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Monday, May 22 2023

The Impact of Elevated Stress

In the previous Newsletters we have discussed how stress is generated when we feel vulnerable because the conditions in our external environment pose a threat to our safety.  Further, we examined how this elevated stress impacts on our choices of behaviour in order to protect ourselves.  We also discussed how stress is needed not only to initiate behaviour but that stress allows us to learn new methods to deal with hostile external conditions in the future.  As can be seen from the illustration below, as an individual becomes more aroused their brain is said to ‘gate-down’.  Although the graph moves up from a state of calmness the neurological attention is moving down from the cerebral cortex, through the limbic system on to the midbrain/brain stem hence the phrase ‘gating down’.  

You can notice that we have moved from being able to consider a range of alternate behaviours when using our total brain into a condition of concrete thinking where we will only access behaviours that have worked before.  These issues have been covered in detail in two recent Newsletters, 228. Stress = Life - 1st March 2023 and 233. Gender Differences in Dealing with Early Childhood Trauma – 3rd April 2023.

 

In this essay we want to describe how people deal with this problem, first in a dysfunctional manner and then how to act in a way that will allow us to deal with future situations that echo the characteristics of the threatening environment.  In their early careers Margaret Paul and Erika Chopich presented a model of the different responses to threatening levels of stress; the following outline is founded in their work.

 

All addiction is an attempt to deal with painful stress which of course drives the need to return to homeostatic equilibrium.  Unfortunately, the use of any dysfunctional, protective behaviour in which you redirect your cognitive process or manipulates the cause of the threat or if you change the chemical composition of your brain without making a change to your behaviour condemns you to always being at the mercy of such situations.

 

These dysfunctional behaviours are shown in the illustration above, the people and activity addictions are the attempt to redirect the cognitive process of the perpetrator and, of course substances addiction is a well-known method of protection.

 

When you talk to substance addicts they almost invariably will tell you the first time they were ‘high’ on whatever substance they felt a sense of peace and personal power.  For kids with a history of abuse and that resulting sense of toxic shame it is no wonder the slide into addiction is easy.  Of course, the issue is that the more they use the drug of choice the more they will need of it.  Eventually, and this applies to all addictions the behaviour to protect themselves from stress becomes the source of future stress.

 

Activity addiction is not easily recognised as an addiction.  To understand the process that makes an activity an addiction is that whenever they feel stressed they will busy themselves with a distraction.  This is more easily illustrated in adults with the workaholic being the poster child of activities addiction.  Years ago when I was forming this model I was explaining it to a colleague.  When I mentioned activities addiction he exclaimed ‘that’s me’!  I had suspected that was the case and I continued on with ‘you don’t have to be that way’ to which he quickly replied, ‘that’s alright, I’m going to do my PhD’!  I had suspected this because of his frenetic approach to his work and the times he talked about the deteriorating quality of his marriage.  Needless to say, him achieved his PhD and lost his marriage.

 

This same addiction is seen right across society, from children being addicted to activities such as skateboard riding to becoming a fanatical football fan to some underserving team.  A word of caution, not everyone who has a consuming hobby, loves a particular team or spends most of their free time involved in a sport is an addict.  It is when they retreat from difficult situations they achieve that status, for that colleague, every time his wife wanted to address their problems he was ‘too busy’!

 

Finally we come to the people addiction and understanding the use of this type of protection will help you recognise what drives some of the behaviours of students. When being stressed by other people those choosing to protect themselves have a choice, they can try to control the other person or resist any attempts for the other to affect them

The types of people addiction are shown in illustration below.

The attempts to control the ‘other’ using overt behaviours can be summed up as ‘if you stress me, I will stress you back to a level you will leave me alone’!  They are, as the graphic indicates bullies; they threaten, use their friends to tease them or mock them to make them the centre of ridicule.  Eventually, the perpetrator will withdraw removing the source of the stress from the overt control addict.  This may work in the short term, the stressing behaviour of the adversary my cease but unfortunately when a similar situation arises the student will have to again be aggressive.

 

An alternate way to ‘control’ the stressful situation caused by another is to be so nice to them they will never attack you.  This is the covert method of people control.  Like the overt model the use of being a ‘best friend’ or ally is that you have to submerge your own need to avoid being exposed.

 

The final type of people addiction is that of resistance.  This is when a potential victim of ‘intimidation’ from others chooses to isolate themselves, refusing to accept any responsibility to whatever stressful situation exists.  They refuse to take part in organised activities, are absent a lot and isolate themselves.  However, there will be times when the resistors join forces and justify their behaviour with each other.

 

These acts of addictive behaviour are not just for the students, adults will also use these forms of control.  The selection of whether or not to be covert or overt depends on their perceived personal power in regard to the other.  It is more likely that a ‘boss’ that is feeling overly stressed will take on the overt role.  It is easier to bully those with less power.  Alternatively, those who work for an overt style boss might find it more comfortable using the covert techniques, ‘sucking up’ to make sure they are not their target.  The use of either control method disempowers the individual, the boss will lose the respect if their staff and those using the covert style will not be respected by fellow workers or skilled managers.

 

In the last illustration I have presented the student diagram as it applies to staff.

I’m sure we can all recognise these behaviours in our school staff.  Overt control teachers are those who put their students down, ‘why would I waste my time with this lot’.  Covert control teachers seek to be popular by letting their students ignore school norms, forgiving them for not handing assignments in on time.  What they don’t understand is that they are denying their student their right to learn about responsibility and in the long run they are never really respected.  Finally, we have those who sit up the back at staff meetings, reading the paper or talking amongst their allies.

 

I hope this information will help you identify those students and colleague’s dysfunctional behaviours not to condemn it but to let you approach them with compassion and understanding that these behaviours come from a faulty and toxic self-belief.  I have put a copy of Chapter 8 of my book ‘The Impact of Modern Neuroscience on Contemporary Teaching’ called Acting to Protect Yourself.

 

In the next Newsletter I will talk about how to deal with stressful situations in a healthy way.

 

Posted by: AT 01:50 am   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, May 08 2023

Early CHildhood Rejection

The drive to belong is arguably our species’ most powerful need.  As I have pointed out elsewhere, most believe that the determination to survival is primary but suicide refutes this and invariably suicide is a result of rejection.  It is in early childhood that we learn to attach, belong to others especially with early caregivers (parents) and rejection at this time has devastating impact on the development of their sense of self.  Understanding the impact early childhood rejection will help you, not only have compassion for these victims of rejection but assist you make those professional relationships that are critical in your classroom.

 

Parents can reject their child by:

  • Withholding Affection – If a parent does not show affection or emotional support the message to the child is they are not worthy.
  • Being Overly Critical – When parents consistently criticise their kids for their behaviour, efforts or appearance are again showing they are not considered worthy. 
  • Neglect - Emotional or physical neglect is a more passive way of rejection (see Newsletter 230 - Neglect 22 March 2023). 
  • Comparisons to Others – When parents compare their child to others, particularly siblings it is invariably that they are not as good as the other (however, if they overly praise their child that will have a different negative impact on the child).
  • Abandonment - In extreme cases, parents may abandon their children both physically and emotionally and this can have profound impact on their development.   

It is obvious that significant rejection whatever the form will lead to a sense of toxic shame as described in the last Newsletter.

MRI studies on rejection, even in the least threatening conditions show that when one is rejected the same areas of the brain are activated as they do when we experience pain – rejection really hurts.  In broad terms the changes are as follows:

  • The amygdala, that area processing fear and anxiety is activated leading to feelings of distress and anxiety
  • When a child is rejected their body releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline which increases heart rate, sweating, and muscle tension.  Continued elevated stress leads to permanent brain damage.
  • There is decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex, the brain’s executive and the effectiveness of decision making is reduced.
  • The link to physical pain is illustrated in studies that show that rejection can make a child more sensitive to physical pain.
  • Rejection can also lead to changes in the levels of certain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, which can not only affect mood and behaviour but also the ability to learn, make memories!

Overall, the physical and neurological changes that occur when someone experiences rejection can be significant and can have a profound impact on their emotional and mental well-being.

 

One field of study that is underpinned by rejection is that of attachment.  In general attachment is the emotional bond that exists between people.  It must be remembered, like all behaviours these are learned in childhood and how they are acquired will influence how effective they will be in later life.  Infants have a need to form an attachment in their first six months by being supported emotionally and socially, if not they are rejected.  The study of attachment throws up various descriptions of the styles and, in simplified terms those dysfunctional types can be summarised as:

  • Insecure – these children have a raised fear of future abandonment.  They find it difficult to trust others and struggle in isolation.
  • Avoidance – these children avoid making attachments in the future.  They will appear indifferent and unresponsive to other’s advances.
  • Ambivalent – These children are a mix of the previous two.  They vacillate between seeking comfort with others to pushing others away.

 

As I said at the outset, the drive to belong is powerful and these children, despite the injury inflicted on their ability to make functional attachments will still attempt to belong in their immediate community.  In the first instance, they will seek attachment, be that with other adults, teacher or older peers.  These may or may not satisfy their immediate need but they will try.  Their functional deficiency in attaching will make these kids vulnerable to exploitation.

 

Some kids, particularly those who have above average abilities may become very self-reliant and successful at school or in other activities.  This may be an attempt to let their parents see they are worthy of their attention.

 

The rejection makes them hypervigilant, always looking to avoid being rejected again.  This makes them suspicious of others and brings in their lack of trust in others.  If they are in a situation that reminds them of times when they were rejected they will retreat behind protective walls of behaviour that are designed to keep others out.  This can be things like aggression or being extra ‘nice’, anything to avoid opening up to any real meaningful attachment.

 

As Karen Bierman of Pennsylvania University points out children who have been rejected in early childhood have:

  • Low rates of prosocial skills, they find sharing or taking turns very difficult
  • High rates of aggressive and disruptive behaviours
  • Difficulty in attending to tasks and are impulsive
  • High rates of social anxiety

 

What to do when working with a student who has disrupted attachment?  It will be of no surprise that our philosophy gives a broad outline of how to help these students:

  • Structure – make sure your classroom is very predictable.  Students with rejection issues often have difficulty with transitions or changes in routine. It is important for the teacher to establish a consistent and predictable routine to help the child feel safe and secure.
  • Expectations – always reinforce the behaviour you expect from them.  Of course that is easy when they are doing the ‘right thing’ but when they are disruptive the rejection of that behaviour must not include the rejection of the child!  This is critical because their hypersensitivity to rejection makes it hard for them to make that distinction.   Remember we accept the child 100% while we reject inappropriate behaviour 100%.
  • Relationships – you can build professional relationships by understanding these kids really suffer a disability that is not of their making.  The way you are consistent, always welcoming them into your class despite what might have gone on in the last lesson and are persistently there for all studenst will allow them to start to trust you and that is the foundation to all good teaching practice!

 

 

Posted by: AT 11:27 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, April 03 2023

 

Gender Differences in Dealing with Early Childhood Trauma

 

In the last Newsletter we discussed the different reactions to abuse depending on whether the perpetration was consistent and persistent or if it was chaotic and unpredictable in both the probability and the method.  In the case of the consistent abuse children learned behaviours that could protect them and this feeling of control often allowed them to appear very functional in the classroom.  However, these kids still need to embrace the environmental changes that would nourish them rather than hide in those behaviours that protected them in the past.  Unlike those kids whose behaviour is ‘out of control’ all to often they appear to be very successful in the classroom and do not attract the attention of the teacher.

 

There is another group of students who are never recognised as being in need of additional attention and these are predominantly girls who dissociate when subjected to extreme abuse.  Of course, this delineation is not exclusive as are any generalisations based on gender but there is currently a real difference in the way most adolescent girls and boys respond to elevated levels of stress!

 

The graph shown below is based on the work of Bruce Perry a legend in the field of childhood trauma. (the following description is from my book Neuroscience and Teaching Very Difficult Kids).

 

 

When we consider the process of increasing levels of stress that are the result of an attack on our safety we experience the following cognitive conditions:

  1. Arousal – This occurs when a child’s attention is drawn to a potential threat.  Under these conditions the student will become vigilant and will lose access to that curiosity that examines alternative ideas but focuses on conditioned behaviours.  If the goal of the lesson is to learn new material or new behaviours, when stress is heightened the opportunity to be taught is gone because the student will only acknowledge established beliefs.
  2. Alarm – The emotional level has increased and the cognitive patterns are ‘frozen’ into a particular response.  There is a broad gender difference in that the girls become compliant in an attempt to avoid attention while the boys start to actively resist the threat.
  3. Fear – At this stage the student reacts to the threat.  The behaviours are out of the control of any cognitive process.  The girls will start to dissociate, numb themselves from the situation while the boys will become defiant.
  4. Terror – At this level everything becomes reflexive, under the control of our basic survival modes of behaviour.  The girls will experience a mini episode of psychosis while the boys will become actively aggressive.

 

There are two points to make at this time.  The first is obvious; it is clear that the only feeling state where ‘new learning’ can take place is that of ‘calm’.  Previously we discussed stress in terms of healthy and unhealthy kinds.  We need a certain level of attention to learn new work but in this instance the arousal is directed at a potential threat.

 

The second point to be made is the difference between the gender responses.  The following comments are in the broadest terms.  Of course, there are obvious exceptions to these observations some males respond in a way we would expect a female to respond and vice versa.

 

Initially it could be thought that the difference is cultural, girls and boys have been taught to behave that way.   We give boys aggressive toys and girls things like dolls and toy kitchens to prepare them for their future roles.  Or maybe we just see what we expect to see, boys being boys and girls being girls.

 

But when you look at the school level data around abuse and dysfunctional behaviour, despite the incidents for abuse being higher for girls than boys the number of boys being suspended or placed in a specialist setting far outweighs that of girls.  The boys act out while the girls internalize.   The reality is there is a difference that is impossible to ignore.

 

The best explanation I have heard about this difference is an evolutionary view that in early times, once humans generally became the dominant species one of the greatest threats for survival was attack from another tribe.  When this occurred, the victors would kill the males and take the children as trophies.  Sadly, this practice has echoes in modern conflicts where atrocities such as the killings in Bosnia were predominantly of males and the recent incidents of the abduction of school girls in Africa reflect this difference.

 

When you examine the suspension data in schools, the boys do outnumber the girls across the age ranges but at the onset of puberty, the time we move from childhood the number of boys suspended for aggressive behaviour dramatically increases.  This implies that for the best chance of survival the children of both genders; women would become compliant and the men fight or flight.  Not always were male children taken in some instances they were also killed.  This behaviour is not confined to our species; it is common practice in a lot of herding animals such as the great apes and lions.

 

One of the tragedies of this ‘difference’ is that despite suffering more abuse the girls are neglected.  Because the boys’ behaviour demands attention the bulk of the resources provided for dysfunctional students are focused on dealing with boys.  As a teacher a compliant girl, frozen in her mind is so much easier to deal with then a boy who is abusing you.  However, both boys and girls are in serious need of attention and support but only boys get it.

 

With the caveat declared about levels of stress when discussing the protective response to abuse, that is we need a ‘healthy’ amount of stress to act at all, the impact on our cognitive skills of elevated stress levels while seeking resources is comparative to those of protective behaviour in the production of dysfunctional behaviour. 

 

There is a growing recognition of the need for teachers to recognise students who have suffered early childhood trauma and it is our hope that these Newsletters assist in you recognising those who in the past have slipped quietly through their school years never engaging and always hiding.  However, it is really critical that any therapeutic intervention is only carried out by professional mental health practitioners.  We are teachers and the best we can do is provide the environment that allows these kids an opportunity to experience a calm and supportive existence.

Posted by: AT 12:16 am   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Tuesday, March 21 2023

Abuse - Consequences

The last Newsletters have described the impact of abuse imposed on children.  In summary these include damage such as:

  • Broad scale reduction in the neural density caused by the lack of appropriate stimulation at the pertinent times and the corresponding, excess pruning.
  • A deficit when it comes to forming memories because the very part of the brain that creates memories the hippocampus is reduced in size by up to 10%.  It is the hippocampus that decides what to remember and distributes this across the cerebrum.  
  • The lack of neural density in the frontal lobes estimate at being as much a 20%. 
  • The scarcity of neurons means the material to build memories is less than children who have had secure childhoods.
  • The increased sensitivity of the amygdala creates a hypersensitive individual.

 

There are plenty of resources that describe the various types of abuse none better than that found on the Department’s Student Wellbeing policy under indicators of abuse and neglect.  The following is a very short description of the types of abuse that are recognised:

  • Physical - This is the use of intentional force against a child’s body or an unwanted invasion of their physical space.  This is generally:
    •  Hitting
    • Holding down
    • Exaggerated tickling
    • Pulling hair
    • Twisting ear
    • Etc.
  • Psychological/Emotional Abuse

Forms of emotional abuse are:

  • Attacking the worth of the child by rejecting them, terrorizing or isolating them.
  • Telling the child that they are stupid, un-loveable or unwanted.
  • Being overly harsh in criticizing the child.
  • Punishing the child when they become emotional – don’t be a baby, etc. or when they show no emotion when it would be appropriate to do so.
  • When the love of a parent is conditional on their behaviour (I will love you if …)
  • Sexual Abuse

This abuse is when an adult or older adolescent uses the child for their sexual gratification or for financial profit of the person committing the act.  This can include:

  • Unwanted touching or penetration of the sexual organs.
  • Adults exposing their own genitals to a child.
  • Exposure to inappropriate sexual experiences or information (i.e. Pornography).

Other forms of Abuse that are not recognized by the Department include:

  • Intellectual abuse which occurs when a child is placed in a situation where they are asked to perform a task they are developmentally incapable of successfully achieving.  Consider this abuse in regards to academic testing to identify rankings!  It also occurs when children’s performances are compared in any discipline
  • Spiritual abuse occurs is when the parents put themselves above the child.  The child must ‘worship’ the parent.  A contrary form of spiritual abuse occurs when the parents put the child above themselves.  The child becomes the focus of their devotion, they can do no wrong.  These children never learn to take responsibility.  In the first instance the parent knows best and you just do as you’re told.  In the latter form the parent will not see any faults in the child’s behaviour and so they never get the natural consequences when they make a wrong choice.

 

The point is that children who have been subjected to neglect and abuse live with a real, imposed disability which causes them to exhibit a range of dysfunctional behaviours that can impact their academic success and social-emotional well-being.  As their teacher, you play a critical role in their lives.  It is important to recognize these behaviours and take steps to address them in a sensitive and effective manner.  Previously I have talked about children who have adopted behaviours that were functional in a dysfunctional home but whose behaviours become dysfunctional when they find themselves in a functional classroom.  

Rather than describe specific behaviours I will focus on the broad issues that drive those dysfunctional actions.  One of the most common is the difficulty children who have experienced abuse have with their ability to regulate their emotions.  These children may be prone to outbursts, aggression, and other disruptive behaviours and when a crisis is over they will take much more time to regain an emotional state where they can participate in the lesson.  It is important to create a safe and supportive environment where students feel comfortable expressing their emotions.

Another common problem exhibited by children who have experienced abuse is the difficulty with the establishment of positive social relationships.  The most critical undertaking children of all ages is to acquire the social behaviours that allow them to participate in their community; rejection creates more damage than any other assault!    These kids are more likely to exhibit overt aggressiveness towards their classmates or withdraw from the class.  These kids will struggle to make or retain friendships. 

Critically these children are likely to struggle academically.  Because they are hypervigilant they may have difficulty focusing. If the abuse is ongoing they may miss school due to injuries or appointments with social workers, and may struggle to keep up with coursework.

Finally they can experience a range of physical symptoms, including chronic pain, headaches, and fatigue which will impact on their attendance or in the least their level of engagement.

It is important for teachers to be aware of the signs of child abuse and to take appropriate action if they suspect a student is being abused.  Teachers are mandated, through Child Protection laws to report suspected abuse or neglect.  All schools are familiar with these requirements but when in doubt it is important to make the report.

Our whole purpose is to support teachers when dealing with these kids.  Our model of structure, expectations built in an atmosphere of positive relationships is key.  In doing so you create a safe and supportive environment for all students.  You promote positive behaviour, creating a sense of belonging, and providing opportunities for students to feel valued and respected.

Posted by: AT 08:23 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, March 13 2023

Neglect - Passive Abuse

 

In the last Newsletter we discussed the damage that occurs when a child is exposed to extreme levels of stress.  Of course, this stress is generated by conditions in the environment often, but not always the reaction to abuse.  Neglect could be considered to be the inverse of these conditions.  It is a condition where the environment fails to provide the stimulus that is needed to form the neural connections that build the cognitive structure that determines our sense of self!

 

Appropriate stimulus is essential in early childhood when the brain is primed to develop foundation networks and there is an abundance of neural material to create the behavioural schemas to navigate the environment.  It is a process of trialling behaviours that will address the needs we have to survive in homeostatic equilibrium.  Over this period of exploration one solution will take primacy.  With progressive use of the neural pathway that facilitates that behaviour will reinforce it creating a memory.  This process is referred to as long term potential (LTP) and is characterised by the popular declaration ‘neurons that fire together are wired together’!  These will eventually become the long-term memories that drive our behavioural choices.

 

The conditions that support this process are at their greatest in early childhood with the abundance of neurons available and the presence of myaline, critical to the strengthening of pathways.  It is also the time when the brain is particularly sensitive to the environment.  One feature of this process is what is described as ‘windows of opportunity’ when areas of the brain are particularly enriched to support specific undertakings.  A powerful example of this process is in establishing the ability to interpret visual stimulation, that is learning to see. 

 

If a child is born with cataracts they are unable to receive visual stimulation, there is nothing to evaluate.  It is in about the first eight months the conditions to learn to see are augmented that is, there is abundance of myaline present.  If the cataracts are removed in time the ability to see will be in place.  However if not, then that child will not be able to correctly interpret their visual environment.  This phenomena illustrates the dual types of impairment that are the consequence of neglect.

 

The first is the necessity of a stimulus to generate the need to create neural pathways, hence memory and resultant behaviours.  The example of the presence of cataracts illustrates just one of the significant processes that require stimulus in early childhood.  In broad sequential terms these periods start with sensory development as illustrated above and the same is required for the interpretation of other receptor inputs such as sound.  The next is the acquisition of language.  All parents rejoice at their child’s first word and it is miraculous how they quickly learn, not only put those words into language. 

 

The next is social and emotional development.  This starts with attachment where the stimulus provided by the primary caregiver, usually the mother will determine the child’s ability to attach with others.  Attachment theory provides a powerful illustration of how different stimulus results in different properties of the child’s ability to bond with others.  In general, there are four types of attachment very briefly described below:

  • Secure – where the child feels comfortable and protected in the presence of their caregiver.  They grow to feel they have someone on whom to rely.
  • Anxious-Ambivalent – this is the result of inconsistent parenting; the child is unable to depend on the support being there.  This results in fear of rejection of abandonment and these children will be described as ‘clinging’.
  • Disorganise – This develops as a result of consistent failure of the caregiver to respond when the child is in distress.  This has an impact on their ability to regulate their emotions.
  • Avoidant – this is a result of parenting by strict and emotionally distant parents who do not comfort their child when distressed.  These children become extremely independent and often are uncomfortable in intimate relationships.

 

Each of these types are a result of the social, environmental stimulus that was present at the time the child was ready to develop attachment behaviours.  The same process of relating with others continues with the ability to connect with peers, affiliation is the next stage.  This occurs at playgroup, or preschool, anywhere they mix with children of their own age.

 

One stage that has been identified but, to my knowledge not examined for the same neural and myaline conditions of early childhood is the emergence of the teenage brain, the time when the frontal lobes, in particular are being developed.  In contemporary culture teenagers spend inordinate amounts of time on electronic devices immersed in social media or the various gaming platforms.  The focus on this particular environment may well develop very sophisticated accommodating networks.  I wonder what stimulus is not being catered for?  At a school level, while we develop an authoritarian focus on numeracy and literacy (the dreaded NAPLAN regime), what are we neglecting to provide the stimulus for a healthy development of self?

 

In summary, the first behavioural casualty from neglect is the absence of stimulus.  This is a different issue than the presence of inappropriate stimulus which is a separate cause of dysfunctional behaviour.  In this latter case the pathways will be developed and strengthened; the brain does not make ‘principled’ judgements it just provides for the presenting environment.

 

The second casualty is a result of the brain’s drive for efficiency.  We have discussed the development of dominant neural pathways which were formed through trial and error.  What we must understand that during these trials there are many efforts that did not provide a satisfactory behaviour and were discarded.  This residue of neglected neural connections create an inefficiency in the processing of behaviour and along with those neurons not used they are discarded; this is a process referred to as pruning.  The issue is, once this neural material is removed any attempts to re-address the issues arising from an environmental stimulus are much more difficult to construct.  This is why students who have built a powerful collection of behaviours that work in their early childhood environment struggle if the adult environment they now experience contrasts.  It is very difficult for these students to learn new ‘appropriate’ behaviours!

 

In summary, the behavioural outcomes from neglect is a child who is at risk of cognitive delay, high levels of aggression and anxiety and social isolation.  For students, and there are many who suffer neglect along with the damage that comes from direct abuse, attempts to help them alter their behaviour is an immense challenge.

 

The following is an extreme example of the damage done through acute neglect and abuse.

The MRI on the right is of a child rescued from the Romanian orphanage after the fall of the USSR.  These children suffered the permanent damage to their brains: 

  • Amygdala is increased in size.
  • Hippocampus reported to be reduced by 12%.
  • Prefrontal lobes are 20% smaller and have lesions on the surface.
  • Cerebellum is reduced in size

All of these are the result of the actions of adults on these children.  They are not at fault!

 

I hope these recent Newsletters help you understand the enormous challenge you face when dealing with these children and more importantly the real disability resulting from the absence of appropriate stimulus and the neural material lost through pruning. 

Posted by: AT 07:51 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, March 06 2023

The Wounded Child

In the previous Newsletters we discussed the impact of stress on the formation of memory and consequently a child’s sense of self.  In this, and the next essays I will discuss the impact too much or too little stress has on brain development and consequent behaviour.  We begin with the situation where a child is exposed to extreme levels of stress!

 

In the last essay we described the stress response, the secretion of various hormones that facilitate the fight/flight/freeze response.  This process is described in broad terms as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, that is the response flows through these systems.  One of the outcomes of this is the production of cortisol the hormone that increases glucose that facilitates energy and defence to deal with the situation.  It also curbs functions that are not essential to the immediate protection of the body.  Things like physical development, behaviour adaption in a social context.  The presence of cortisol denies these experiences.

 

When a child experiences re-occurring, extreme levels of stress this continuous exposure results in a reduction in the physical growth of that child.  They fail to reach their potential physical size, which in itself is a tragedy.  For our discussion the presence of cortisol alters the following physical capacity of our brain:

  • Hippocampus – this is part of the limbic system and is primarily involved in the formation and the retrieval of memory.  For children who have experienced constant highly elevated stress the hippocampus can be reduced by 12%.  This is a significant disability!
  • Prefrontal Lobes – this is the intellectual centre of our brain where we do our thinking and consider our behaviour and how it impacts our future.  It is also where our ability to resist impulsive behaviours, a property so vital in managing how we conduct ourselves.  There can be a 20% reduction in this critical part of the brain and that has huge implications.
  • Cerebellum – this is a critical part of the brain, although it only occupies 10% of the brain’s volume it contains half the brain’s neurons. The function of the cerebellum is to evaluate the existing environmental conditions with the homeostatic status of our self, to evaluate the need for action and if required initiate that action.  The cerebellum is the key component in all our decision making and this is significantly reduced in the presence of cortisol.
  • Corpus Collosum– this is that part of the brain that coordinates cognitive functions that exist on opposite sides of the brain.  The efficiency of the process is compromise by the lack of development.

A paradoxical alteration to our cognitive landscape that is a result of continuous elevated stress is the growth of the amygdala.  This structure is the part of the brain that controls our emotions and the behaviours that are initiated by those emotions especially fear.  The continual stimulation of the amygdala results in its over-development.  It is larger and more sensitive to potential threats resulting in a hyper-sensitivity that makes the child more anxious.

 

The child who has lived with this chronic continuous stress is left with a cognitive system that has been deprived of the availability of those functions that protect them from future stressful events and a hypersensitivity to potential threats.  The following diagram illustrates the stress response when you are confronted with a stressful situation.

 

As can be seen, the stimulus comes into the cerebellum and on to the thalamus, that part of the brain that distributes stimulus.  From there, depending on the intensity of the stimulus it will go either to the hippocampus where a considered response can be adopted or to the amygdala which will evoke a reflexive, unconsidered reaction.  For the damaged child, the propensity to suppose a real threat and the limitation in the ability to make a considered response means they at a real disadvantage in a busy classroom.  You have to remember they have no ability to ‘will away’ the heightened emotions despite your efforts to reassure them.

 

The long-term exposure to elevated stress and the presence of cortisol means the child is more likely to suffer the following health problems:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Digestive problems
  • Headaches
  • Muscle tension and pain
  • Heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke
  • Sleep problems
  • Weight gain
  • Memory and concentration impairment

 

In the classroom these damaged students will challenge your patience and endurance.  They will minimise or misrepresent any positive interaction you attempt to have with them just as they will be hypersensitive to any negative social skills, not only from you but also their class mates. 

 

Of course what I have been describing is early childhood post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or the abnormal learning associated with fear.  PTSD is at the heart of the model of behaviour management I present and is an ever-present element in our approach.

 

The impact of extreme stress, as we have discussed above is at the heart of trauma however, in the literature that is focused just on trauma there are more specific descriptions for all cases.  These are:

  • Traumatised people portray ‘snapshots’ of their unsuccessful attempts to defend themselves in the face of threat.  That is a given for a child, of course they can’t ‘defend’ themselves.. 
  • The inability to discharge the energies associated with the preparation to defend themselves means they are fixed into patterns of readiness.  Adults can be given opportunities to discharge these energies, children cannot!
  • We remain in a constant state of neuromuscular readiness - fixated in an aroused state.

 

All references to trauma imply that events challenge the very foundations of our expected survival.  Adults function with the expectation that they will endure and this gives them the confidence to plan and act within our community.  However, there will be times when these expectations are shattered through the experience of:

  • Unexpected life-threatening events such as car accidents, earthquakes, severe illness, the death of a loved one, anything that threatens your stable view of the world.
  • You come face to face with human vulnerability, you witness the injury to another person that demonstrates the fragility of life, in an instant the world changes through events that are out of your control.
  • You come face to face with the capacity for others to preform what can only be called evil in the world. 

Children do not have these expectations.  They are unable to put meaning to the trauma!  This is an area that I have never been able to find any information but I believe it accounts for a difference between early childhood and adult episodes of PTSD!

 

One of the most significant things about early childhood PTSD is that it is most often perpetrated by their primary care-giver.  Because infants are totally egocentric they will blame themselves for the abuse.  This is at the heart of toxic shame, the belief that you are a mistake!

 

Whether you refer to the conditions outlined above as early childhood trauma or exposure to chronic stress the result is the same.  In the classroom you will be dealing with students who have a real physical disability that has been put on them by an adult.  Along with the physical deficit there will be a sense of worthlessness that is a powerful part of their sense of self.  It takes a special teacher to understand this and hang in with them long after they think you will give up!

 

The next Newsletter will deal with the impact of neglect, a feature that is so often co-exists with Trauma.

Posted by: AT 09:19 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, February 20 2023

Myaline - Why Behaviour Modification is so Hard

 

Every thought, belief, movement or feeling is the result of a precisely tuned electric signal travelling through a chain of neurons, a circuit of nerve fibres.  In fact our sense of self and all the actions we make based on that belief system is really just the result of electric impulses sent along a particular neural circuit!  This has often been explained by means of an analogy with an electric circuit used in our daily life.  The thing is, in the electric circuit of a motor, if the wires are allowed to touch each other the motor would fail, it would burn out.  Hence the use of insulation that covers each circuit and isolates it from adjoining ones.  The same sort of thing happens in our neural circuitry.  In the brain we have a cellular insulator that wraps itself around the circuits, myaline!

Myaline is a lipid-rich or fatty content material that forms an insulating cover or sheath around nerve axons, the nervous system’s ‘wires’.  Unlike the plastic coverings of an electrical circuit that encases the entire wire, myaline sheaths the nerves in segments with short gaps in between.  This insulation increases the speed and accuracy of the electric impulses that activate the desired behaviour.

The construction of a neural circuit is the result of the desire to change our position in the environment, to maintain homeostasis!  For example, when an infant wants to walk there is an accumulation of skills starting from the parent supporting them to standing, overcoming the challenges of unsupported balance, the coordinated movement of the legs until walking becomes an unconscious skill.  Through every stage of this process the brain has, through trial and error found the best connection to achieve the desired result.  By repeatedly using this preferred circuitry the network is formed – hence the famous neuroscience maxim ‘neurons that fired together are wired together.

The formation of the neural circuit triggers the myaline response.  The more we use it the more myaline protects it and the more efficient it becomes!

This process remains throughout life but decreases as we age.  At about 50-year-old the proficiency is reduced but there is evidence that if you keep learning, keep active in a way the requires the use of myaline the decrease can be slowed remarkably!  But, it is undeniable this process of construction of neural pathways is at its peak in early childhood! 

In childhood the myaline arrives in a series of waves, some determined by genes and others by activity.  I speculate that the so-called ‘windows of opportunity’ are governed by our genes.  Significantly, when these periods of myaline excess that facilitates the acquisition of new behaviours are over, not only is the myaline reduced but regrettably the neurons that would have been used are washed out of the system for the sake of ‘efficiency’.

The most dramatic illustration of this process is the period of development of sight.  The brain prepares for the construction of the visual circuitry early in childhood.  The child learns to understand sight by linking the visual stimulus with a representation of objects.  What is revealing is that in rare cases where the child is born with cataracts they do not have access to this visual stimulus and unless the cataracts are not removed by about eight months, that child will never be able to effectively interpret their visual world.

These periods are critical and for the social development of the child the drive to belong is such a window.  This is a period in early childhood when infants develop an attachment to others, in the first instance with their primary caregiver.  The quality of the relationship between the parent or caregiver and the child will determine the sense of self the child will have and the behaviours that sense drives.  When this period is over children who do not receive healthy interactions, those subjected to early childhood abuse and neglect will have the same impediment for future change as those children who were born with cataracts.

It is important to understand that myaline wraps it doesn’t unwrap and so these early childhood circuits remain throughout life, once you insulate a habit it can’t be uninsulated.  This is why changing the behaviour of children who have developed highly dysfunctional behaviours is extremely difficult.  You can’t remove the behaviour which in many cases is automatic so the best chance is to build an alternate circuit!

Building a circuit to trigger an alternative response to a situation that creates a condition of homeostatic disequilibrium is extremely difficult.  Considering that the experience of disequilibrium initiates a stress response which then drives the learned behaviour that allows the individual to return to a state of equilibrium must have been successful in the conditions in which it was formed, change is difficult. 

The initial task is to overcome that stress.  This will be the focus of our upcoming Newsletters – it is critical.  In the mean time we remain focused on the characteristics of myaline in this process.

To build an alternate behaviour that responds to a stressful situation requires the same conditions that were lived through at the time the original circuit was established.  A behaviour was trialled (in this case not the existing one) and was successful.  This success needs to be repeated continuously until the brain identifies it as one that requires myelination.  This repetition needs to continue until the new circuit is fully shielded.  At this time you have a choice in how to respond to a difficult situation! 

To promote myaline growth requires the firing of the circuit, the student must take the action that will lead to the desired outcome.  It does not respond to lectures, best wishes or some expert explanation, it is only in the doing that this works!

As the teacher, it is you who must provide these conditions and they are what we continue to advocate.  Provide consistent and persistent consequences for behaviour in a calm environment.  It is the consistency and persistency that allows the myelination and the calmness that diminishes the power of the previous response!

Working with these children is very difficult and you must understand the building of a new behaviour will not take place in the same conditions as the existing one.  There will not be the same abundance of myaline and a significant number of neurons that could have been used have been pruned for the sake if efficiency.

Next time you are in a staff meeting discussing the behaviour of the children remember the ability to change behaviour reduces as we age and this might help you deal with the frustration created by those who resist change – we are all our brains.  Fortunately our brains are magnificent!

Posted by: AT 07:18 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, February 06 2023

Introduction to the Brain

Our brain is at the heart of all our being.  Everything we perceive, think about and the way we act is controlled by the brain.  As the Noble Prize-winning neuroscientist, Eric Kandel declared ‘if it’s not the brain then what is it’?  It is through the brain we interpret the world and our self within that world. 

 

Simplistically, we have a body that needs to survive in the environment in which it resides.  Another way of understanding what the brain Is all about is articulated in Richard Dawkin’s thesis ‘The Selfish Gene’.  That we exist to sustain a genetic code and our bodies only exist to support that gene.  When our bodies cease to function, the genes have expected us to reproduce to provide another host.  The conclusion is we exist to live and reproduce.  During these Newsletters I will not place much emphasis on our need to reproduce but those who have dealt with adolescents understand this is a complex area for teens to navigate!

 

So, if the purpose of our existence is to survive and reproduce why is the understanding of behaviour so difficult?  It is the complexity, both of the individual and their brain, the environment in which they developed and the conditions they face in their contemporary world which creates this complexity.

 

In our known universe, there is nothing more complicated than the brain.  This small organ contains 86 billion neurons which have the potential to create 500 trillion connections which can process 70,000 thoughts each day.  It weighs about 1,200 grams, about 2% of the body weight.  It generates 23 watts of power, enough to power a light bulb and makes up a quarter of our total energy budget.  I hope that when you think about why your students act the way they do you consider the complexity that drives their behaviour!  However, much is known about how the brain operates and this will help you understand, in broad terms why kids choose to act the way they do.

 

 Each brain evolves throughout the life of each individual.  Human brains follow an inherited genetic scaffold for the first 38 weeks of gestation prior to birth.  Although during this time the environment within the womb can effect the development of the brain the main focus of this period is on developing those reflexive behaviours that maintain our physical wellbeing.  Things like breathing, heart-beat, blood clotting, all these physical adjustments we make every moment of every day.  At the time of birth another process dominates the developmental journey.  This is when we start to ‘learn’ how to behave to survive in an increasingly more complex manner. 

 

Because the process of why we behave the way we do is circular, how to best describe it is awkward.  I’ll start with the principle of homeostasis.

 

In all biology, being in homeostasis is being in a steady state of physical existence.  For humans it is when our body is in its ideal condition. Things like blood pressure, oxygen supply, body temperature in fact every organ in out body is sustained in an optimal condition; it is in homeostatic equilibrium.  

 

To maintain this ‘equilibrium’ requires us to interact with the external environment.  For example, if we are exhausting our oxygen supply we fall into a state of homeostatic disequilibrium.  This creates a drive to rectify this deficiency by accessing the supply of oxygen from the environment; we breathe and return to equilibrium.  This drive is manifested as stress which will be a subject we will examine in detail at a later date it is important to understand that homeostasis in not limited to our physical world exclusively. 

 

Our access to the external world to gain what we require very often requires we interact with others which generates a social equilibrium or we have to think about a solution which involves an intellectual search!  These three parts of our existence, our body, the need to interact with others to get our needs met and the access to memories to either recall previously successful behaviours or to contemplate novel solutions to problems are catered for in the three levels of our brain!

 

Our brain, a cross section of which is shown below is often referred to as being tri-part or triune with the three levels being both evolutionary for our species and for each individual.  As a species humans reached the top of the evolutionary tree by exploiting the benefits of living in social groups and using our cognitive ability to make tools to enhance our efficiency on meeting our needs.

 

The three areas are described below at a very simplistic level:

  • The brain stem and mid brain which generally controls the behaviours that allow us to maintain of physical presence in the world.  Things like breathing, blood flow, balance, motor skills are maintained in response to deficits or threats. 
  • Limbic System, this section of the brain which sits above the mid brain controls our social interactions.  It facilitates memories of previous experiences which can be retrieved when needed as well as controls our emotional response to the situations in which we find ourselves.  Two major components are the amygdala, which controls our responses particularly when under threat and the hippocampus which facilitates the storage of our memories. 
  • Cerebral Cortex, this is the last part of the brain to mature in our species and in each individual.  The cerebral cortex resides above the brain and not only stores our memories it also facilitates our decision making.  It consists of four lobes: 
  1. Frontal which controls consciousness, communication, memory, attention and is referred to as the executive of the brain.
  2. Parietal which processes sensory information it receives for our receptors, things like touch, taste, and temperature.
  3. Temporal which is associated with processing our auditory information.  
  4. Occipital which as the name suggests is involved in the visual processing of our world.

 

This essay may not be relative to improving our classroom management but understanding how the student’s behaviour is driven will help you understand why they act the way they do.  In the next Newsletter we will discuss how the evolution of an individual’s brain is influenced by the environment in which it exists.

Posted by: AT 08:41 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, November 28 2022

The Pain of Rejection

The theory underpinning our approach to behaviour management is that we behave to survive and when we are successful at fulfilling all of our needs we are in a state of homeostatic equilibrium, that is we are calm and secure.  This feeling of comfort is felt at a physical, social and an intellectual level.  Our brain has evolved to deal with the demands of these three levels with the emergence of three distinct parts:

  • The Brain stem/Mid Brain – this deals with our physical needs
  • The limbic System – this is the part of the brain that controls our social and emotional care  
  • The Cerebral Cortex – this is where our intellectual needs are supported

 

When we experience either a threat to our safety or a deficit to our needs our brain triggers a sense of stress which in turn will activate a behaviour that is designed to either protect our self or seek to acquire something from our environment to return us to equilibrium.  This stress is a physical expression of our drive to survive (see Newsletter 105 – Drives and Needs - 11 November 2019).

 

Our opening line, that behaviour is driven to survive is predominantly true.  It is the foundation of most models of behaviour and the common reply if you ask what is the fundamental purpose of behaviour.  However, this is not true; people commit suicide, they deliberately end their survival and, apart from some forms of euthanasia it is invariably the result of rejection, either from an intimate partner or a group!  The thing is belonging to our immediate group of people is directly linked to survival.

 

So, to survive we have to have our physical needs as well as our social needs satisfied because they are directly related to survival and a threat will result in stress but more importantly a failure to protect will result in pain.  The link between an injury and the experience of pain is straightforward and accepted.  If I put my hand on a hot stove-top I will experience pain.  In a recent New Scientist (19 November 2022) the process of pain is discussed in the feature article and the process of that experience in the brain.

 

In the example mentioned above, when the hand hits the hot stove-top three particular parts of the brain are activated.  These are:

  • The thalamus – this is the relay station where all the information from our senses (except smell) pass through to be distributed across the brain.
  • The anterior cingulate cortex – this is the core component of the pain network and is activated when the subject receives a painful stimulus.
  • The insula – the cortical region linked to the detection of a situation that will impact on our ‘self’.  This allows us to actually perceive the pain.

Of course, these descriptions are necessarily simplified for what these areas of the brain are responsible for but their activities are relevant for discussing pain.

 

The thing is the same mechanism is activated when we are subjected to the sting of rejection, it leads to the same experience of pain.  There is no physical cause but being left-out can produce that same fear response.

 

In 2015 Choong Wan Woo of the University of Colorado coupled the level of pain experienced with the mental state of the individual.  In an experiment he controlled an application of heat on the arms of volunteers during a brain scan.  As the temperature increased so did the pain.  However, if the subjects were told to think about blistering heat their experience of a level of pain was elevated compared to others who were directed to think about a warm blanket.

 

This is an important characteristic when you are considering those children who have experienced a history of abuse and neglect.  They have an expectation to be rejected because of what they believe that is what they deserve (see Newsletter 14 – Toxic Shame - 3 July 2017 and Newsletter 135 – Toxic Shame 31 August 2020).  These kids are conditioned to expect rejection just as those participants in the experiment who imagined blistering heat expected high levels of pain.

 

What is the significance of this information?  It is critical when a teacher is managing behaviour in a classroom using time out, the removal of a student and it validates the critical importance of developing a healthy relationship with all students.

 

In the first instance, if time out is used as a punishment of the child, not the behaviour then this is personal rejection and will have the same painful consequences as capital punishment did, when applying the cane, physically hitting a child was allowed.  It is critical that the child understands it is their behaviour that is being rejected never the student (see Newsletter 16 – Time Out 17 July 2017).  Teachers who just throw the child out might as well cane them.  Physical punishment never works and neither does psychological punishment!

 

There are laws that protect children form being physically attacked; there are no specific laws that shelter them from psychological assault.  Is this because we can’t see the damage?  I think that is the case but I also believe that this type of information is absent from teacher training at any level.  Too many teachers are unaware of the damage they could potentially do!

Posted by: AT 10:36 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Tuesday, September 27 2022

Changing Students' Beliefs

Children build-up their understanding of their world through experience and this is gained through their attempts to get their needs met in the environment in which they are raised.  Throughout these Newsletters we have continued to explain that the reason for most dysfunctional behaviour is a product of the environment in which the kids were raised.  Remember our work does not address those kids who have been born with neuro-atypical brains, things like autism, psychosis and the like; we try to deal with the children whose cognitive structures have been transformed through the interaction with their environment particularly their parents or primary caregivers.

 

Beliefs about the world are built from experience.  When a certain stimulus occurs, a chosen action will get an expected result.  So, when we are faced with a situation that needs to be addressed we believe something will happen based on what happened in the past.  The illustration below shows this process; we build our beliefs on our emotional and cognitive memories.

 

For most of us this ability to know what will happen works well and the better people can predict the more intelligent they are deemed to be.  The consistent narrative gives us a fundamental view of the world, a sense of consistency, control and cohesion – conditions that give us confidence in the future.  In fact, all learning is based on the ability to predict so beliefs are crucial.

But for our belief system to be ‘intelligent’ it must be based on reality of the presenting situation.  The issue is that our beliefs are formed in one reality and when we are faced with another it is challenged.  When you consider that our beliefs are about actions that help us survive and if we are threatened in the contemporary situation the anxiety that is generated will have us apply those beliefs on which we have relied.

 

Stress is a critical factor in dealing with anyone’s beliefs.  On a purely survival level, when our survival is threatened our cognitive response can be almost instantaneous, we have all experienced the fight/flight reaction when we experience our general adaptive system pouring adrenaline and associated hormones throughout our body to prepare us to act to survive.  That quick referral to our memories, beliefs is the extreme of our propensity to rely on our memories rather than the presenting evidence in the environment.

It is hard enough to take account of our beliefs as adults, every night we see intelligent adults arguing about the current political system.  It is easy to lampoon some of the more colourful characters; the USA currently have a textbook case.  When confronted with the evidence regarding the recent elections a substantial number of people believe the ‘alternative facts’.  The results have been deadly and no amount of evidence seems to have made a difference.  Change is hard and evidence is insufficient. 

The only way that beliefs can be changed is when the evidence is presented in a non-threatening manner importantly by a person or persons with which the individuals have a strong, personal and positive relationship.

 

So, we return to these kids we work to support; it is clear to classroom teachers that when these kids are not stressed, say in a one-on-one meeting with the school counsellor they will accept that they need to change their behaviours and on a superficial level they really accept this.  However, when they return to class and are challenged they invariably return to the behaviours driven by their long-held beliefs!

 

How to change their beliefs is at the heart of our work.  Our model, structure, expectations and relationships provide the scaffold for dealing with this.  It does this by:

  • Expectations – this teaches how the contemporary environment operates.  If you act in a certain way then certain things are most likely to happen.
  • Structure – provides the evidence of our expectations.  If the student acts in away contrary to the expectation then they experience negative consequences.  Likewise if they comply with the expectations they will get the rewards that go with acting appropriately in society.
  • Relationships – we have always put relationships as the top priority.  If the teacher can build such a relationship, and I believe that occurs if the structure and expectations are delivered consistently and persistently, then it is possible to accept new ways of behaving in certain situations.

This process takes a lot of time; remember it has taken years for the student to get to their current belief structure so be patient, it will take a significant amount of time to make any permanent change.

Posted by: AT 08:43 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, May 16 2022

Toxic Shame Revision

One of the first Newsletters I wrote for this blog was about toxic shame (see Newsletter 14 Toxic Shame – 3 July 2017).  This is because the effect it has on the formation of our sense of self will influence the behaviour choices of children who suffer early childhood abuse and neglect.  We have addressed the more quantifiable damage can occur when being raised in such a cruel and negligent environment, not the least of which is the permanent brain damage described in our previous Newsletter.  Not to discard how much these injuries directly effects the day-to-day decision making but the emotional quality of shame permeates every decision these children make.

 

It is worth revisiting how a person’s sense of self, their belief structure is formed by examining the diagram below:

It is obvious that our sense of self, our beliefs are a result of our experience when these were being formed, they are just the memories of events of that time.  The key for the formation of self is always about survival.  The need to connect with others is critical and so any rejection by our community is a threat.  The fact that shame is often defined as a feeling of embarrassment or humiliation is a message that what we have done threatens our membership of the group.  So, even though shame is a negative emotion, its origins play a part in our survival as a species.

 

Because we all make mistakes there are times when our behaviour is spurned.  This is the experience of shame.  It is because we are doing something that does not contribute to the wellbeing of others, what we have done is not acceptable!  This emotional feedback is healthy; hence the term healthy shame and that feedback protects us from behaviours that repel others.  It should also remind us that we are not perfect and should not be so quick to judge others.  There is an axiom I like ‘If we never experience shame we are either divine or totally corrupt’.

 

The key difference between healthy and toxic shame is in the former, the individual feels embarrassed because they made a mistake.  In the case of toxic shame the kids don’t recognise that they have made a mistake they believe they are the cause of that mistake.  This faulty belief underpins their sense of self and they bring that sense to every situation they encounter including their schoolwork.  

 

As with all the development of our sense of self, it occurs in childhood.  Toxic shame is put onto these children by others, usually significant others.  They are constantly told they are stupid, useless, are ignored or punished and of course, those who suffer abuse and neglect inevitably develop a sense of toxic shame.

 

To summarise, these kids experience:

  • Feelings that are not based on reality, they think they are mistakes instead of recognizing they have made a mistake.
  • False messages that create this false sense of self.  They are blamed for things that were out of their control.
  • A reality that is based on another’s opinion, children have to learn how to form an opinion and until they do they believe the outlook of the adults.
  • A chronic, permanent state of rejection from their peers.
  • An exaggeration of their faults, they are quick to take the blame when things go wrong.

 

The result is these children bring to any situation, as outlined in the first diagram, a sense of self, a set of beliefs that will inevitably:

  • Discount their positives - They don’t listen to compliments, they only hear criticisms
  • Magnify their flaws - They look for confirmation about their faulty beliefs because maybe that’s all they have heard
  • Judge themselves against perfection - If they make a mistake they are a mistake
  • Translate criticism for what they do into what they are - When they do something wrong it’s because they are wrong
  • They read shame into other’s minds - they know that you know they are bad

 

The result of these faulty beliefs leads to their conviction that:

  • To be good they must be perfect
  • They don’t deserve anything
  • They should never let anyone get to know them, they want to keep their ‘faults’ a secret
  • You shouldn’t have feelings
  • Don’t grow, it’s safe where you are

 

Their emotional interpretation of their worth is also affected.  They feel:

  • A fake
  • Contemptible
  • Inadequate
  • Inferior
  • Flawed
  • Dirty
  • Damaged

 

Finally their overwhelmingly, destructive self-talk is something like:

  • ‘You don’t count’
  • ‘You don’t deserve to do what you want to do.
  • ‘What you want isn’t important.  What others want is more important.’
  • ‘Don’t make trouble.  Don’t rock the boat.’
  • ‘It doesn’t really matter.  It’s not important anyway.’
  •  ‘You can’t have what you want, so just go along.’
  •  ‘Just do what’s expected of you.’
  •  ‘Who do you think you are?’
  •  ‘You should’…...’You shouldn’t’……..

There are countless ways these children discount their own worth.

 

With all the damages described above it is no wonder children with toxic shame develop the following personality types:

  • Guilt Spreaders
    • The shame equation is that one mistake confirms that I am bad
    • I made a mistake therefore I am one.  One small act condemns me to be totally wrong
  • Overly Responsible
    • I am responsible if anything goes wrong. It’s my fault.
  • Obsessive Moralisers
    • I must always ‘measure up’.  Things are either good or bad.  These students feel immoral if they just have a good time.
  • Compulsive Comparers
    • These students feel they can never compare to successful people
    • When they see others succeed they feel they have failed
  • Approval Addicts
    • I can only feel like I’m improving if others approve of my actions
  • Never Deserving
    • I cannot enjoy the gifts of life because I did not earn them

 

Toxic shame is an insidious emotion that influences all aspects of an abused child’s approach to life.  It will strongly influence whether they choose to actively participate in their community and nourish their sense of success or give up because they expect to fail.  In every case they can’t accept that they are entitled to survive and thrive in the world.  This faulty belief is what all effective teachers challenge everyday in their classrooms through, powerful, positive relationships, structured authentic consequences and well-defined expectation.  The use of this approach will eventually allow these children to understand that behaviour has authentic consequences regardless of who they think they are!

Posted by: AT 07:34 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, May 09 2022

Toxic Stress and Trauma

In the previous Newsletter (Stress – 2 May 2022) we discussed the effect stress has on students.  In this essay we concentrated on the emotional arousal that occurs in our day to day interaction with our environment in our efforts to survive.  In most cases this process of constant, homeostatic adjustment back to equilibrium is healthy.  However, researchers studying stress in children have proposed three separate responses to stress that have different outcomes, positive, tolerable and toxic.  The process described in the last Newsletter describes the characteristics of positive stress which operates to maintain the body in a healthy state.

 

However, too many children are exposed to threats that result in levels of stress that challenge their ability to ‘survive’.  These are the times when they become so frightened the effect on their physical organisation is to prepare them for a fight/flight response.  This 'readiness’ is achieved by the elevation of their heart rate, the secretion of hormones including adrenaline and noradrenaline along with other reactions such as the dilation of the pupils in their eyes.  One of the release hormones is cortisol which operates to assist in the restoration of the brain’s neurological status after the stress has been removed; this is the return to equilibrium.  Paradoxically, if the stressful situation is not resolved the continual secretion of cortisol has an erosive impact on the brain as we will discuss later.

 

Tolerable stress refers to levels of elevated stress that trigger an intense response but these are either resolved with the support of a parent or carer or they are only present for a short time.  Toxic stress is experienced if the conditions that activated are not quickly resolved and the intense stress continue for long periods of time, weeks, months or even years. 

 

The experience of these toxic conditions at an age when children are just learning how to behave in their environment is untimely as they have yet to develop any personal defence strategies and must rely on the support of their parents, or adult carers to assist in their return to equilibrium.  As will be shown this support is not always available.

 

The results of this intense or chronic stress is the over development of those regions of the brain that are involved in the fight/flight - fear response.  The constant firing of the neural pathways associated with fear are strengthened while the potential, positive alternate pathways are pruned, that is, the neural material is removed making the fear response more efficient.  This results in an exaggerated ability to detect any possible threat, they become hyper-vigilant in any social environment. 

 

The flip-side of this predisposition is the reduction in the child’s neural pathways that recognise more nurturing characteristics, they become inept at recognising kindness and compassion.  Unless aware of this incapacity teachers can become discouraged when their attempts to cultivate a positive relationship seem to be snubbed.  This is not the child’s rejection of their efforts it is their inability to recognise and respond appropriately.

 

In physiological terms the stress response follows the pattern illustrated below.  The stimulus enters through the cerebellum where it is identified as an immediate threat.  From there it goes to the thalamus, instantly on to the amygdala which initiates the fear response.  This continual stimulation means the amygdala becomes enlarged which in turn makes it acutely aware of potential threat.  At these times the information does not get to the hippocampus and on to the frontal lobes blocking the information from the conscious mind.  Because of this any thoughtful response is not available, it is almost impossible to ‘will away’ heightened emotions once they are present.

 

Continued exposure of children to these conditions of elevated stress leads to early childhood Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  This is because their very foundations of expected survival are challenged.  

 

Traumatised people portray ‘snapshots’ of their unsuccessful attempts to defend themselves in the face of threat.  This inability to return to a state of calm means they are unable to discharge the energies associate with the preparation to defend themselves.  They remain in a state of readiness, fixated in an aroused state with the accompanying cortisol.

 

Although PTSD in children is usually associated with abuse it is worth noting that even if they live in a positive environment they can also become traumatised.  Generally they function with the expectation that they will comfortably survive and this gives them the confidence to plan and act.  However, there can be times when these expectations are shattered through the experience of:

  • Unexpected life-threatening events such as car accidents, earthquakes, severe illness, the death of a loved one, anything that threatens their stable view of the world. 
  • They come face to face with human vulnerability, they witness the injury to another person that demonstrates the fragility of life and in an instant the world changes through events that are out of their control.
  • They come face to face with the capacity for others to preform what can only be called evil in the world. 

One can only imagine the huge number of cases of early childhood PTSD that is currently being produced in Ukraine. 

 

The result of continuous, early childhood PTSD is a permanent change to the brain’s structure which results in an intellectual disability.  The following changes have been observed:

  • Amygdala is increased in size – this makes the child more attuned to potential threats and an exaggerated response to any actual threat.
  • Hippocampus reported to have a 12% reduction in size – this decreases the ability to create memories and to liaise with the frontal lobes where cognitive decisions can be made.
  • Prefrontal lobes are 20% smaller and have lesions on the surface.  This is damage to what is called the executive of the brain and the level of damage here leads to major cognitive dysfunction.
  • Cerebellum is reduced in size – this is the ‘relay station’ between the external environment and our expectations.  A decreased efficiency in this process should mean a reduction in the accuracy of this process.
  • Reduced efficacy of the corpus callosum. This reduces the coordinated response from both hemispheres.

 

The illustration below is of an extremely neglected and damaged three year-old-child.

The overall reduction in size is distressing and the damaged areas, the darkened parts throughout the cross section represent lesions and scar tissues.

 

Early childhood PTSD is predominantly the result of childhood abuse and the heart-breaking fact is that in most cases the perpetrators are primary care-givers.  What makes this upsetting is that these cognitive injuries are permanent.  This means a child born with a neurotypical brain is subjected to behaviours that produce these injuries as a consequence of an adult’s cruel behaviour.  This appalling situation is exacerbated by the fact that children being wholly egocentric think it is their fault they are treated this way.  They develop what I describe as toxic shame which I will address in the next Newsletter.

 

It is so hard for so many of the dysfunctional students that are the focus of our work.  They have been abused with resulting permanent brain damage through no fault of their own.  Their efforts to survive have seen them develop behaviours that some adults find repulsive.  This plus their ingrained sense of worthlessness, their toxic shame has left them with no expectation to succeed or be accepted into normal society and so they act to fulfil their destiny.

 

In our competitive society welded to the hypocrisy of meritocracy these children are blamed for their failures when in reality we should be blamed for letting this happen!  The best they can hope for is to be in the classroom of a teacher who understands this and will hang-in with them longer that they expect!   

Posted by: AT 06:57 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, May 02 2022

Stress

In the previous four Newsletters we have discussed boundaries in detail with the fundamental appreciation that it is the interface between our ‘self’ and the external world.  This may appear to be a relatively straight forward concept but a closer look reveals the need to define what consists of our ‘self’ and that requires a more complex analysis. 

 

At the fundamental level our boundaries indicate the interface between our internal and external world.  For my work our external world consists of all things beyond our brain’s receptors.  In a relatively simple way it defines the physical and social environment in which we find ourselves, the availability of resources and social interactions.  It is a bit more entangled when we consider that part of the environment is our body.  The central nervous system really is an extension of the brain but for my purposes I am interested in incoming information about things like our oxygen levels, our temperature etc. that will initiate behaviour and so I include those messages from our body.

 

Our physical self includes things like the maintenance of blood pressure, sugar levels, the rate of our heart-beat, etc.  The maintenance of these biological factors are reflexive, laid down because of our genetic scaffold, they make us human.  However, the social and intellectual features of our ‘self’ which give us that sense of who we are, are learned and the motivation of that learning is to support our survival in the presenting environment.   

 

From the time we are born we build up a complex web of memories that, in the first instance allow us to survive in the particular set of conditions in which we find ourselves.   Through the process of trial, error and correction we build a set of memories which allow us to anticipate what will happen when we act in a particular way in response to a particular set of environmental conditions that threaten our ‘survival’.  The goal for behaviour and learning is always to act to return to a state of homeostatic equilibrium; that is when all our needs are satisfied. Stress is the messenger that informs our homeostatic status – in equilibrium, no stress; in disequilibrium, stress!

 

The level of stress experienced occurs along a continuum of an autonomic arousal ranging from coma, unconsciousness to full-blown panic attack.  It is an electro/chemical response that prepares the body to act to regain a state of equilibrium whether that be a defence against perceived threat or a motivation to acquire something to sustain our survival.  It must be remembered that although the brain sustains us its only activity is to initiate movement be that the movement of a limb or instigating an electro-chemical signal that produces changes in the composition of our biological mix.  In cases of extreme threat an immediate ‘flight/fight response will occur to get the body into a state of readiness through the stimulation of our sympathetic nervous system.  This stimulates the adrenal glands releasing catecholamines particularly the adrenaline and noradrenaline.  This results in an increase in our heart-rate, blood pressure, breathing rate etc. 

 

As all environments constantly change we are continuously adjusting to new conditions in order to maintain equilibrium.  It becomes obvious that we do need an amount of stress to thrive and this applies to the classroom. 

 

The presence of stress does great things for your learning and memory.  At the fundamental level stress:

    • Increases heart rate
    • Loosens up blood vessels in critical parts of the brain
    • Delivers more oxygen and glucose to the brain
    • Your brain starts working better
    • Neurons become more excitable in the hippocampus

These and other reactions support the learning of new memories.  Teachers need to produce a level of stress that is not directly focused on the maintenance of immediate survival but enough to initiate a level of curiosity in the students about things they don’t understand.

 

There is an ideal level of stress that produces optimal learning.  The illustration below describes an inverted ‘U’ curve was first recognised by sports scientists who searched for the conditions of optimal athletic performance.  As can be seen, the horizontal axis indicates the level of arousal while the vertical axis describes the level of performance.  If the individual is under-stressed then the performance level is less than desirable however there is an optimum level where the performance is at its maximum.  Regrettably, if the level of stress continues to increase past that optimal level then the elevated anxiety will impair the performance. 

 

 

Unfortunately, this graph is highly individualised, that is it characterises one child.  Every child will have a different relationship to stress, some students are anxious and may quickly become over-aroused while others need to be stirred from their comfort zone!  The teacher needs to establish each child’s level of resilience and take a personalised approach to their motivation.

 

This ‘optimal’ level can be considered as positive stress, the conditions that support the formation of short-term memories and consequently our long-term memories which become the representation of our ‘self’.

 

This optimum or positive stress has the following benefits:

  • Increases the efficiency of our immune system
  • Increases our ability to form memories
  • Enhances the quality of our decision making
  • Improves our ability to concentrate
  • Enriches our level of emotional intelligence

These are all conditions we want our students to have when they are in our classrooms.

 

In our training we have always emphasised the importance of engagement and that is really encouraging the student to become stressed enough to take advantage of the conditions that come with positive stress.  The problem is, as stated above all our students come with a different emotional temperament and an approach that motivates a highly resilient student might frighten a student who suffers from anxiety.  This is the expertise professional teachers possess and this is not appreciated by those outside the system.

 

However, stress in the right amount is critical for a healthy and rewarding life, too much stress can have a devastating impact on individuals especially if it occurs in early childhood and that will be the subject of our next Newsletter.

Posted by: AT 11:40 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, March 07 2022

Early Childhood Trauma

In the last Newsletter we discussed the features of stress which results from an imbalance between our needs and the availability of conditions within our environment to get those needs satisfied.  This is the mission of all biological creatures, to live in a safe and secure environment, we are no different.  However, if we experience a life-threatening situation and we are unable to defend ourselves the extreme levels of stress generated are not launched, the body is captured in a fight/flight readiness with the accompanying physiological changes.  This inability to discharge these energies to act means we remain in a state of ‘readiness’.  This is the embodiment of trauma.

 

In its pure state the essence of trauma can be summarized as follows:

  • The stability of life based on a steady expectation of what will happen has been shattered
  • The victim has come face to face with their own vulnerability in the natural world; they can die or become extremely injured
  • The victim has come face to face with the capacity for evil in human nature, their trust in the goodness of others is shattered

 

Childhood trauma, usually understood to be from birth to age six has a distinct set of features that have a profound impact on a child.  In these years the child has not developed the behaviours to protect themselves by fighting, hardly an option or fleeing and so they are much more vulnerable (they can freeze, that is, dissociate which will be discussed later).  The importance of their carer becomes another factor in the severity of childhood trauma. 

 

In one instance it may be that the parent whose own survival is threatened becomes unavailable to protect the child and so they feel abandoned.  For example a child witnessing an assault on say their mother will become extremely traumatised as she is their connection to survival.  Contrary to this tragic experience is when the malevolent acts of abuse unloaded onto the child by that caregiver or authority figure.  The very person they rely on to survive is trying to ‘kill’ them.  It is unwise to compare any psychological experiences but we can’t help thinking this latter practice is the most-evil form of abuse!

 

The results of prolonged stress are most tragic if the threats are present under the following conditions:

  • Caused by human actions directed at the child
  • Continually repeated, the abuse never seems to cease
  • Unpredictable, there is no warning the attack is coming
  • Multifaceted, the same technique of delivering the threat is not repeated
  • Sadistic, there is a sense of real cruelty

 And to re-emphasise the final and perhaps the most menacing feature of a child’s trauma is when their primary caretaker is responsible for it. 

 

Another feature of childhood trauma is that it takes place at a time when the development of both the physiology of the brain and the belief systems are at their most emergent.  The significance of this has been detailed in a previous Newsletter (The Early Years and Dysfunctional Behaviour - Monday, February 14, 2022).  At this time we outlined the physical damage persistent and chronic stress does to the brain but because these are so profound they will be reproduced below.

•    The Amygdala, which is sensitive to fear is increased in size which makes the child very anxious.

•    The hippocampus is reported to have a 12% reduction in size which impacts on their ability to comprehend incoming stimulus and the formation of memories.

•    Prefrontal lobes are 20% smaller and have lesions on the surface.  It is in this area of the brain, often referred to as ‘the executive’ where complex decisions are made.

•    Cerebellum which is the area of the brain that evaluates the potential of danger or opportunity in the environment in relation to needs is reduced in size becoming more inefficient.

•    Reduced efficacy of the corpus callosum, that is the coordination between the brain’s hemispheres is compromised. 

It needs to be remembered that this is real physical damage to a child’s brain that results more often than not from the actions of a malevolent adult at a time when they are incapable of any defence against such abuse!

 

In the classroom you don’t get to see this damage but you will have to deal with the behaviours that are underpinned by it.  The major responses to all trauma, including children are as follows:

  • Intrusion:
    • Vivid flashbacks of events
    • False memories
    • Nightmares
  • Avoidance
    • Conscious or subconscious avoidance of situations that produce associated stress
  • Hyperarousal
    • Enduring vigilance for, and sensitivity to, environmental ‘threats’

 

A more detailed description of the behavioural consequences of these responses are dealt with in detail in Chapter 3 of our book ‘Neuroscience and Teaching Very Difficult Kids’ which is reproduced in the Resource Section of our Web Page Frew Consultants Group. 

 

The responses described above are broad descriptions of the impact early childhood trauma has on a victim.  How these characteristics are expressed is very individualised but the table below provides a useful summary of the expressions of early childhood PTSD.

 

Pre-School

Infants & Lower Primary

Upper Primary & Secondary

  • Feel helpless and uncertain
  • Fear being separated from parent/caregiver
  • Cry and/or scream a lot
  • Eat poorly and lose weight
  • Return to bedwetting
  • Return to using baby talk
  • Develop new fears
  • Have nightmares
  • Recreate the trauma through play
  • Are not developing to the next growth stage
  • Have a change in behaviour
  • Ask questions about death

 

  • Become anxious and fearful
  • Worry about their own or others’ safety
  • Become clingy with a teacher or a parent
  • Feel guilt or shame
  • Tell others about the traumatic event again and again
  • Become upset if they get a bump or bruise
  • Have hard time concentrating
  • Experience numbness
  • Have fear the event will happen again
  • Have difficulties sleeping
  • Show changes in school performance
  • Become easily startled
  • Feel depressed and alone
  • Discuss the traumatic events in detail
  • Develop eating disorders and self-harming behaviours such as cutting
  • Start using or abusing alcohol or drugs
  • Become sexually active
  • Feel like they’re going crazy
  • Feel different from everyone else
  • Take too many risks
  • Have sleep disturbances
  • Don’t want to go to places that remind them of the event
  • Say they have no feeling about the event
  • Show changes in behaviour

Source:  The Centre for Child Trauma Assessment, Services and Interventions

                  Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences

                  Northwestern University - Chicago

 

In the next Newsletter we will discuss early childhood trauma and how it effects the child’s sense of self, how they come to the class in a sense already failing and following this will be the implications for the teacher.

 

However, more than anything the teacher will have to overcome some personal difficulties when dealing with these children.  It is important that the teacher: 

  • Does not become critical and/or controlling
  • Understands the difficulty the student is experiencing.
  • Is not to be drawn into the role – ‘playing the part’ of who the student wants them to be.
  • Remain involved, listening and persist with the child.

 

Students with early childhood trauma have rarely had positive experiences in forming healthy relationships.  Addressing this is the key to dealing with these kids but it is only one part of our approach which requires structure and expectations to support these relationships.

Posted by: AT 07:56 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, February 21 2022

Early Childhood Modelling

In this series of Newsletters we are examining the impact the early childhood environment has on the expression of behaviour in later life.  We do this with an emphasis on those factors that contribute to the development of displayed dysfunctional behaviours.  In the last Newsletter we discussed the impact neglect has on a child’s future disruptive actions.  In this we move on to the second cause of the destructive, dysfunctional conduct that interfere with the teaching and learning in our classrooms – the modelling of behaviour.

 

Our species has an extraordinary ability to imitate the behaviour of others.  This has allowed us to learn new behaviours just through watching others display particular actions.  This capacity is well known in all areas of teaching and particularly in coaching sport.  Demonstrations enhance the speed in which students or players learn to perform new skills.

 

What is really significant is that there is a considerable amount of imitation that takes place in the early years of development.  The celebrated child psychologist Jean Piaget observed the ability of infants to mimic the behaviours they observed in their caregivers.  This early work has been extended but not disputed by Andy Meltzoff author of ‘How Babies Think: the Science if Childhood’ (published by Weidenfielf & Nicholson – 1999).  He first observed what is a frequently sighted example of this when he described a new-born baby’s ability to poke out their tongue in response to their caregiver poking out their tongue, a demonstration of how infants were able to imitate behaviour only a few hours after their birth.  This is an example of the actions of mirror neurons!

Mirror neurons were first observed at the University of Parma in 1996 when a group of neuroscientists were busily mapping the neural pathways associated with hand movement in Macaque monkeys. The team of Rizzolatta, Gallese, and Fogassi uncovered what is potentially the most significant neurological component in human behaviour for our understanding of learning.

 

The discovery was made by accident. The breakthrough came when Fogassi returned to the laboratory and casually picked up a raisin from an experimental bowl. A Macaque monkey, who was still wired to electrodes used in the planned experiment was observing Fogassi and as he lifted his hand, the neural activity being tracked in the monkey’s brain displayed the same neural activity as if the monkey itself was reaching for the raisin, yet the monkey had not moved.

 

After replicating the experiment several times, the researchers realized that something new and significant had accidentally been uncovered. As a result of the series of papers following this discovery, the active neurons became known as mirror neurons. Subsequent research is progressively validating the significance of motor neurons, and they are shown to be present in most primates. In humans, they are particularly abundant and complicated.

 

More supporting evidence of the significance of mirror neurons emerged when Gallese and Rizzolatte found that when people listen to sentences describing actions, the same motor neurons fire as would have had the subject performed the action themselves or witnessed it being performed. The cells responded to an abstract representation that described a visual or visceral state.  This infers that watching others as well as listening to them influences the creation and the alteration of memories.

 

The existence of mirror neurons can explain:

  • How we learn through mimicry, this is the heart of this essay.
  • How we develop empathy, there is an inverse relationship between the display of dysfunctional behaviours of damaged children, particularly those who attract the diagnosis of Conduct Disorder and Oppositional, Defiant Disorder.
  • Acquisition of physical skills, as mentioned above in regards to coaching sport.
  • Language – the early effort to speak are manifested in the child’s attempts to reproduce the sound of the language prior to any attempt to communicate content.

We have to keep in mind that our brain’s primary purpose is to allow us to predict what will happen when we are confronted with a threatening or potentially supportive situation in the environment.  In early childhood we are building the store of memories that we will refer to later in life; mirror neurons accommodate this predictive requirement. 

 

In 2005, Iacoboni described two types of motor neurons: ones that respond to observed actions and ones that fire in response to the perceived purpose of that action. Iacoboni had volunteers watch films of people reaching for various objects in a dinner setting (teapot, cup, jug, plate of pastries, napkins) in different contexts. In every instance a basic set of neurons associated with the reaching for the setting fired, but different additional sets of mirror neurons would also fire depending on what expected action was suggested by the setting. For example, neatly set tables prepared for tea versus a setting that looked as though tea had been finished had disparate results. In the first instance, as the observer expected the person to pick up a teacup to drink, one set of neurons fired. However, if the viewer expected the hand to pick up a cup to clean it, another set fired. The interpreted purpose came from the arrangement of the objects, so consequent responses were different.  It has also been recognised that children acquire this ability to predict outcomes by their observations of their caregiver’s actions; this is another benefit of imitating them. 

Studies have revealed that parent-child interactions have shown that parents instinctively reflect their children’s actions, emotions and facial expressions back to them even before they are not yet able to imitate.  This is a type of reinforcement of a connection between actions and the observed outcomes, if the infant smiles that smile will be reflected back.

From the above observations it becomes obvious that the behaviour of a child that sits in your classroom is a reflection of the home in which they were raised.  A child’s parents is the greatest predictor of success or failure.  This is because they:

  • Imitate the behaviour of their parents.  If the parent is forbidding, gloomy, threatening then the child will develop these traits.
  • When the child displays the behaviour practiced in the home they will be reinforced.

In a sense a child being raised in these conditions learns to behave in ways that are functional in their early childhood, dysfunctional environment, that is the parent’s behaviour is offending to conventional social norms and when the child adopts these behaviours for other situations, such as in the classroom these behaviours will be dysfunctional!

 

There is a caveat to this model and that is about children raised by parents whose behaviour is chaotic, extremely unpredictable.  In these environments there is no consistent model to imitate and so there is no template for their behaviour.  This is a common problem for children raised by caregivers who are addicted, especially to mind-altering drugs.  These kids are also most likely to display dysfunctional behaviours but for different but connected reasons.  These impediments to the development of successful students will be discussed in a later Newsletter.

 

In the words of James Baldwin the American author and activist “children have never been good at listening to their elders but they never fail to imitate them”.

Posted by: AT 09:26 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, February 14 2022

The Early Years and Dysfunctional Behaviour

There is no doubt that early childhood, usually defined as the first three years are critical in the development of a child’s self-perception which in turn drives their behaviour.  These years are important for many reasons not the least because up until age three children would not survive without the support of their caregiver.  Of course, very few, if any get to enjoy a perfect childhood but for the vast majority of our students it is more than adequate. 

 

The human brain does not burst into existence in a finished state it grows and evolves for at least 27 years but most intensely in early childhood.  The two illustrations below demonstrate this progression.

 

The first illustration shows the emergence of the functionality of the various areas of the brain shown by the changing deep blue and purple colouring.  You can see the frontal lobe doesn’t fully develop until the late teens and into the twenties.  These ‘blue areas’ also represent the activity of thinking which necessitates the use of memory.

 

The second diagram illustrates this progression up until they graduate from school.  In each period there are what is referred to as ‘windows of opportunity’ times when the brain is prepared to ‘learn’ new skills by providing an abundant supply of myaline used to reinforce the memories that drive the appropriate perception.  An example that is usually given for this phenomena is the acquisition of sight.  Like all memories it is the pairing of a stimulus with an interpretation of that stimulus that creates a memory.  For sight, the eyes project the various wave lengths of light on to the retina which, through the excitement of nerves called rods and cones sends a signal into the visual cortex of the brain for interpretation.  These interpretations become our memories of objects still and in motion.

 

However, if the child does not receive this stimulation before about eight months old, they will never properly interpret sight.  This is because for efficiency, once this critical time has past the brain flushes away the unused myaline and more tragically removes the inactive neurons.  This phenomena of memory acquisition is similar for all memories and the danger of inaccurate interpretation or lack of stimulation is at the core of dysfunctional behaviours due to early childhood abuse or neglect.  

 

In broad terms there are three types of parenting that lead to children having dysfunctional behaviours.  These are:

·         Neglect – the absence of appropriate stimulation for the establishment of memories that define a child’s sense of self which in turn drives behaviour.  The unused neurons are removed from the brain in the quest for efficiency, they can’t be re-established.

·         Poor Modelling – a child learns to behave in ways that are functional in dysfunctional environments, that is the parent’s behaviour is offending to conventional social norms and the child adopts these behaviours.

·         Childhood Abuse – this is often seen as the major cause of dysfunctional behaviour and there is every reason to believe this is true.  The severe levels of stress generated in those times of abuse do real, physical and emotional damage to the child.

 

Of course, there are other more obscure causes such as one-off traumatic events or illness that can interrupt a child’s ‘normal’ development.  However, too many children get a combination of all three of these destructive ingredients.  A detailed discussion of each will take place in the following Newsletters but in this edition we will examine neglect.

 

Nothing is straight forward and neglect has a series of impacts on the behavioural development.  Not the least is the impact on the formation of their sense of self resulting from interference with a child’s sense of attachment. As pointed out above, a child needs a caregiver to survive for at least the first three years.  We are hard-wired to form these attachments in early childhood and how this happens will shape the brain.

 

Children will make an unconscious judgement about the security of that relationship with the caregiver between the seventh and eleventh month.  Security is the key, if the child can rely on the caregiver to always (well nearly always) meet their needs then the child will develop a secure attachment.  The certainty of outcomes allows the child to build a confident, optimistic sense of self, they are confirmed as being important.

  

In some cases the attention from the parent is inconsistent, sometimes their parents will pay attention other times they will be ignored.  This triggers a fear that they will be abandoned.  This is referred to as anxious attachment and children with this profile are often very needy and become clingy to their parents.

 

Some parents are not responsive to their child, they are emotionally unavailable.  These parents are dismissive to the needs of the child.  Children raised in this environment learn not to expect a sensitive response to their needs when stressed and so they develop a lack of trust.  This is referred to as avoidant attachment.

 

The final type is referred to as disorganised attachment because the environment they are raised in is chaotic and unpredictable.  The child craves attention but it steers clear of the parent because they fear what will eventuate.  The secure, predictable home life they crave just doesn’t exist.

 

The graph above indicates the impact each style of attachment has on a child’s anxiety and how they will avoid relying on adults.  Only children with secure attachment find the creation of relationships with others, especially their teachers, rewarding.  The significance of attachment is important and these descriptions provide only a rudimentary outline of this process.

 

Early in this work we discussed the windows of opportunity where the brain is primed for new learning but if the required stimulus is not forth-coming the myaline and the neurons are pruned from the brain.  This is particularly important for attachment because, if in the time ‘allocated’ to hard wire the ability to attach securely, the appropriate stimulus was not present it becomes almost impossible to create them later in life.  This has significant implications in forming secure adult relationships.

 

This pruning will take place for all the required learning in the first three years which is the time a child really develops their sense of self.  The real tragedy is the amount of neural material that can be reformed or removed.  For example:

      The Amygdala, which is sensitive to fear is increased in size which makes the child very anxious.

      Hippocampus is reported to have a 12% reduction in size which impacts on their ability to comprehend incoming stimulus and the formation of memories.

      Prefrontal lobes are 20% smaller and have lesions on the surface.  It is in this area of the brain, often referred to as ‘the executive’ where complex decisions are made.

      Cerebellum which is the area of the brain that evaluates the potential of danger or opportunity in the environment in relation to needs is reduced in size becoming more inefficient.

      Reduced efficacy of the corpus callosum, that is the coordination between the brain’s hemispheres is compromised.

 

It is important to note that neglect is not the only cause of these injuries, extreme levels of stress associated with abuse also significantly contributes to the alterations of the neural landscape.  This situation will be discussed in a later Newsletter and it is frequently the case, abuse and neglect work in tandem for too many of these children.  In any case these injuries result in permanent, intellectual disability. 

 

An extreme example of the damage to the brain is shown in the now imfamous MRI image of children raised in the hell holes which were the orphanages in Romania under the reign of Nicolae Ceausescu.  Too many children were condemned to lie in their cots without ever being attended to beyond their basic needs.

 

It can be seen just how much damage has occurred and follow-up studies has shown that this disability continues.  The difference is, the younger the child was when adopted the better chance they had of partially overcoming this permanent damage.

 

This neglect is not always deliberate as was the Romanian experience.  Bruce Perry and Maia Szalavitz, in their extraordinary book ‘The Boy who Thought He was a Dog’ (Publish by Basic Books – 2006) describes the child of an intellectually delayed mother who could not cope with the demands of a new born baby would leave it alone in its cot all day while she travelled around the city.  This child lacked any ability to connect with others and became a sociopath, if not a psychopath.  Perry describes the factors that created what became a vicious killer and how this young teen could not comprehend why everyone was upset.  I highly recommend this and any other work done by Bruce Perry, he is a leader in this field.

 

 These are extreme examples but the damage is on a sliding scale and teachers should be aware that some of the students who you find difficult to engage with are that way because of what happened to them when they were babies.  Its not their fault and it is our responsibility to help them overcome their cognitive injuries.

 

Posted by: AT 09:00 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, February 07 2022

 

In our review of the previous Newsletters we have tried to underline how the development of a child with severe behaviours is linked to the environment in which they were raised.  Understanding the cause of their dysfunctional behaviour will inform the approach we take to help teachers manage and in some cases modify that behaviour.  It is important to note that our model does not apply to those children who have genetic disabilities or psychotic illness, as the cause of their behaviour is not developmental.  However, it is my experience that the adoption of the interventions we advocate when dealing with these children will be an effective non-medical intervention.  All our interventions rely on the provision of an environment that is predictable, consistent and persistent and that provides an environment of safety for both the teacher and student.

 

Our work is underpinned by two fundamental beliefs:

  1. Our brain exists to support our life by directing our physical actions in response to threats or opportunities in our environment
  2. The choice of that action depends on our memory of what worked before to best satisfy our needs

When you consider the demands on our body to continually support life and the complexity of the brain, these factors seem inadequate.  However, these underlying principles drive a really complex narrative which will be the theme of these latest Newsletters.

 

In the last Newsletter we examined the brain and how any conditions in the environment could activate activity to drive behaviour.  In this essay we examine the formation of our sense of self that defines our identity and our temperament, this is our consciousness and how we behave in any given situation this will be based on the nature of our ‘self’. 

 

Just how much of our self is determined by our genetics or how we are fostered is the age-old question, is it nature or nurture.  There is no doubt our genes do play a part in our character, things like temperament but it is generally accepted that the quality of our family of origin is the main predictor of our personality.  In any case, we have little chance to alter our genetic profile (excluding the phenomena of epigenetics) so we need to concentrate on how the quality of their nurturing impacts their future behaviour.  So, the ‘sense of self’ is developed in an environment and the characteristics of that environment will play a significant role in the manner in which each individual behaves when they are confronted with similar environmental features.

 

Those students with dysfunctional behaviours have evolved their responses to various circumstances as a result of the ‘lessons’ they received from their family of origin.  This is why mental illnesses such as Conduct Disorder and Oppositional Defiance Disorders are considered developmental, these are learned.  The following describes the process of constructing our sense of self!

 

The schematic shown below illustrates the process by which memories of behaviours, the basis of our sense of self is acquired.  This occurs in stages:

  1. In the first instance we find our self, our sense of self in a situation.  If that situation does not threaten our sense of equilibrium then nothing happens.  However, if the conditions in the environment impacts on our equilibrium than we have to act to alleviate the stress that is a consequence of this imbalance.
  2. We have to decide what to do and this will require us to reflect on our memories to decide what we consider the optimal action we should take.  These memories are of previous events that have the same or similar threats or promises.  This process happens instantaneously condemning these children to those behaviours learned in a dysfunctional home.
  3. When we act there will be a consequence.  The consequence might be that the actions solved the imbalance and we return to equilibrium.  This outcome is fed back into our memory and the behaviour is reinforced.  If the action does not deal with the problem and the discomfort remains, that outcome is also fed back into our memories and sense of uncertainty changes our memories.  We will try a different action until the situation is resolved or we moved on without a resolution.
  4. Every time this sequence is executed our sense of self is changed and we return to the problem in the environment differently.

You will notice that there are two types of memories on the schematic; emotional and cognitive.  There is a significant difference between these which will be addressed later when we examine consciousness in more detail.

 

Memories begin simply, young children first learn rudimentary behaviours.  When they are hungry they need mum to feed them so they learn to cry and (hopefully) when she does a lesson is learned.  This link between crying and getting fed becomes a fundamental memory which will modify as the child learns more sophisticated behaviours.  The initial memory is not forgotten but becomes much more complex.  There is an attachment that coincides with the provision of those things we need, those who support us through these years when we can’t fend for ourselves.  For now, we will concentrate on the acquisition of behaviours but it is in these early years children form attachments to caregivers and the security of those attachments will be discussed in a later Newsletter.   

 

These complex memories form a series of schemas across our brain and each will display many of the characteristics of a fractal as seen below.  Unlike a fractal they are not an identical repeat of the first pattern but each a slight modification of that first memory.

 

Within each schema of behaviours associated with the primary memory there will be a leading behavioural candidate for any situation that threatens our equilibrium.  This preferred behaviour will have achieved dominance because it has been used successfully the most times.  This reflects one of the principles of behaviour development, ‘neurons that fire together wire together’.  This is not to exclude change.  Remember, if the behaviour doesn’t address the disequilibrium then you try different things and your memories change.  Nothing is stable!

 

 

Life is extremely complex and there are many schemas across the brain in the form of hubs.  Recent research has identified 180 separate hubs, specialist fractals of memory and each is connected via axonal pathways.  The ability to consider solutions from more than one schema but sampling from other hubs we can create alternate solutions or even unique ones.  This blending of memories becomes most effective when our prefrontal lobes mature.  This is where our working memory is co-ordinated and that ‘co-ordination’ is the analysis of our connectome!

 

This ability to combine multiple clues associated with the incoming stimulus from the external world, allows us to combine multidimensional stimulus into a single perception.  We then assess the potential effectiveness of any behaviour that we might choose to address that external environment.  This connection, our connectome holds all our memories, it is our ‘self’.

 

From the information above it is obvious that the greatest predictor of a child’s success is the family characteristics in which they are raised.  Of course, the child had no choice about where and to whom they were born and this makes a mockery of concepts like meritocracy.  And, it must be remembered the concept of guilt becomes much more complicated.  What we do know is that those children we focus on come to school with dysfunctional behaviours that they have acquired and it is our task to help them develop alternate ways of behaving, for their sake and the sake of their classmates.  Their history does not have to be their destiny and we have the privilege of supporting that change!

Posted by: AT 06:44 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, January 31 2022

Time For Revision

Welcome back to our Newsletters for 2022.  It has been a long journey from our first offering in March of 2017 up until the end of last year, December 2021.  In that time we have published 186 free editions.  A lot has changed over these years, some dramatic and sequential such as the impact of COVID and others gradual and progressive like the emergence of the punitive demand for accountability.  The first exacerbation, the pandemic is a problem shared across the community including the unfair increase in teachers’ workload that is a burden placed on a single part of our community; the teachers.  So, we go into a new year with teachers being subjected to even more pressure without any significant increase in assistance.

 

One major demand on teachers that was there before the pandemic and has been there since the beginning of organised education is the management of classroom behaviour.  Helping teachers address this issue has underpinned all of our work and it will continue to be that way.  I believe it is time we reflected on the work we have done, revisit crucial issues and create, if you like a second edition of many of the significant subjects integrating new material.  In this essay we will examine the benefits of having a calm and safe classroom.

 

The brain is at the heart of all behaviour, if not the brain than what?  Our approach accepts the thesis proposed by Richard Dawkins in his seminal work the Selfish Gene and that is our fundamental drive in life is to survive and reproduce. To survive requires an optimal set of environmental conditions that support life.  These conditions allow us to maintain our body in a steady state of internal biological, physical, social and intellectual equilibrium a condition referred to as homeostasis.  When the perceived conditions of the external environment will not satisfy our needs we are in a state of disequilibrium.  When we are in this state our cognitive energy focuses on behaving in a way to return to equilibrium. 

 

We have what is referred to as a triune brain, that is three levels that have developed sequentially over time.  The first is the brain stem and mid brain, often referred to as the reptilian brain.  This is the area that deals with our biological and physical demands.  Things like heart-beat, blood pressure, balance and other body motions (see illustration below).

 

 

The next level to emerge is the limbic system; that area of the brain that attends to our social needs and consequentially our emotional status.  The development of this area of our brain occurred when, as a species we appreciated the advantage working in groups provided for each individual.  Much of our work will focus on this social brain but for this particular paper we will explain the impediment for learning outcomes that result from the limbic system being in a state of disequilibrium or homeostatic disequilibrium.

 

The last stage of our cognitive development occurred when we realised the advantage that could be experienced when we used tools.  This was the start of the development of our intellectual brain or our cerebral cortex including the important prefrontal lobes.  How far we have come as a species is reflected in the types of tools we use today.  We have come from using early stone tools to things like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) which is the world's largest energy particle collider that measures minute sun-atomic particles.  The fact we have evolved to this level is a tribute to the advances in our thinking and we owe all of this to our ability to educate the next generation. 

 

The development of this area of the brain has been so significant the additional neural material required increased the volume of the brain to such an extent it no longer fitted in our skull.  This accounts for the cerebral cortex being folded, providing a greater surface area in the confined volume of our head.

 

It is this part of the brain we are interested in as teachers however, we can only optimise our access to this if the other areas are in homeostasis.  We use all our brain all the time, for instance we require oxygen to breathe and about every 30 seconds or so we need to refresh the supply of air to our lungs.  This requires cognitive energy albeit at the unconscious level.  The thing is that if we want to maximise our access to the student’s intellectual brain we need to minimise the demands from our physical/biological and social brain.  The sum total of all our cognitive energy can be described as a percentage, the more of that percentage is accessible to our cerebral cortex the more efficient our learning will be.  The illustration below explains this circumstance.

 

 

It can be seen that only when the physical, biological and social needs are not too demanding then we have a greater access to that part of the brain needed for academic learning.  We have evolved to pay attention to intellectual problems when we feel safe.

 

There is plenty of evidence that dysfunctional behaviours in the classroom is the greatest impediment to learning.  John Hattie identifies their presence and the environment in the classroom as two of the top three impediments to learning.  There is an obvious close relationship between classroom environment and the presence of these students and combined they would constitute the leading cause of student failure in our system.  This is a condition where the social demands rob the intellectual potential.  We all understand how that disruptive student commands the attention of the teacher and the other students.

 

In any case, collectively or alone these factors have been identified as more significant than the quality of the teacher yet the focus on learning improvement is completely focused on the latter element.  If you take the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers as an indicator of how the Department accepts these findings, a superficial look at these might suggest that there is a recognition that the child’s physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students are considered.  For example, in Professional Knowledge the Requirements - the following guiding principles are given beginning with the basic level:

  • Standard 1.1 ‘Know Students and How They Learn’ you get:
  • Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students and how these may affect learning.

But if you examine the Professional Engagement, the top level of knowledge required you get:

  • 6.1 Identify and plan professional learning needs:
    • Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in identifying professional learning needs
    • Demonstrate an understanding of the role of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in identifying professional learning needs

 

  • 7.1 Meet professional ethics and responsibilities:
    • Understand and apply the key principles described in codes of ethics and conduct for the teaching profession.

No where is the issue of managing severely disrupted students even acknowledged as a ‘professional requirement’.  Any beginning teacher and most of their experienced colleagues will cite the issue of behaviour management as one of the major impediments to the maximisation of their teaching and their student’s learning. 

I hope this Newsletter sets the scene for upcoming papers that focus on approaches that will allow students to learn in a calm and secure environment.

Note:  These Newsletters are free and if you find them useful please invite your colleagues to join our mailing list.  Just go to Frew Consultants Group and click the appropriate box to be added to our mailing list.

 

Posted by: AT 10:03 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, November 08 2021

Modern teenage Challenge

In previous Newsletters (see Newsletter 157 - Tips for Teaching Teenagers - 04/19 2021 and Newsletter 158 - The Teens - a Time for Specific Change - 04/26/2021) we discussed the changes to the structure of the brain and many of the implications that followed.  This essay we recap some of this information but will focus on the social adjustments and their impact on behaviours especially those from an abusive or neglectful environment.

 

In 2007 Deborah Yurgelun-Todd published a paper, ‘Emotional and cognitive changes during adolescence’.  The paper demonstrated the changes in the brain that occur about age 11; this is also the time for the onset of puberty.  Although they occur together and have an impact on the child they are not the same thing.

 

As far as the brain changes, adolescence marks the final development of the brain.  It is at this time the prefrontal lobes mature and the child has full access to the cognitive process referred to as working memory.  Up until this time children are learning how they fit into the world and how to communicate with their immediate environment.  They are creating their sense of self through the acquisition of memories, referred to as auto-biological.  These are located across the cortex in hubs of specific modes of patterns of thoughts or behaviours.  These are referred to as schemas (memories) and allow us to understand the world through a network of abstract neural structures.

 

There are thought to be 180 such hubs across the brain and they all fall into one of the following genres:

  • Self – this is the knowledge of our lives, what we think about ourselves and our position in our external environment.  Things like, I’m a good runner, I’m shy, I don’t have many friends, etc.
  • Personal – this is what we think of other individuals.   This includes things like my mother is kind, Charlie my friend is a good singer, things that you have categorised about other individuals.
  • Social – this moves out from the personal and includes collective memories.  The supporters of a rival football team are rude, scientists are nerds, golf is only for old men.  This type of schema leads to prejudice within and across communities.
  • Events – these are patterns of behaviour, that is if we observe X than we expect Y to follow.  When I change gears, I use the clutch to disengage the motor then shift the gear stick and reengage the clutch and I should accelerate.

 

Until the prefrontal lobes are fully developed the information that resides in these schemas is fairly discrete, that is they almost stand alone.  This explains the response you will get if you ask a child to tell you about themselves.  They find it hard to give you much of a story.  However, with the development of the prefrontal lobes these hubs are connected through what is a series of connections, called connectomes and these memories are shared.  it is at this stage of their development that they really start to think for themselves.  If you ask a teenager to tell you about themselves the response is different and, in some cases you will be sorry you asked!

 

This is the time when the child begins their transition to full independence but this is still a period of development.  The prefrontal lobe has the following tasks which are the definition of working memory:


•    Controls how we are interacting with our environment
•    Manages how we make judgments about what occurs in our daily activities 
•    Directs our emotional response 
•    Organises our expressive language. Assigns meaning to the words we choose 
•    Involves word associations 
•    Controls memory for habits and motor activities 


If the first stage of a child’s development is to become a functioning human than the next stage is to become a productive, reproductive person.  Concurrent to the change in the brain’s structure is the transformation of the child’s body that marks the onset of puberty.  This is when the child’s body matures to allow for reproduction.  This is an awkward time for adolescent kids as they begin to experience powerful, new drives and emotional feelings driven by changes in the levels of hormone.  There are two types of these hormones that can be generalised by adrenaline and cortisol to support actions that are designed to protect themselves and dopamine and serotonin that energises the drive to seek out what they want from their environment.

 

As mentioned before, this is the time for the child to assert their independence but this is not so much finding autonomy but a change from depending on their family of origin to creating their own ‘family’.  This journey ‘ends’ with the adoption of a life partner but begins with the need to belong to a group they call their own!

 

This is a difficult time for all teenagers.  As there is a behavioural price to belong to a group and the ability to ‘pay’ that cost depends on the social skills they acquired as children.  Most kids have been taught how to behave in a way that allows them to be accepted as themselves without really changing their basic sense of their self.  They form new friendships usually based on mutual interests such as sport, dancing, surfing or for some ‘nerds’ school work (teachers love the nerds).

 

However, incorporating the theme of our work too many come to this phase of their life without those functional skills that allow the relatively smooth transition.  For these kids the mutual skills will compel these kids to join up with others who share the same problems.  This is so easy to see in the beginning of any secondary school year, those kids who need the most support are drawn together and the synergy of this alliance only makes things harder for teachers to deal with these students. 

 

This formation of new friendships coincides with the emergence of the working memory and the drive to belong may drive kids to make decisions that are not properly evaluated.  This explains the impulsivity that is a hallmark of this period of their lives.  For damaged kids this is a particularly risky time.  To belong to their particular cohort, they will find the pressures to engage in dangerous physical and social activities in an effort to prove their worth to the group irresistible.  One of the common dangers is the experimentation with drugs and sexual activities that may have life-long consequences.

 

All teenagers are tempted to experiment with illicit drugs and according to the Australian Secondary Students Alcohol and Drug survey of 2017, 17% of children between the age of 12 years and 17 years had tried cannabis.  In other surveys from the United States 39.5% of high school students reported to be sexually active.  These are dangerous times for all teenagers but for those with a damaged sense of self it is a critical time in their life.

 

Schools and teachers are not trained nor equipped to address these problems despite the continual call by politicians and society in general for schools to deal with them.  However, we will have these kids in our schools and understanding that all teens are striving for independence it is prudent that we provide them with the opportunities to self-direct some of their learning as they mature.  We actually do this quite well with most Year 12 students having a deal of independence and teachers move from directing the learning to facilitating it.

 

The second thing is to teach the students about their emerging sexuality and this we also do well however, the attack on the Safe Schools Program in recent years was a retrograde step. 

 

The real challenge is to provide an alternate way for our damaged kids to safely belong with an appropriate set of friends and this is what all our work is about.  As always, if we present a predictable, structured environment where expectations are well known and valued and all students are respected, healthy relationships will develop and we can all get through these difficult years.

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Tuesday, June 15 2021

Hidden Types of Abuse

There is a well-recognised link between childhood abuse and the consequential physical and psychological injury that occurs.  Throughout these Newsletters we have consistently linked this early abuse with its resulting post-traumatic stress with the dysfunctional behaviours displayed in class.

In the general literature and in the education department’s communication regarding child protection the categories are, physical, psychological, emotional, and sexual.  However, the difference between psychological abuse and emotional abuse is arbitrary and for this paper we will describe the latter together.  I contend there are two additional forms of child abuse that is not recognised by any authority and these also have a long-lasting effect on the child’s development.

Before discussing these hidden assaults on children a quick summary of the acknowledged forms of abuse is presented below.

Physical

This is the use of intentional force against a child’s body or an unwanted invasion of their physical space.  It can be:

  • Hitting
  • Holding Down
  • Exaggerated Tickling
  • Pulling Hair
  • Twisting Ear
  • Etc.

In historical terms hitting a child has been an acceptable form of discipline and we still hear ignorant teachers lamenting the fact that corporal punishment has disappeared in contemporary societies.   It remains the point that hitting is abuse and the only lesson learned by the child is if you want to get someone to do what you require it is appropriate to hit him or her to achieve this outcome.

Psychological/Emotional Abuse

This is a form of abuse where the child’s psychological boundaries are violated.  This can take the form of non-accidental verbal or symbolic actions that are likely to result in significant psychological or emotional harm.   Forms of emotional abuse are:

  • Attacking the worth of the child by rejecting them, terrorising or isolating them.
  • Telling the child that they are stupid, un-loveable or unwanted.
  • Being overly harsh in criticising the child.
  • Punishing the child when they become emotional – don’t be a baby, etc. or when they show no emotion when it would be appropriate to do so.
  • When the love of a parent is conditional on their behaviour (I will love you if …)

 

This form of abuse is considered, by some to be more damaging as there is no ‘evidence’ it happened and abusers do not see the damage done.  This is particularly so if the perpetrator is an addict or has a mental illness.  They don’t see the bruises.

Sexual Abuse

This abuse is when an adult or older adolescent uses the child for their sexual gratification or for financial profit of the person committing the act.  This can include:

  • Unwanted touching or penetration of the sexual organs.
  • Adults exposing their own genitals to a child.
  • Exposure to inappropriate sexual experiences or information (i.e. Pornography).

Sexual abuse is a silent destroyer of too many young children in our society especially with the easy availability of pornography on the Internet.

Now we come to the hidden forms of abuse.  These rarely get coverage in the general literature but are equally as likely to expose the child to toxic levels of stress.  These are:

Spiritual Abuse  

One type of spiritual abuse that occurs is when the parents put themselves above the child.  The child must ‘worship’ the parent.  A contrary form of spiritual abuse occurs when the parents put the child above themselves.  The child becomes the focus of their devotion, they can do no wrong.  These children never learn to take responsibility.  In the first instance the parent knows best and you just do as you’re told.  In the latter form the parent will not see any faults in the child’s behaviour and so they never get the natural consequences when they make a wrong choice.

 

This form of abuse is becoming more and more prevalent in modern society, many parents are loathed to correct their children’s inappropriate behaviour possibly through advice about ‘killing their spirit’.  Perhaps, it is the idea that kids must ‘find their own way’.  Despite the reason, the lack of teaching children ethical principles has resulted in a loss of once valued traditional forms of etiquette and communal responsibility.

 

About one percent of the general population have been so affected by this child-centred attention they meet the criteria for a diagnosis of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, that is they display at least five of the following nine traits:

  • Has grandiose sense of self-importance.
  • Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love.
  • Believes he/she is special and unique.
  • Requires excessive admiration.
  • Has strong sense of entitlement.
  • Is interpersonally exploitative.
  • Lacks empathy, is unwilling to recognise or identify with the feelings and needs of others.
  • Is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her.
  • Shows arrogance, haughty behaviours and attitudes.

The second form of spiritual abuse occurs when ‘religions’ teach that God will punish sinners and all are condemned unless they conform to some dogma.  People who work with children brought up in some cults attest to the damage done through this form of abuse but it would be a brave politician who would underline the damage done when adherence to the word of any god is criticized.

Intellectual Abuse   

This occurs when a child is placed in a situation where they are asked to perform a task they are developmentally incapable of successfully achieving.  An example is when a child is given a glass of milk to drink before they have developed the motor skills required for this task.  When they fail they are either labelled as useless by the parent or confirm to themselves the belief that they are at fault because they failed.

 

Education departments are loathed to acknowledge this type of abuse but it happens all the time, whenever a student is asked do an exam on work they have never been shown or are just incapable of doing they are being abused!

 

Intellectual abuse also occurs when a significant other compares one child’s performance against another child implying one is better than the other.  Education departments never like to rank their students, do they?  This would be abusive.

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Monday, April 26 2021

The Teens - A Time for Specific Change

This Newsletter follows on from the last posting ‘Tips for Teaching Teenagers’ where the specific changes in the brain structural formation and the consequences of these changes influences the way adolescent students learn and behave.  This essay expands on this work outlining the more particular arrangement of these changes and what motivates this change of intent of future behaviour.

 

As mentioned, the onset of puberty marks an explosion of neural activity where excess myaline and supportive neural materials focuses on a particular part of the brain to produce conditions that support a specific brain location that will service a particular cognitive capability.  This occurs predominantly in the prefrontal lobes but also in the limbic system but the manner in which the changes occur over the period of about age ten to sixteen is quite different and this explains some of the peculiarity of the teenage behaviour.

 

The prefrontal lobes mature gradually slowly tiptoeing toward the desired skills such as the ability to show good judgement; to critically analyse information that is exposed to them.  This is the work of what is referred to as the executive part of the brain, that part where our working memory operates to examine what we have learned and applies this to a problem to be solved.

 

The other part of the brain under renovation is the limbic system.  This is where the social/emotional part of the brain is organised.  This is where we are conscious of our position and acceptance in our social group as being very important and rejection becomes so painful.  This is a time when we develop our social synapses that deal with our mutual interactions and these exchanges go a long way to establishing our status and self-respect which is our important sense of self.  The problem is the changes in the limbic system is not gradual but is in spurts.  You can see this when you look at the behaviour of Year 7 and compare this with Year 10 and make a further appraisal of Year 12.  The advances are more in steps rather than gradual.

 

Another consideration is that the maturity of the brain’s connectomes is under construction.  In 2009 the US National Institute of Health commissioned a project to identify the memory centres, our schemas in the brain, The Human Connection Project to understand the interconnectedness across all the memories held in the brain.  The resulting network is referred to as our connectome.  They identified 180 areas, hubs if you like that were connected, 97 more than previously known.  Each area has a dense internal array of neural connections.  Each hub has access to the others via connections of axonal pathways allowing them to share their information.  This sharing process is our working memory in action.

 

In adults these connections may vary across their life as their experiences and beliefs adjust to their environmental circumstances but at any given time they are relatively distinctive, they have a consistency in how they interpret their environment.  In children these connections are less distinct and so the inconsistency leads to the confusions so typical of children and adolescents.  This ordering between hubs takes place in concert with the prefrontal lobes.

 

A characteristic about this maturity of the connectome is that this occurs on average a year to eighteen months earlier in females than males and this confirms the attitudes of girls and boys that any secondary teacher will have experienced.

 

This time of transition is about becoming a functioning adult.  Like all things about being an adult the skills needed are many and varied however, the following illustration contains the broad categories that define an effective adult.

Down the left column are the deficits with which children come into the world.  They make the change by acquiring the skills that make them effective in dealing with the challenges in life.  These are as follows:

  • Relating Skills – At birth, human babies are the most dependent of all mammals.  They also take the most time to accumulate the self-awareness and confidence to stand on their own two feet.
  • Comprehension – Children have to be taught how things work especially the social skills so important in negotiating within a community.
  • Decision Making – Like relating skills children need to have the confidence to make decisions and stick to them when they think they are right.  Of course, they need to be flexible and accept an alternate view if they are wrong.
  • Social Skills – This is also similar to relating skills but this is the ability to recognise how the ‘others’ feel in a given situation and take their standpoint into consideration.  Sometimes it is necessary to put the group’s needs first.
  • Interested – This is a critical skill that is most ‘at threat’ in the teenage years.  Curiosity enhances all parts of a person’s life decisions and makes things very interesting.

 

Developing these skills in adolescents is not a simple matter of just telling them what to do!  One of the worst things you can do is come across as the expert ‘just do this because I know best’.  This is a time when teenagers are moving away from the control of adults and this is healthy and necessary however, if you engage them and say things like ‘this is what I think about the task’ you give the advice without threatening their emerging independence.

 

Creating a supportive classroom also assists in this transition.  Previous Newsletters (The Tribal Classroom – 1 August 2018 and The Tribal Teacher – 29 July 2019) give excellent summaries about how to create strong group cohesion and attachment where the conditions of equity, fairness and trust underpin the classroom environment.

 

So many children miss out on supportive conditions in their first three years.  Our work focusses on these abused and neglected students.  A supportive teacher in a caring school can make such a difference for these kids – it is never the last chance but it is the next best chance after the early years to create new behaviours.   If they miss out change is still possible but for those children in low socioeconomic areas, access to mental health  professional is rare.

Posted by: AT 11:39 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, November 23 2020

Theory of Mind

This is the ability to understand the experiences, desires and intentions of yourself and others.  With theory of mind individuals can predict and interpret the behaviour of others and act in a way that can make use of this knowledge.

 

The development of theory of mind is a gradual process from birth and it is complex.  Prior to its emergence, in very early life there is little separation of the self.  It has long been held that the child believes that everyone knows everything they are experiencing.  However, there is no direct evidence of this, they don’t ‘know’ their mother shares their thoughts it’s just that they believe she does.  

 

However, the child does experience things on a personal level, the beginning of a sense of self.  Between five to seven months they experience fear and anxiety and this relates to ‘them’ being under threat.  This development of separation continues and between 15 and 24 months at which stage they can pass the ‘spot test’ a process that confirms the child knows it is them in the mirror.  This is achieved by putting a mark usually a dot of colour on their forehead, when they know it reflects themselves they will touch or try to remove the spot, they know it should not be theirs.  Prior to that age they don’t firmly see their reflection as being of themselves and don’t comprehend that the mark should not be there.  This test is extensively used to measure the same occurrence of theory of mind in animals.

 

The classic test is the false belief task.  This involves telling a child a story about two children, say Sally and Anne who put a toy in a basket. When Sally leaves the room, Ann hides the toy in a box. The child passes the test by reasoning that Sally will look for the toy in the basket when she returns.  However, a more telling confirmation of a child having a real sense of ToM is when they know they can tell a deliberate lie and/or keep a secret.  This is evidence that they can keep their thoughts and desires private and others have no access to these.

 

It is postulated that the acquisition of theory of mind is developed in stages and I suspect this is the same as other developmental stages such as the arrangement of hearing and sight all part of building a repertoire of activities that define the individual.  The particular stages dealing with theory of mind are:

  1. The understanding that someone might want something, they perceive other’s desires. This is why a two-year old is unable to share or take turns unless directed.
  2. Understanding people have different and diverse beliefs about the same situation.  Even adults, when asked to describe a scene, say an accident will have a different perspective.  It is a mature response to accept these differences but unless this ability is established people will refuse to see a different point of view.
  3. Accepting people have a different knowledge base, they may not comprehend or understand that something is ‘true’ even though you ‘know’ it is real.  The same conflicts outlined in stage 2 will also apply.
  4. Appreciate that people can have false beliefs about the world.  This. Of course, should include themselves.  How many wars are fought over the failure of populations to achieve to acquire this state of understanding. 
  5. People can hide emotions or may act one way while feeling another.  This is a sophisticated skill for a child.  They learn to do this as a protection for themselves and accept others may well be doing the same thing.

 

It is a waste of time expecting infants to share, consider others or take turns until they develop theory of mind and this happens through experience, modelling and shaping behaviour.

 

 Another concept that is an extension of theory of mind is mentalization.  This is more about the application of theory of mind and how behaviour is used to realize our needs, how the implicit self and the explicit other are entangled and that this relationship will guide actions.  Mentalization can be automatic, that is, actions are processed without delay, they are reflexive with little conscious effort.  Contrarily, decision making can be controlled, requiring effort with full awareness of the situations.

 

The optimal use of decision making occurs when there is an ability to mentalize one’s own state of mind as well as that of the ‘other’.  Imbalance results in a skewed assessment of the situation, that is if the individual has too much focus on self and is less consideration of the other, their actions are unbalanced and less effective.  The converse is equally true, too much consideration of the other will also result in less than optimal behaviour.

 

The emergence of theory of mind is linked to the health of the environment in which the child is raised, specifically their attachment to their caregivers.  The balance between the needs and perceptions the ‘self’ and that of the ‘other’ depends on the security of that attachment.  If the child develops a healthy understanding of the gap between their internal world and the outer world they can make effective life decisions.  However, if there is an insecurity in the attachment then there will be an imbalance with the child either giving too much consideration to their perception or conversely to the external situation.  Children whose early experience with caregivers includes abuse and/or extreme neglect will develop a severe imbalance that results in extremely dysfunctional behaviour.

 

Until they achieve theory of mind infants should be directed in their behaviour.  It’s appropriate to tell them to pack-up their toys, etc. and then thank them for doing so.  This is a joint experience between the carer and the child, an example of the child learning through modelling and experience.  Until they are unable to consider the other person’s emotional state, it is unreasonable to expect their respect. The presence of mirror neurons, a distinct type of neurons that allow an individual to copy whet they see.  If you poke your tongue out at a new born child there is every chance they will return that gesture. 

 

Not only do these neurons allow the child to copy they also interpret the intentions of what they witness.  The classic study is exposure to a dinner setting.  If the table is set in anticipation of the meal being served a particular set of neurons are excited.  However, if the conditions on the table indicate the meal has been finished and it is time to clean-up another set of neurons fire.  This underlies the importance of modelling desired behaviours.  If you want the child to clean-up then teach them to do it through modelling and the shared experience.

 

It must be emphasised that theory of mind in the first instance and then mentalization evolve in an environment and the specifications each individual takes as the foundation of their ToM and mentalised state will reflect that environment.  When a child moves from one environment to a contrasting one the familiar problems arise.  Theory of mind is really the emergence of self!

Posted by: AT 08:54 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, August 31 2020

Toxic Shame

The core quality that determines a secure sense of self is a personal acceptance within our community.  This sense of self commences at birth and the first significant ‘community’ is his or her parents.  When a child experiences nothing but affection and positive attention during these early years they will feel as if they are the centre of the universe and that’s how it should be.  But at about age one, when they can move about they start to develop their independence.  At the same time they start to move independently and being curious can get themselves into some dangerous situations.  When this happens, they are told no for the first time!  Often the message will be delivered in a sharp, attention grabbing outburst.  There is nothing wrong with this action; the parents just want to keep their child safe but the child will be rejected for the first time!

The sudden attention-grabbing effect is necessary to stop the child, to get them to stop what they are doing - to ‘freeze’.  In reality they do this and for the first time they experience ‘rejection’.  Of course, the parents were doing the right thing, keeping their child safe but the child’s sense of rejection is real and all rejection is at the heart of shame.

The child will continue to explore the world and they will continue to make mistakes.  The parents will continue to ‘stop’ them and show them the ‘right’ way to behave. These mistakes expose the child’s incompetence and they will be embarrassed by what they have done.  This feeling of rejection of the inappropriate behaviour we call healthy shame.  The point is that this rejection is of inappropriate behaviour; it is not the rejection of the person. 

As an adult we should experience shame whenever we act in a way that is not true to our character and when we fail to do this we become embarrassed.  Because the shame is about what we have done, that feeling is healthy.  Healthy shame protects us both from the exclusion from our group and helps us understand the frailties of others.

Kids don’t get the difference between the action and the performer and so functioning parents have to make sure the mistaken behaviour is separated from the value of the child.  Soon the child will understand that difference and grow up capable of experiencing healthy shame.

However, children from abusive parents are rarely taught this distinction. When their child makes a mistake they are often physically punished and/or verbally abused for that mistake, it’s the child’s fault.  And all too often the parents expect them to complete a task that is beyond their capabilities.  At a sporting event you see kids being scorned because they did not win.  When they inevitably fail they are subjected to abuse and rejection.

Young children are incapable of understanding they are not old enough or strong enough to complete some task set for them and when they do not come up to scratch the only conclusion is they are stupid, weak and useless just like dad said they were.  This is the core of toxic shame, they have not made a mistake; they are the mistake.

Students with toxic shame take this debilitating belief into school.  At any level learning consists of trial and error and so it is at school, there will be the inevitable errors.  To healthy kids a mistake informs them that this is not the right way to solve a problem.  For the child with toxic shame the mistake is confirmation that they are not the right person to be in the class. These students fear the inevitable negative evaluation about their work and the resulting stress suffered will make any real learning impossible.  The inevitable failure reinforces their sense of shame, this toxic shame.

How you interact with the student, who suffers toxic shame will make a big difference.  Understand that when a student is faced with a new, challenging task their self-talk will be something like:

  • ‘I can’t do this ……’?
  • ‘Everyone else will laugh at my ……’?
  • ‘I hate this ……’?

The destructive teacher, who may well be trying to challenge the student, will make comments that only reinforce their toxic opinion of themselves.  These teachers use terms like:

  • ‘What do you think you’re doing’?
  • ‘Is this your best work’?
  • ‘Why did you do that’?

A better way for the teacher to encourage a child is with comments like:

  • ‘How can we make this ….’?
  • ‘What can we do to ……?
  • ‘What will it look like if ……’?

Remember you are asking the children to try and that for them is very threatening but if you take a work in progress and use terms like those above you have not rejected their efforts and you have indicated to them that they can continue to improve.  It takes a lot of small steps to complete any journey so be patient, they can overcome their most faulty of beliefs.
 

I used to say to students I worked with they are perfect.  Of course, that got their attention but I explained that it is humans make mistakes.  I’m human so I make mistakes therefore I am a perfect human – I’m perfectly imperfect, so are they and so are you.

Posted by: AT 10:51 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, August 10 2020

Physical Damage from Early Childhood Abuse

The particular qualities of early childhood abuse can create high levels of stress that in turn leads to the trauma of shattered expectations, the realisation of our own vulnerability and the capacity of others to commit evil acts.  When this happens, infants and preschool-aged kids have not developed the cognitive ability to understand these concepts, but they are traumatized through their separation from security.  It is this fear that generates the high levels of stress that fashions the neurological framework of the child.

The intricacy of stress has been described in previous Newsletters but in this work, we are only considering the reaction to very high levels of stress that are the result of the response to the very existence of the child.   

The body’s response to threat makes sense when we consider the primary function is to survive, the other drive, to reproduce is not a consideration of the infant.  So the response of the brain, the decision-making centre of our bodies, makes optimal decisions for the conditions that we are facing.  This flight/fight response is purely instinctive because a young infant is incapable of either flight or fight so the activation of the automatic nervous system would be of little practical use.

The infants do however have the ability to respond in the third of the ‘3F's' (the first two are flight and fight) and that is to freeze.  They dissociate. It was a fashion in the past that when children were crying in bed, they were attention seeking and the advice was to ignore them, they would eventually stop.  There is some truth in this 'attention seeking' behaviour if the practice has been rewarded, but there are times when the baby is highly stressed, and when they do stop crying they have ‘given-up' on life.

However, when the threat occurs, the brain is awash with a chemical cocktail to prepare a fight/flight response.  At the time the incoming stimulus quickly goes through the receptors, through the thalamus, the ‘clearing house’ of the stimulus on to the amygdala.  The amygdala perceives the stimulus as representing a real, immediate threat and a sequence of events takes place to prepare the body—first to 'flight,' and if that is not an available option, to 'fight.' 

This movement to flight/fight involves a series of synaptic signals that release a cocktail of chemicals that in turn dramatically change the physiological status of the body. This response is known as the general adaptive syndrome. The body is prepared to deal with the identified threat.

It is the importance of the amygdala in this process that results in its ‘abnormal' development.  Because the function of the amygdala is important, it becomes more enlarged so it can better deal with future threats.  The enhancement of the amygdala along with the resulting propensity to initiate the flight/fight response has a paradoxical effect.  When these kids grow-up they become hypersensitive to a stimulus that resembles a threat.  As a result, when they are in a situation that may look like a threat their amygdala is activated before they can make a considered judgment about the potential danger.

The second area of brain development that is affected by the conditions of elevated threat is in the ‘higher order' areas of the brain, the hippocampus, and the frontal lobes.

In the usual ‘general adaptive syndrome' process, when the threat is over the brain returns to rest.  Within the complex chemical activity that achieves this is cortisol that washes across the brain.  Unfortunately, if the threat is not ‘turned off' or the process is too frequent the constant presence of cortisol has a corrosive impact on the brain.

The hippocampus is reduced in size by as much as 12% and the frontal lobes as much as 20%.  There are other parts of the brain such as the cerebellum that are also damaged, but it is the changes in the hippocampus and frontal lobes that cause trouble for the children in the future.  It is in these areas that we develop the ability to make rational decisions and capacity to delay gratification.  The hippocampus and the frontal lobes are at the cognitive heart of our success.

So children who have been abused are subjected to real physical brain damage, and that damage is handicapping the very processes that are needed if we are to help them overcome the dysfunctional behaviour that results from their history of abuse.  They are more sensitive to stress and therefore more likely to react in their ineffective, habitual manner and are less equipped to make calm decisions required to avoid that dysfunctional habit.

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Monday, July 27 2020

The Complexity of Stress

In the last few Newsletters we have discussed the impact on cognitive development from neglect and abuse.  Also discussed is the understanding that stress levels are the response to our homeostatic imbalance, that is how our need for physical, emotional and intellectual gratification is being met.  When we are out of ‘balance’ stress is directed to those parts of the brain that control behaviours that allow us to act to regain equilibrium.  This process is either acquired through our genes or learned by interacting with the presenting environment to satisfy our needs.

 

This fundamental feature is understood by all who deal with performance, it is our motivation.  We need to generate a sense of having a deficit to generate a performance.  Just watch every advertisement on TV; I want to be happy, people with the latest (insert anything here) are happy therefore to be happy I will buy it!

 

Like most activities in our culture the leading proponents of motivation are in the field of sport.  Think about the popular motivational coach, seen in many of the movies and series depicting sport where the coach appeals to each player so they can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds and win.  These are not real, but today’s coach understands getting the right level of arousal is important to get the best out of each athlete.  It is in the field of sports psychology I first came across the following diagram:

 

For the hypothetical sportsperson ‘S’ the graph shows that if they are aroused to the level S1 they will perform below their best, that is they can’t be bothered.  The same applies to S3 when they are so stressed they are unable to focus and they also fail to excel.  To get the best performance they have to be roused to that ‘right’ amount – S2.

 

The same applies for teaching.  If we examine a student ‘S’ then if we can’t engage them (S1) they will not perform, we all understand this and engagement has always been an important consideration in any teacher training package.  However, the other extreme, if we over arouse them (S3) they cannot excel.  We need to get the ‘sweet spot’ in our lessons.  This is where we have to understand the complexity of stress management.

 

The first complication is that this graph is different for each individual.  One size does not fit all and coaches and teachers who pitch their ‘message’ at some imagined individual are only inspiring one person and that imagined person will reflect their own sense of what is important. I understand that there is a need to address the team or class as a group and have a group goal but this is not a time for individual arousal.

 

The second, more complicated consideration is about those kids who have been subjected to neglect or abuse.  Apart from the condition explained above these kids come to class already disengaged (S1) or over stimulated (S3) before we even start the lesson.  You see the model outlined above assumes that the lesson or game is the only thing that occupies their mind, that the child has satisfied all their other needs.    

 

The schematic model of the tri-part brain above shows the parts of the brain that deal with various needs.  The brain stem and mid brain house most to the behaviours that address our physical needs.  The limbic system concentrates on the social emotional world and it is the cortical system, the cerebrum and frontal lobes we need to have aroused to get the students to best learn their academic lessons.  We know that children subjected to neglect and abuse spend all their time trying to survive and belong, they ‘live’ in the lower parts of their brain rarely accessing that area teachers need to engage.

 

Even for those kids who have had the advantage of an optimal childhood, loving, responsible parents who appropriately provide for their needs, this is difficult.  Childhood and adolescence is a time when we are learning the skills of socialisation and a threat to be excluded from the groups will captivate the child’s attention much easier than learning to multiply fractions.  Like-wise, a young teen who has developed a crush on a fellow student will be much more interested in paying attention to that ‘problem’ than understanding Hamlet (perhaps it is the time for Romeo and Juliet).

 

However, for the students we are trying to help the potential distractions away from the tertiary functions of their brain are immense.  Many of these kids live in a constant state of hypervigilance against being abused, they are already over stressed as far as classroom matters are concerned.  At the other end, those kids who have been neglected not only have never learned the value of new information the neurological tools that would make learning a relatively successful event have been lost.

 

Teachers are constantly under valued by society for a few reasons.  The first is everyone went to school and spent many years being exposed to what they think is teaching and so feel they could easily do that.  Another activity that devalues the complexity of teaching is that we often get to coach junior teams.  These are kids who want to learn and are already motivated.

 

The real professional teacher takes on those kids who:

  • Don’t want to learn
  • Can’t see the purpose of learning
  • Believe they can’t learn
  • Spend their waking moments trying to survive and belong
  • Have physical disabilities either genetic or those resulting from brain damage resulting from neglect and/or abuse

I’m sure there are other difficulties we face as teachers, but these are real challenges that are for all practical purposes ignored by our critics.

 

In our work we provide advice to address these issues but predominantly we believe it is the teacher’s ability to provide an environment that minimises the lower cognitive distractions allowing these children to gain access to their academic brain.  This is achieved through presenting an environment that is structured, predictable; the kids know what to expect and there are strong relationships across the classroom.

Posted by: AT 08:24 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
Monday, July 20 2020

Generating Stress

Our work is focussed on helping those children who are failing at school because of their behaviour.  In the last Newsletters we scrutinised abuse and neglect (see BLOG page www.frewconsultantsgroup.com.au) and how these alter developing brains.  It is the changes to the neural pathways and the early lessons learned or more likely not learned, that are behind much of this disruptive behaviour we see as children get older.  In this Newsletter we will examine the source of the damage directly related to abuse causing excessive stress.

 

To really understand stress, we need to examine its purpose.  This takes us back to first principles of biology.  All living organisms are driven to survive and reproduce.  This was first articulated by Richard Dawkins in his seminal work, The Selfish Gene.  When there is a ‘threat’ to these base drives, all organisms act to eliminate that threat and all actions, even those of plants are initiated through some neural action.  To avoid making this an enormous essay I will confine my comments to our species and even that is complex.

 

There is an optimum set of conditions that supports our survival and when we have achieved these conditions we are completely safe.  We can be considered to be in equilibrium.  However, when we are not in equilibrium, that is, the conditions are not right, things are out of balance, we are then in a state of disequilibrium; somehow, the conditions in the external world are such that they no longer support us or threaten our safety.  This creates stress, the drive to change our situation and return to stability.  This is a continuous process, we never remain in complete balance, for example, we constantly require oxygen to live and we can only collect this is short breaths.  If you have any doubts about the strength of the drive to survive hold your breath for three minutes and just see how powerful the drive to get that oxygen becomes, nothing else matters.

 

It is relatively straightforward to accept this drive in the physical world; the biological set points are constant and the processes to make the required physical adjustment to return to that point after deviation is predictable and the ‘behaviour’ to adjust becomes relatively unconscious.  Psychosocial drives are a little more confusing, humans need to be accepted by others to survive and reproduce.  Although not as immediately dramatic this need for acceptance is just as powerful and more significant when discussing behaviour in a group setting such as a classroom.   

 

The final drive is the need to know things.  This is our tertiary drive, the one we need to learn new things, the one teachers rely on to motivate their students.

 

The following model categorizes needs into three sets; primary, secondary and tertiary and connects them to the three levels of the brain as outline in McLean’s tri-part brain, the physiological world connected to the brain stem and mid brain, social/emotional drives associated with the limbic system and the cerebrum and frontal lobes dealing with tertiary drives, our intellectual efforts.  These are described in a previous Newsletter but are reiterated below:

Primary Drives - the Reptilian Brain – the Brain Stem and Mid Brain

This part of the brain controls our physical homeostasis.  Whenever we are placed in a stressful situation, in disequilibrium this zone initiates the behaviours that will bring us back in balance.  This is the area that controls things like breathing, our heart beat, our balance, those physical activities that allow us to physically survive.

The ‘lessons’ accumulated in this part of the brain begin to form from the moment of conception and continue through the very early years of infancy.  We are born with the ability to breath but it takes a little time to master walking on two legs.  A feature of these behaviours is that they are for all purposes, unconscious and very difficult to change.

Secondary Drives - the Social/Emotional Brain – the Limbic System

This is the second stage of cognitive evolution and this occurred because of the benefits group living provided to meet our needs.  The synergy provided by sharing the work needed to provide food, shelter and protection made living in groups much more productive however, it required cooperation.  This cooperation enhanced our access to the elements required for survival and reproduction but we needed to learn an additional set of behaviours that would prevent the very fact that living together had a strong potential to threaten that very survival through competition for the resources to survive and reproduce.

The major threat to our safety and security that comes from communal living is the possibility to be excluded.  In this stage of development, we learn to relate to others so that we are included in the sharing of desired, required resources.

Despite some significant exception, for all intents and purposes it is the dysfunctional attempts to satisfy these needs that create the problems in dealing with student behaviour.  Thinking back to the types of problems faced by teachers, it is the mis-match between the social requirements to successfully belong and the social behaviours of these children.

Tertiary Drives - the Intellectual Brain – the Cortical Areas and the Frontal Lobes

This is the last stage of our evolutionary development and it is where humans have gained the greatest advantage over our rival species.  It is in this area we can initiate a wide range of behaviours that allow us to manipulate the physical environment to our advantage, we have built cars to travel, air conditioning to keep comfortable and the advances in medical practices have prolonged our life expectancy. 

This is the part of the brain that teachers need to get focused in the classroom.  Remembering that behaviour, and learning is behaviour is only kindled when we are stressed.  Unlike the lower levels, where a threat to initiate tension is relatively easy to achieve there is not much a teacher can ethically use to force the students to learn.  The best we can do is ignite their curiosity.

 

There is still a great deal of mystery about stress just what is it and how is it physically generated.  More recent works are suggesting the cerebellum is critical in assessing the homeostatic status of each person in the presenting environment.  Whatever the process, it is clear that we need stress to behave.  It is the level of stress that is critical, not enough and there is little action, too much and we can’t function.

 

In the next Newsletter we will discuss stress in these terms leading to the key thesis of my work.  It is the teacher’s control of the environment and therefore the level of stress that is the key, not only to successfully managing children with extremely dysfunctional behaviours but also getting the best learning outcomes for all students.

Posted by: AT 08:41 pm   |  Permalink   |  0 Comments  |  Email
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PRINCIPALS

John R Frew
Marcia J Vallance


ABN 64 372 518 772

ABOUT

The principals of the company have had long careers in education with a combined total of eighty-one years service.  After starting as mainstream teachers they both moved into careers in providing support for students with severe behaviours.

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