 |
 |
|
|
Working Assumptions and Theories About Early DevelopmentThe following is the foundational theory behind the effective support Isaac Romano has provided to Children, Parents And Child Care Program Staff (both center based and family child care) for the last 25 years. Working Definition of Stress:"The accumulation of unprocessed physical and emotional pain." -Aletha Solter, Ph.D. Attachment Theory:Children deeply, deeply want to be "connected" to other human beings (Wipfler, 1990). We see this very clearly in young children. But this sense of connection is very fragile and is easily broken (Wiplfer, 1990). This is particularly true in a society that is not child centered. Young children are easily confused and frightened by events and misinformation around them that are beyond their ability to make sense of and have understanding from. For many children this sense of connection is broken frequently. But this sense of connection need not be broken frequently to affect how a child sees his or her world, the people in it and their place in the world. This is how fragile this sense of connection is. Biochemical Affects of Stressful Events:Accumulated stress, or traumatic events will, over time, increase
the likelihood that an over- secretion of glucocorticoids may occur,
leading to glucocorticoid neurotoxicity and neuron death (Frey,
1996; Sapolsky, 1994). Attachment Based Interventions Can Be Effective and Can Stop The Deleterious Affects On the Brain, Returning The Body Systems To Chemical Balance:With early intervention it is possible to stop the recycling of negative mental conditioning and associated mental reenactments (i.e. physiological alarm reactions from past trauma/stressful events) before potential damage takes place to the hippocampus. Before glucocorticoid neurotoxicity takes its toll (Solter, 1998).
The critical component for assisting young children is "attachment" work: Attachment work holds the potential of short-circuiting the physiological "alarm reactions from past trauma/stressful events," and in turn breaks the cycle, stopping glucocorticoid neurotoxicity, protecting the brain with trophic factors, protecting neurons in the hippocampus where learning and memory occur (Solter, 1997). The means for assisting children that show a "disconnect" due to accumulated stress (most often shown as tense, withdrawn, unfocused or unkind behavior), include the following: 1. Reestablishing and deepening the sense of connection between the child and the adult (Wipfler, 1990). This then can generalize to other relationships in the child’s life. 2. Use of modalities that deepen and strengthen the connection with the child and establish that the child has a renewed feeling of "joy"(Gunsberg, 1989). The child’s laughter during these play modalities is a signal of renewed joy (Wipfler, 1990; Gunsberg, 1989). 3. With the reestablishing and deepening of connection and joy, there is increased emotional safety for the child, allowing the child’s "inborn repair kit" to become operational (Solter, 1989). Working definition of how children recover from stress:"Children’s "inborn repair kits" (Solter, 1997): Children are experts on tension release: When they are sad, they cry. When they are frustrated, they throw a temper tantrum (Solter, 1997; Wipfler, 1990). For as international infant specialist Magda Gerber says, "All feelings have a beginning and an end. Sadness, frustration, ...they are all legitimate feelings". It is a matter of "hanging in there" with children through these strong emotions (Gerber, 1988). You will witness remarkable behavioral changes in children when children’s "inborn repair kits" (Solter, 1997) are allowed to function, with the attention of a thoughtful adult. Below are the five stress release mechanisms in young children:
Unfortunately, many of these stress release mechanisms listed above are considered part of the problem e.g. crying and tantruming. Adults will be better predisposed by understanding and working with children’s tears and tantrums (Solter, 1998). On the spot assessment of "Reasons For Challenging Behaviours":Another necessary component allowing adults to more effectively work with children’s challenging behaviors (most often shown as tense, withdrawn, unfocused or unkind behavior) is to train parents and other caregivers to use an effective, on the spot assessment tool for assessing reasons for undesirable-behavior. Helping adults to think instead of react to the child’s behavior: 1. To first and foremost determine if the child is attempting to fill a legitimate need that is causing the behavior. (e.g. The child may have an unmet need for food, attention, closeness, stimulation, autonomy, movement, meaningful involvement, respect, or the child’s needs are being thwarted (Solter, 1989). 2. The child lacks information or is he/she to too young to remember or understand rules (Solter, 1989). 3. The child is upset (ex: scared, hurt, jealous, frustrated, disappointed, discouraged, insecure). The child has accumulated stress from the past (Solter, 1989). Integrating such an assessment tool into the caregiving will provide the parent or child care provider with a means for coming up with more appropriate responses to the child exhibiting challenging behaviors. Our children are exuberant, willful, thoughtful and intelligent. Children are exuberant explorers, and self-learners who have a desire to build close, cooperative relationships with adults and with other young people. The use of thoughtful, attachment modalities as outlined above help restore children to their loving, cooperative selves. When young children are unstressed, they are, as internationally renown infant specialist Magda Gerber so eloquently notes, "self-learners that engage in self-initiated play." With this in mind, the following is a good working definition of how children learn: "When children are feeling good about themselves and close to the people they are with, they are learning every moment in their play" (Wipfler, 1990). i.e. constructing new knowledge based on what they understood from their previous experience and how they then choose to use the materials, toys and structures in the play setting (Lally, 1992; Gerber, 1989; Wipfler, 1990). ReferencesFrey, W.H., (1996). Mechanisms By Which Stress Increases the Risk For Neurologic and Cardiac Damage: Can Emotional Crying or Other Methods of Stress Reductions Help? Neurology Research Labs., Regions Hospital (Formerly St. Paul Ramsey Medical Center), St. Paul, MN. Gunsberg, A. (1989). Empowering Young Abused and Neglected Children Through Contingency Play. Childhood Education, Fall. Lally, R. (1992). Video: Discoveries of Infancy, Cognitive Development and Learning. Program for Infant Toddler Caregivers. Sacramento, CA. Far West Laboratory, Center for Child and Family Studies, California Dept. of Education. Gerber, M., Lally, R. (1988). Video: Respectfully Yours, Magda Gerber’s Approach to Professional Infant Toddler Care. Program for Infant Toddler Caregivers. Sacramento, CA. Far West Laboratory, Center for Child and Family Studies, California Dept. of Education. Solter, A.J. (1989). Helping young children flourish. Goleta, CA: Shining Star Press. Solter, Aletha. (1993). Helping Young Children Flourish (Workbook).
Goleta, CA: Shining Star Press. Solter, A.J. (1998). Tears and Tantrums: What to Do When Babies and Children Cry. Goleta, CA: Shining Star Press. Solter, A. J. (1996). Tears for trauma: Birth trauma, crying, and
child abuse. Primal Renaissance, 2 (1), 27-34. Solter, A.J. (revised edition). (2001 ). The Aware Baby. Goleta,
CA: Shining Star Press. Sapolsky, R.M. (1994). Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: A Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping. New York: W.H. Freeman & Company. Stein, D. G., Brailowsky, S., Will, B. (1995). Brain Repair. New
York: Oxford University Press. Wipfler, P. (1990). Listening to the Child: Play Listening. Palo Alto, CA:The Parents Leadership Institute. |