ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a road map for understanding how a child’s underlying sensory problems are directly linked to problems with self-regulation that can cascade into emotional and behavioral difficulties. It argues that what appears to be challenging behavior is actually often the result of an immature sensory nervous system that leaves a child in sensory overload and overwhelm. It takes a closer look at a child’s sensory triggers and how they cause, whether from under- or over-reactivity, an automatic flight into ‘survival mode’. The chapter helps parents to understand that a child in survival mode is not just ‘behaving badly’ or pushing the parent away – they are essentially pushing away the stimulation that is over-loading their fragile nervous system. It concludes by examining the importance of helping a child get back to a state of safety, calm and receptivity – that place where all connection and learning take place.
