationship was found between ACEs and the leading causes of death.

In years since, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continued monitoring and expanding upon these links. In 2008, questions about ACEs were added to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a survey used by states. Three years later, Minnesota became the 18th state to add these questions to its survey and the Minnesota Department of Health published a study on ACEs among Minnesotans in 2013.

Data from the MDH was consistent with many other ACEs studies. More than half of Minnesotans surveyed reported experiencing at least one ACE in childhood. Of those, 60 percent reported experiencing two or more ACEs, and 15 percent had five or more ACEs.

The risk factors of later-life health and well-being problems increase in lock-step with the number of identified ACEs. Charts and graphs shared in the local presentation showed again and again the correlation between higher ACE scores and a higher incidence of problems. Among Minnesota's eighth, ninth and 11th graders, for example, 70.3 percent of those with four or more ACEs reported experiencing depression and hopelessness. This is compared to 36.3 percent of those with one ACE.

Within that same survey group, the number of those reporting alcohol use within the past 30 days increased with ACE scores. One-fifth of those with one ACE reported alcohol use, while nearly half-47 percent-of those with four or more ACEs drank in that timeframe.

A chart that drew a big response from those who attended the local presentation was one showing the attributable risk of societal problems for those with high ACE scores. After controlling for gender, age, income, education, race and ethnicity, the data showed those with high ACE scores are at markedly higher risk for a number of negative life experiences: serious persistent mental illness, alcoholism, incarceration, intimate partner violence, promiscuity, chronic depression and more.

Ultimately, these factors combine to greatly increase the risk of early death.
A brain awash in stress
While some might find it intuitive that those with troubled upbringings are at greater risk of having troubled adulthoods, ACEs researchers are collecting data that puts scientific veracity behind those assumptions. Brain science emerging from the research-science that shows causation between childhood trauma and negative consequences on brain development-is adding complexity to the age-old debate of nature vs. nurture.

While stress is a normal human response to various situations, it can become toxic to the developing brain when prolonged or acute, a study from Harvard University found. When people experience stress, the brain releases hormones such as cortisol. In the brains of children living with ACEs, cortisol is released much more frequently and for longer periods of time.

According to MDH's summary of the study: "Persistent and intense stress stemming from ACEs actually influences how the brain develops, strengthening connections in the parts of the brain that are associated with fear, arousal and emotional regulation at the cost of other parts of the brain associated with learning and memory. Continuous activation of the stress response system can also produce disruptions of the immune and metabolic systems, resulting in a lifetime of greater susceptibility to physical illness as well as mental health problems."

Translation: the biology of children's brains is directly influenced by the environment in which a child grows up-with the potential for lasting consequences. Neural connections are made-or fade-depending upon the types of experiences reinforced in a child's life.

"If the environment is not safe, and the child has limited positive interactions with an adult, the child may develop a more vigilant approach to the world to avoid known and unknown dangers, and those maladaptive pathways in the brain grow stronger," the MDH stated.
A ray of hope
The cumulative effect of ACEs research can feel overwhelming, Johnson said at the library presentation. So many of those who grew up in troubled homes were surrounded by adults who themselves had high ACE scores, oftentimes going back for generations, he added.

But Johnson's passion for sharing the research with others is driven by the rays of hope he sees in how a community can make a difference in children's lives.

"You can say, 'it stops here,'" Johnson said. "It's the awareness that these patterns tend to be repeated in families. If you see that there's a pattern in your family and see the problems it causes, you can decide to stop it. Easy to say that, but there's a lot of hope. ... It can be stopped, there are many success stories of people who have broken the ACEs cycle."

Also emerging from ACEs research is recognizing that not every child with a high ACEs score ends up committing crimes, developing addictions or engaging in any other of a host of societal problems.

What's been identified as a common factor in repelling the negative impacts of adversity is the development of resiliency-something that can come from a combination of individual characteristics and outside influence. Johnson said as little as one positive adult in a child's life can have a tremendously positive impact on that child's ability to become resilient.
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Learn about how Crow Wing County Community Services and other Region Five counties are seeking a grant to become trauma-informed organizations, which involves tailoring services to those who've experienced trauma.
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"Resilience is the result of a dynamic set of interactions between a person's adverse experiences and his or her protective factors. This interaction is what determines the developmental path towards health and well-being or towards illness and dysfunction," the MDH states on its website. "No child is magically resilient or invulnerable to ACEs, just as no individual child is automatically doomed in the face of ACEs."

The "protective factors" refer to a number of things on the individual, family and community levels in a child's life: close relationships with competent caregivers; identifying and cultivating a sense of purpose through faith, culture or identity; social connections and more.

Johnson shared information on the results of one city's intentional focus on developing resilience in young people. At a high school in Walla Walla, Wash., school leaders took a different approach to discipline in light of ACEs research. Instead of instant suspensions or written warnings in response to a negative student behavior, teachers at the school began asking more questions-such as "What is making you angry?"-and giving students an opportunity to calm down for sometimes more than a day before discussing an issue.

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"Teens who live with complex trauma are walking post-traumatic stress time bombs," an article on the website ACEs Too High states. "They teeter through their days. The smallest incident can push them into a full-blown meltdown. Some kids run away. Some explode in rage. Some just mentally check out. ... Until a school helps kids learn how to control their emotions, they'll just keep losing it. For some kids, erupting is a stress reflex response."

During the time the school took the new approach focused on positive problem solving and increased resilience, it saw a dramatic decrease in disciplinary problems. Out-of-school suspensions dropped from 798 to 135. Expulsions dropped by half, and police reports went from 48 to 17.

"These are measureable outcomes from a community that got behind resiliency training," Johnson said.
'Not a destiny'
The goal of Johnson and others-including the local public health initiative Crow Wing Energized-is to educate as many people as possible on the topic. At the presentation, Johnson asked those in attendance to brainstorm ideas for how resiliency could be improved in the Brainerd lakes area. Many were volunteers at the Crow Wing County Jail and noted they'd like to see some of the programs they run in the jail available on the outside-whether that be book clubs, parenting classes and support circles-specifically tailored to "returning citizens" recently released.

Also mentioned were transition teams for people exiting jail, ensuring they are connected with services and resources to reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for those people's children.

"ACEs are not a destiny," Johnson said. "Sometimes, they just need people to lean on, to provide the hope and the help."

CHELSEY PERKINS may be reached at 218-855-5874 or chelsey.perkins@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchChelsey.

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Building Brainerd's resilience: Could research on childhood trauma...

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What if one area of research could prevent some of society's biggest problems?Researchers say an ever-expanding pool of data on the effects of childhood trauma-and how to counteract those effects-might be the key to alleviating countless societal problems. These include criminality, substance abuse,...

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Dr. Bruce Perry's says Trauma Healing  Perry, requires 6 R’s; it must be:

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Dr. Bruce Perry's says Trauma Healing  Perry, requires 6 R’s; it must be:

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Relational (safe)

Relevant (developmentally matched

Repetitive (patterned)

Rewarding (pleasurable)

Rhythmic (resonate with neural patterns)

Respectful (of the child, family and culture)

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For more information on the 6 R's click here.

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Dr. Bruce Perry, MD is taking his healing for trauma to Washington in a May 4 program for the National Council for Behavioral Health.

And the doc's got rhythm. In fact, he and other trauma experts are reporting revolutionary success with treatments using yoga, meditation, deep breathing, singing, dancing, drumming and more.

These principles are so fundamental to our brains they go back to the dawn of man; the Vedas were sung before 5,000 BC (likely with yoga and meditation.) My book describes how yogic chant and meditation saved my life in 2010, before I ever read a word about brain science.

One California county is trying to cancel such programs, insisting on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) which relies on the thinking brain. But Perry and many experts say talk therapy alone can re-traumatize trauma survivors.

Perry says we need " patterned, repetitive, rhythmic somatosensory activity," literally, bodily sensing exercises. Developmental trauma happens in the body, where pre-conscious "implicit memory" was laid down in the primitive brain stem (survival brain) and viscera. Long before we had a thinking frontal cortex or "explicit memory" function. [FN1]

The list of repetitive, rhythmic regulations used for trauma by Dr. Perry, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Pat Ogden and others is remarkable. It includes singing, dancing, drumming, and most musical activities. It also relies on meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong, along with theater groups, walking, running, swinging, trampoline work, massage, equine grooming and other animal-assisted therapy.... even skateboarding. Click here for Perry's web page on interventions.

"I am asked how hip hop and skateboarding can help a child with depression or ADHD," reports Dr. Sarah MacArthur of the San Diego Center for Children. "Yet 70% of the children showed improvement in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD." [FN2]
The Brain Stem Rules
"The brain organizes from bottom to top, with the lower parts of the brain (brain stem/diencephalon aka "survival brain") developing earliest, the cortical areas (thinking brain) much later," Perry says. "The majority of brain organization takes place in the first four years.

"Because this is the time when the brain makes the majority of its "primary" associations... early developmental trauma and neglect have disproportionate influence on brain organization and later brain functioning... When a child has experienced chronic threats, the brain exists in a persisting state of fear... and the lower parts of the brain house maladaptive, influential, and terrifying pre-conscious memories... " [FN3]

"People with developmental trauma can start to feel so threatened that they get into a fight-flight alarm state, and the higher parts of the brain shut down," says Perry. "First the stress chemicals shut down their frontal cortex (thinking brain). Now they physically can not think. Ask them to think and you only make them more anxious.

"Next the emotional brain (limbic brain) shuts down. They have attachment trauma, so people per se seem threatening; they don't get reward from emotional or relational interaction.

"The only part of the brain left functioning is the most primitive: the brain stem and diencephalon cerebellum. If you want a person to use relational reward, or cortical thought - first those lowest parts of the brain have got to be regulated," Perry concludes.

" We must regulate people, before we can possibly persuade them with a cognitive argument or compel them with an emotional affect.

"The only way to move from these super-high anxiety states, to calmer more cognitive states, is rhythm," he says. "Patterned, repetitive rhythmic activity: walking, running, dancing, singing, repetitive meditative breathing - you use brain stem-related somatosensory networks which make your brain accessible to relational (limbic brain) reward and cortical thinking.

"Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is great if you have a developed frontal cortex - but we're talking about a five year old kid who's so scared to death most of the time that it's shut down his frontal cortex 'cause he just saw his mother get shot," Perry told an audience of therapists. "You're going to do 20 sessions of CBT and expect change? That's a fantasy." [FN4]
6 R's for Healing Trauma

Dr. Perry does separate developmental "maps" of each person (left) using his "Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics" (NMT). Each individual is so unique that using NMT needs training; this blog is meant only to point you toward it. For an overview of NMT, click here for Perry, B.D. and Hambrick, E. (2008), "Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics." Click here for training in NMT and Somatosensory Regulation.

Trauma healing, says Perry, requires 6 R's; it must be:
* Relational (safe)
* Relevant (developmentally-matched to the individual)
* Repetitive (patterned)
* Rewarding (pleasurable)
* Rhythmic (resonant with neural patterns)
* Respectful (of the child, family, and culture)

"To change any neural network in the brain, we need to provide patterned, repetitive input to reach poorly organized neural networks involved in the stress response. Any neural network that is activated in a repetitive way will change," Perry explains.

"The rhythm of these experiences matter. The brain stem and diencephalon contain powerful associations to rhythmic somatosensory activity created in utero and reinforced in early in life. The brain makes associations between patterns of neural activity that co-occur.

"One of the most powerful sets of associations created in utero is the association between patterned repetitive rhythmic activity from maternal heart rate, and all the neural patterns of activity associated with not being hungry, not been thirsty, and feeling 'safe' (in the womb).

"Patterned, repetitive, rhythmic somatosensory activity... elicits a sensation of safety. Rhythm is regulating. All cultures have some form of patterned, repetitive rhythmic activity as part of their healing and mourning rituals - dancing, drumming, and swaying.

"EMDR and bilateral tapping are variations of this patterned, repetitive rhythmic, somatosensory activity... We believe that they are regulating in part because they are tapping into the deeply ingrained, powerful permeating associations created in utero." [FN5]

For each child, the NMT develops a unique, personalized "map" (see above) of what the specific neurological damage has been, how far development has come (or not), and where the child needs to go. Next it creates "a unique sequence of developmentally-appropriate interventions," says Perry. "While many deficits may be present, the sequence in which these are addressed is important. The more the therapeutic process can replicate the normal sequential process of development, the more effective...

"The first step in therapeutic success is brain stem regulation... Start with the lowest undeveloped/ abnormally functioning set of problems and move sequentially up the brain as improvements are seen...

"An example of a repetitive intervention is positive, nurturing interactions with trustworthy peers, teachers, and caregiver... using patterned, repetitive somatosensory activities such as dance, music, movement, yoga, drumming or therapeutic massage... This is true especially for children whose persisting fear state is so overwhelming that they cannot improve via increased positive relationships, or even therapeutic relationships, until their brain stem is regulated by safe, predictable, repetitive sensory input." [FN6]

Sound like your family doctor saying "Go calm down in the gym" ? I thought so - until I tried it. It works, big time. My story is here: " Dr. Perry: Music Makes Your Case."

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Kathy's news blogs expand on her book " DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME: The Silent Epidemic of Attachment Disorder-How I accidentally regressed myself back to infancy and healed it all." Watch for the continuing series each Friday, as she explores her journey of recovery by learning the hard way about Attachment Disorder in adults, adult Attachment Theory, and the Adult Attachment Interview.
Footnotes
FN1 Perry, Bruce D., MD, "Born for Love: The Effects of Empathy on the Developing Brain," Annual Interpersonal Neurobiology Conference "How People Change: Relationship & Neuroplasticity in Psychotherapy," UCLA, Los Angeles, March 8, 2013 (unpublished).
Library of articles on interventions, trauma, brain development: https://childtrauma.org/cta-library/
Training in NMT Method and Somatosensory Regulation, Power of Rhythm - Individual and Site Training Certification Programs, DVD/streaming training, and online training: http://www.ctaproducts.org
Dr. Perry's latest research and key slides: "Helping Children Recover from Trauma," National Council LIVE, National Council on Behavioral Health, Sept. 5, 2013 at www.thenationalcouncil.org/events-and-training/webinars/webinar-archive/ (scroll down to Sept. 2013.)
Dr. Perry's YouTube channel with educational videos in depth: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4ZUgIXyxRcUNLuhimA5mA?feature=watch

FN2 MacArthur, Sarah,PhD., "Wellness Innovations Transform Children," San Diego Center for Children, June 2013, http://www.centerforchildren.org/live-blog/87-wellness-innovations-transform-children/

FN3 Perry, B.D. and Hambrick, E. (2008), "The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT)," Reclaiming Children and Youth, 17 (3) 38-43; and
Dobson, C. & Perry, B.D. (2010), "The role of healthy relational interactions in buffering the impact of childhood trauma in "Working with Children to Heal Interpersonal Trauma: The Power of Play," (E. Gil, Ed.), The Guilford Press, New York, pp. 26-43
Both at: http://childtrauma.org/nmt-model/references/

FN4 Perry, Bruce D., "Born for Love," op. cit. FN1

FN5 MacKinnon, L. (2012), "Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics: Interview with Bruce Perry," The Australian & New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 33:3 pp 210-218, http://childtrauma.org/cta-library/interventions/

FN6 Perry & Hambrick, op. cit. FN3

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Dr. Bruce Perry, MD is taking his healing for trauma to Washington in a May 4 program for the National Council for Behavioral Health. And the doc's got rhythm. In fact, he and other trauma experts are reporting revolutionary success with treatments using yoga, meditation, deep breathing, singing, dancing, drumming and more.

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One of the best resources for trauma responsive ideas and training resources.

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Multiplying Connections and our partners provide training on a variety of topics that provide essential skills and competencies for providing trauma informed practice.

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Check out this video to see work being done elsewhere!

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A Great Resource!

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"In the world of Early Childhood Education, there is often a tension between rigor and developmentally appropriate practice. Since we began implementing the Tools of the Mind curriculum three years ago, we have come to not only believe but also now strongly advocate for the idea that both of these approaches can be done well, together!"