The Child Charmer

Front Loading: A must have therapeutic tool in education

Have you ever heard of the therapeutic tool called 'Front Loading?" There’s a really strategic approach to front loading -and the entire purpose it to set kids up for success – not heighten them or push them to escalation. It is about providing children with just the right amount of information, setting clear and achievable expectations, providing opportunities to practise skills before they encounter a situation, task, or learning experience.   In this solo episode Chrissie gives clear guidelines to how and why front loading kids is a must have strategy for your therapeutic tool box - especially when working with kids who live with anticipatory anxiety and ADHD.

What we can all learn from Augie Pullman & Mr Tushman

If you recognise the names Augie Pullman & Mr Tushman, then chances are you may know what this solo episode is centred on. An amazing book titled "Wonder." Chrissie shares during this solo episode the importance of parents relinquishing control and encouraging their children to step out in the big wide world away from the safety of the family nest. You see, Augie lives with a disability called Treacher Collins syndrome which is a genetic disorder that affects growth and development of the head. It prevents the skull, cheek and jawbones from developing properly, causing facial anomalies and hearing loss. The episode also discusses the vital roles of attachment that our educators play in the lives of all children, but just how important they are for children living with disabilities: visble or not.. Disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, anxiety, foetal alcohol syndrome, developmental trauma and dyslexia are just some of the examples of invisible disabilities that people live with in our communities. These disabilities are not always ‘obvious’ to other people as they are part of the human brain wiring. We call this our neurotype and is why I encourage families to teach their kids about their brain as a starting point to understanding neurodivergence. Education around developmental differences is vitally important as everybody deserves to know that they belong to their community and feel understood by those around them. It’s important that we are having those conversations as families to support understandings for when our kids meet other children who are different to them. Research indicates that kids who grow up in families where they have access to this information, where it is encouraged as part of their everyday conversations, go on to be more accepting, inclusive and understanding of those with differences to them.” “When we are a family that embraces and celebrates difference, then our kids go on to do the same. True inclusion starts at home." You can purchase the book Wonder here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Wonder-R-J-Palacio/dp/0375869026 [https://www.amazon.com.au/Wonder-R-J-Palacio/dp/0375869026] You can learn more about Treacher Collins Syndrome here: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/treacher-collins-syndrome [https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/treacher-collins-syndrome]

Why language matters so much for our PDAers with Steph Robertson

Buckle in - this is is a bit of a longer one - as our topic of Pervasive Drive for Autonomy(PDA) is so complex, we needed more time to unpack this at times, perplexing, nervous system disability, and how it shows up in our kids at home and in school. Both Chrissie & Steph have lived experience of raising a little PDAer, and they have learnt so much 'on the job' about just how much these kids are wired for safety and relational attunement from their attachment figures. We hope this informative chat leads you further into your understandings about how the nervous system is impacted so significantly for these kids in educational settings, and why using intrinsic motivation and known areas of interests, declarative language and understanding sensory systems are paramount when supporting them. We really need to provide them with as many opportunities for a sense of' felt safety and strongly attuned relationships' to support their nervous system regulation, keep them engaged and able to learn. Work with Steph Robertson: https://www.sgroccupationaltherapy.com/ [https://www.sgroccupationaltherapy.com/] Resources mentioned in this episode: The body keeps the score [https://www.amazon.com.au/Body-Keeps-Score-Transformation-Trauma/dp/0141978619/ref=asc_df_0141978619/?tag=googleshopdsk-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=341792439332&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5500995049111530460&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9071219&hvtargid=pla-452579060347&psc=1&mcid=9dc70592748e30029a7a5ec6f821a754] Declarative Language Handbook [https://www.declarativelanguage.com/] Dan Siegal - brain hand model [https://youtu.be/f-m2YcdMdFw?si=ovMUQScE-_tcJhmj] Polyvagal Theory [https://www.stephenporges.com/]

10. Regulation Rituals with Sally Galloway

We use the term dysregulated ALOT when it comes to our kids and their big emotions - but what does this actually mean? And why are we expecting kids to have their emotions sorted by the age of 6 once they hit formal education, when most adults find keeping their cool in stressful situations difficult? Are we expecting way too much, too soon from our kids with underdeveloped brains. In short? Yes we are! When we start to view big behaviours as 'stress responses in children' we can easily start to see that labelling them as 'challenging or defiant', is not very supportive or neurodiversity affirming. In fact, when kids are distressed - they actually need our help and support more than ever. Our motto is "Compassion over Compliance. Always." Today we discuss the importance of creating "Regulation Rituals" with kids and how these support nervous system regulation, and how in fact incorporating these into classrooms set our kids up for success each day. And it is way easier than you might think! Checkout Chrissie's regulation support tools for kids over in the Brain Builder Shop here: https://www.chaostocalmconsultancy.com/shop [https://www.chaostocalmconsultancy.com/shop] Check out Sally Galloway's work here: https://www.sallygalloway.com.au/home [https://www.sallygalloway.com.au/home]

9. Let's teach kids the way their brain learns with Kristy Hayworth

What if we taught children the way the brain actually learns? The days of a one size fits all model in education are OVER, and it is time that we started to really understand the importance of adapting our educational practices to be more aligned with a child's actual neurotype. We have go to work with them - NOT against them. In fact, the more we try to go against a child's natural wiring - the more we risk the change of damaging their self esteem and love for learning. Dyslexia is a neurotype - one to be celebrated and embraced- and today we learn more about we can support kids with their learning and use a multi sensory approach. The more lines of sensory input we can inject into an activity, the more chance a dyslexic child has of retaining that knowledge. And can we all just remember, that being neurodivergent has got nothing to do with intelligence and everything to do with how we receive, process and retain information. You can learn all about Kristy Hayworth and her work within the Dyslexic Community here: https://www.allkidscan.com.au/ [https://www.allkidscan.com.au/] Dyslexia Association Australia: https://dyslexiaassociation.org.au/ [https://dyslexiaassociation.org.au/] Understood- https://www.understood.org/ [https://www.understood.org/]