What Truly Works for Challenging Behaviors, with Mona Delahooke

Parenting and teaching should prioritize supporting the nervous systems and understanding underlying challenges. Nurturing a child's nervous system is crucial as they are not just a brain or body, but both. The body plays a vital role in transmitting information to the brain through sense organs. The impact on children is heavily influenced by how parents are, as nervous systems are shared between two individuals. The platform, the connection between the brain and body, is essential for optimal development. The body budget, a metaphor for allostasis, regulates the stability of the physical body. Neurodivergent children often have depleted body budgets in traditional educational settings, leading to stress and learning difficulties. Meeting expectations can drain the body budget, resulting in misunderstood big behaviors. Understanding physiological needs and providing support is more important than behavior management. Isolating individuals with vulnerable platforms can further deplete their body budgets, so compassion and understanding are crucial.