Have you ever heard of the therapeutic tool called 'Front Loading?"

There’s a really strategic approach to front loading -and the entire purpose it to set kids up for success – not heighten them or push them to escalation. It is about providing children with just the right amount of information, setting clear and achievable expectations, providing opportunities to practise skills before they encounter a situation, task, or learning experience.

In this solo episode Chrissie gives clear guidelines to how and why front loading kids is a must have strategy for your therapeutic tool box - especially when working with kids who live with anticipatory anxiety and ADHD.

If you recognise the names Augie Pullman & Mr Tushman, then chances are you may know what this solo episode is centred on. An amazing book titled "Wonder."

Chrissie shares during this solo episode the importance of parents relinquishing control and encouraging their children to step out in the big wide world away from the safety of the family nest.

You see, Augie lives with a disability called Treacher Collins syndrome which is a genetic disorder that affects growth and development of the head. It prevents the skull, cheek and jawbones from developing properly, causing facial anomalies and hearing loss.

The episode also discusses the vital roles of attachment that our educators play in the lives of all children, but just how important they are for children living with disabilities: visble or not..

Disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, anxiety, foetal alcohol syndrome, developmental trauma and dyslexia are just some of the examples of invisible disabilities that people live with in our communities. These disabilities are not always ‘obvious’ to other people as they are part of the human brain wiring. We call this our neurotype and is why I encourage families to teach their kids about their brain as a starting point to understanding neurodivergence.

Education around developmental differences is vitally important as everybody deserves to know that they belong to their community and feel understood by those around them. It’s important that we are having those conversations as families to support understandings for when our kids meet other children who are different to them.

Research indicates that kids who grow up in families where they have access to this information, where it is encouraged as part of their everyday conversations, go on to be more accepting, inclusive and understanding of those with differences to them.”

“When we are a family that embraces and celebrates difference, then our kids go on to do the same. True inclusion starts at home."

You can purchase the book Wonder here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Wonder-R-J-Palacio/dp/0375869026

You can learn more about Treacher Collins Syndrome here: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/treacher-collins-syndrome

Buckle in - this is is a bit of a longer one - as our topic of Pervasive Drive for Autonomy(PDA) is so complex, we needed more time to unpack this at times, perplexing, nervous system disability, and how it shows up in our kids at home and in school.

Both Chrissie & Steph have lived experience of raising a little PDAer, and they have learnt so much 'on the job' about just how much these kids are wired for safety and relational attunement from their attachment figures.

We hope this informative chat leads you further into your understandings about how the nervous system is impacted so significantly for these kids in educational settings, and why using intrinsic motivation and known areas of interests, declarative language and understanding sensory systems are paramount when supporting them.

We really need to provide them with as many opportunities for a sense of' felt safety and strongly attuned relationships' to support their nervous system regulation, keep them engaged and able to learn.

Work with Steph Robertson: https://www.sgroccupationaltherapy.com/

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The body keeps the score

Declarative Language Handbook

Dan Siegal - brain hand model

Polyvagal Theory