Viewing behaviour through a different lens

Throughout my career I have never been the 'typical' Occupational Therapist and due to my background in forensic psychology I have always been fascinated with behaviours.

As I worked as a teaching assistant in a specialist school I always found job satisfaction in supporting a group of students to regulate who demonstrated heightened stress and arousal on a daily basis. Once I specialised within sensory processing, my passion grew and grew, learning about new and up to date research regarding understanding behaviour from a mind-body connection has driven me as a professional to ensure I can support families and children as effectively as I can. Now more than ever, families talk to me about their challenges with behaviours which can often don't have any apparent trigger. These can be continuous and stressful when using all the resources you have as a parent but don't find a break through no matter what you do. 

One thing is for sure, behaviour is incorporates how a person interprets the world from their sensory interpretations, their thoughts and their feelings. Each and everyone of us is individualized and I find it fascinating digging deep to truly understand the cause. I always say to parents, we must view your child as your child and not their diagnosis. Their diagnosis provides the support network required for education etc however, what is fundamental to understanding their behaviour is, don't view their behaviour as problematic/ a concern but view it as human survival (Fight, flight or freeze).

Next time your child shows behaviours, view it from a survival perspective and it may enlighten you with a new approach to responding to their behaviour.