This post says it all!

I am reposting this excellent post from Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint

This post says it all!!

”Trauma is in fact a “physical injury” to the brain. Studies show childhood trauma has lifelong impact on both mental and physical health.

This is info we all need to carry with us into our advocacy because we must disabuse schools and legislators of the notion that trauma isn’t a physical injury.

Trauma does permanent physiological damage to the brain. The brain is the most vital organ in the human body. Hence, damage done to the most vital organ in the body is indeed a “physical injury.”

Some states have banned restraints that “impede breathing.” What about restraints that impede the ability for a developing brain to function properly when exposed to persistent primal fight, flight, or freeze reactions?

Think about it.
#endseclusion“

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=95ovIJ3dsNk

 Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California Surgeon General

It can AND should be better for our kids

Just found this gem of a podcast.  Take a listen.  The source is
Here this now.com.   Wow!!
This is why I continue to fight for change in our district.  Not one of you reading this should ever have to go through what my family dealt with (as well as many other families) as far back as 10 years ago.  10!  It doesn’t have to be this way, the information is there.  And now the district trying to implement PBIS and MTSS in junior high tells me they missed the mark years ago, and still missing it.  There is no playing catch up for our kids.  The system needs to change.
As scary as that sounds, it is happening all over the country and the world.  It needs to change in Davis.  Your kids deserve to be educated in a manner that allows them to access the curriculum, to be understood, and to be loved and treated with respect at ALL times.  I’ll never say it is too late for my son.  We work so hard everyday to support him.  But it could have been different.  It could have been better.  It could have saved him from further trauma.
And yes, many of our children suffer unnecessarily because they are misunderstood, they are told they are bad kids, they are punished excessively for behaviors that they have no control over (look at the brain science); and this starts when they are so young.  What happens when these kids are still not understood, still struggling with behaviors that are seen as intentional, they are still critisized for not staying in control or not listening, they are bullied, and still receive constant messages they are a problem at school.   These little kids, become big kids, with bigger issues.  I will never say it has been easy.  But now that my son is almost 16, I want other parents to know, it can be better.  We do not have to accept police being called on our young children because they are melting down due to sensory over reaction.  And yes this happens.  Seclusion happens. Restraint happens. Being sent out of district happens due to “behavior”.
I just don’t want anyone else’s child to have to go through some of these very real experiences.  It can’t continue!  Love to hear your thoughts if you watch this video!

https://youtu.be/mub55HVvQ14

Credit:  www.herethisnow.org

Photo credit:  Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint

A great new Cannabis Podcast. A practical guide 101

Many of you already know our story about Cannabis and the incredible positive impact it has had on our son,( and our family).
I get asked all the time for more information, how to start, does it work, is it legal, etc.

Well, here is an awesome new Podcast called Doctors on Cannabis, featuring Dr. Karen Mo.

It is an incredibly helpful Cannabis 101

Take a listen.  Think of it as the practical guide to Cannabis.

https://soundcloud.com/alison-farley-199412237/medical-marijuana-101-how-to-dial-your-dose

Here is their website:  Doctors on Cannabis
https://www.doctorsoncannabis.com/

When rewards don’t work......why?

This this this.    How many years and tears at IEP meetings trying to help our son.  Even with our amazing professional team by our side, advocating for our son, the notion that our son had no control over his behaviors.  He was living in fight for flight, trying desperately to survive.   He didn't feel safe.  Period.  It isnt up to us to decide what us safe and unsafe.  This is his autonomic response.  Bottom up or body up behavior for survival,  not an intentional choice to "mis behave, to have an outburst, a meltdown,  fight".   No amount of reward offered could change this.  It only made the stress response worse.  If only people from the schools understood this.  Listened to the true experts which we were fortunate to have on our sons team of support.  But instead it was met with continual resistance,  with frustration, with misunderstanding that perpetuated the problems and continued to create more chaos for our son.  We must as a society,  community,  and local educators do better to understand the paradigm of behaviors.  Our kids lives depend on it.  Our kids can be successful.   They are like all kids who want to do good.  They do good when they can.  When they cant, it is up to us the adults all around them to figure out why?  What is causing this stress response in the child?  Why is the child not feeling safe?  Our kids and our schools all win when we propeyly support the social emotional development of each child and recognize that this is a developmental process.  And especially kids with known developmental delays, we must step back and help provide safety and connection first.  When we were continually met with so much resistance from our school, we knew our sons future was at stake.  We had to do everything in our power to help him.  To support him.  To help him grow, develop and be a little boy.  He had suffered so much already in his short life.    We were not going to let others who were choosing to ignore what our expert team said was critical for our sons development,  have anymore negative impact and continue to cause more unnecessary stress that has such a negative impact on our son.  It was clear to save our son, it was time to pull him out of school.  Ideal, no.  Necessary, yes.  And it was the best decision we could have ever made for him and our family.  And 9 years later,  we have the luxury now to look back and see what s good decision we made.  Despite all the judgement and criticism.   We knew what our son needed,  and it was not more stress, an overwhelmed nervous system, more chaos,  more discipline,  more anything;  except more moments of feeling safe and connected by those of us who loved him and know him.  And it helped get him to where he is today.   And as hard as it was, we do not have any regrets or have ever second guessed our decision.

......."t was my job to help the adults in Colwyn’s life embrace a more developmental understanding of his social-emotional development and its impact on his lack of behavioral control. I explained that instead of seeing a little boy exhibiting “bad behaviors,” I saw a child exhibiting “stress behaviors,” adaptations of his ANS working valiantly to help him feel safe. Colwyn’s disruptive behaviors were his body’s way of managing his neuroception of threat and trying to feel safe. The sticker chart was ineffective because every time he got another red dot, his stress increased, causing the emotional outbursts. In other words, these were bottom-up behaviors, not the result of his poor choices......."

https://www.psychotherapynetworker.org/magazine/article/2427/in-consultation/cfa5fb2c-1b19-405f-aa14-f745b4dd6979?utm_campaign=PN_R_WIR