Brain States: Learning to Read Children’s BehaviorsA Conscious Discipline® Presentation

Presented by: Belinda Lorch, CDCIBrainBridge Connections®

with Conscious Discipline®

Sound familiar?

“Mom, she’s touching me!”“I HATE math!”

“Why do I have to unload the dishwasher?”“He took my doll!”

“I never get to do anything fun!”“Aaaaaaaaaaaaa! Moooooooom!”

“You’re the worst mom in the world!! I hate you!”

Q.T.I.P. METHOD

QUIT

TAKING

IT

PERSONALLY

www.ConsciousDiscipline.com 1-800-842-2846

Survival State

S.T.A.R.Stop

Take a deep breathAnd

Relax

You’re safe. Breathe with me.

You can handle this.

Emotional StateEmotional State• COMPLAININGCOMPLAINING

“Moooomm, when are we going to get there”

• JUDGMENTJUDGMENT“She always get to sit in the front”

• BLAMINGBLAMING

“He is touching me”

•Namecalling, Whining and Tattling

Developmental Age 15 months-4 years old

Emotional State

Executive State (Problem Solving)

• Attention- sustain in spite of distractibility

• Time Management

• Organization

• Planning/Prioritization

• Working Memory- hold info in memory while doing tasks

• Impulse Control- think before you act

• Flexibility- revise plans

• Empathy- see from another’s point of view

• Metacognition- observe self

• Goal Achievement- follow through

• Task Initiation

• Child does not start assignments (dilly dallies) and is not finished

• Child is constantly off task; in that time disrupts others

• Child hits, pushes, grabs in his interaction with others

• Child is verbally abusive to others & disrespectful to teacher

These skills are only accessible when the child is responding from their executive state

When you feel stressed you lose access to

Pre-Frontal Lobe Skills

Children who have A.D.D. = 20% less of these skills to begin with.

Frontal Lobe Development

• Just before age 2 – development begins

• 4 ½ - 8 – Big growth spurt

• 11-12 – Another growth spurt

• Teen (13 – 16) – Offline

• 18 – 19 – Frontal Lobe comes back online

• 25 – Fully Matured!!

Life comes at us through our

Limbic System