Caveman Calms The Thinker ACO Coaches

The Caveman Calms The Thinker: Practical Strategies

for Your Coaching Practice

www.lynnekenney.com

Right Now You Have A Choice

To Become a Brain Ambassador

Join Us in our effort to Improve the lives of

100,000 families in 2011

Workshop Objectives

Introduce the coach and clinician to a New Era of thought in ADHD treatment. One that focuses on the whole person not the diagnosis.

Introduce the coach and clinician to practical strategies across domains of functioning that can be used in every day practice.

Help the clinician use brain-based skills in their work.

How America Turned Parenting Upside Down

We began to believe that we could punish or consequence a person into a new behavior. This may work in the moment but it does not build skill sets.

TODAY – We explore

1. How to build skill sets by understanding brain development.

2. The mechanics of building skill sets in ADHD and beyond.

To Build Skills You Need A Foundation

SKILL SETSCo

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The Foundation: A Culture of Respect

Welcome to Your Brain

The Thinker: Executive function, organization and planning Inhibition Shift Self-regulation Organization Planning Decision Making

The Caveman: Safe Vulnerable Dangerous/Fight Flight Freeze Amygdala Don’t reason with me when I am firing

Domains of Functioning

The Developmental World of Your Client

Cognitive

Social Emotional

Kinesthetic

Fine Motor

Gross Motor

Sensory

Temperament

Major Brain Structures

Higher Order Cerebral Function

The Thinker

EF: What Does it Do?

Executive Function (EF) refers to brain functions in the cerebral cortex that activate, organize, integrate and manage other functions.

It enables goal directed behavior. It enhances sequencing, planning,

organizing and task execution.

Executive Function

What is it? Thomas Brown breaks executive functions

down into six different "clusters." Organizing, prioritizing and activating for tasks Focusing, sustaining and shifting attention to

task Regulating alertness, sustaining effort and

processing speed Managing frustration and modulating emotions Utilizing working memory and accessing recall Monitoring and self-regulating action

EF: Components

Working memory and recall (holding facts in mind while manipulating information; accessing facts stored in long-term memory)

Activation, arousal and effort (getting started; paying attention; completing work)

Emotion control (tolerating frustration; thinking before acting or speaking)

Internalizing language (using self-talk to control one's behavior and direct future actions)

Complex problem solving (taking an issue apart, analyzing the pieces, reconstituting and organizing them into new ideas)

Limbic Brain

The Caveman

Limbic Brain

The Caveman

Have You Met Mr. Amygdala? The amygdala is responsible for identifying

threats to our well-being, and for sending out an alarm when threats are identified that results in us taking steps to protect ourselves. The amygdala

Efficient Fast First Dangerous, vulnerable, safe

READY FIRE AIM - Our brains are wired in such a way as to influence us to act before we can properly consider the consequences of our actions.

Your Brain on Anger

As you become angry your body's muscles tense up. Inside your brain, neurotransmitter chemicals known as catecholamines are released causing you to experience a burst of energy lasting up to several minutes. Fight Flight or Freeze Narrows Attention “Do not argue with me when my amygdala is firing.” You're now ready to fight.

ArticleThe effects of stress and stress hormones on human cognition: Implications for the field of brain and cognition S.J. Lupiena, , , F. Maheub, M. Tuc, A. Fioccoa and T.E. Schrameka

The Thinker Manages The Caveman Although it is possible for your emotions to rage

out of control, the prefrontal cortex of your brain, which is located just behind your forehead, can keep your emotions in proportion. If the amygdala handles emotion, the prefrontal cortex

handles judgment. The left prefrontal cortex can switch off your emotions.

It serves in an executive role to keep things under control.

Getting control over your anger means learning ways to help your prefrontal cortex get the upper hand over your amygdala so that you have control over how you react to anger feelings.

Prime The Caveman To Remain Calm

The adrenaline-caused arousal that occurs during anger lasts a very long time (many hours, sometimes days), and lowers our anger threshold, making it easier for us to get angry again later on. Though we do calm down, it takes a very

long time for us to return to our resting state. During this slow cool-down period we are

more likely to get very angry in response to minor irritations that normally would not bother us.

F*Get You!

The same lingering arousal that keeps us primed for more anger also can interfere with our ability to clearly remember details of our angry outburst. Arousal is vital for efficient remembering. Moderate arousal levels help the brain to learn and

enhance memory, concentration, and performance. There is an optimum level of arousal that benefits

memory, however, and when arousal exceeds that optimum level, it makes it more difficult for new memories to be formed.

High levels of arousal (such as are present when we are angry) significantly decrease your ability to concentrate. This is why it is difficult to remember details of really explosive arguments. Source: Harry Mills, Ph.D

Why We Calm The Caveman Then Engage The Thinker

High levels of arousal diminish attention and focus.

High level of arousal limit EF activation.

High levels of arousal lead to forgetting.

STEPS TO CALMING THE CAVEMAN

Calm the limbic brain with movement and or sound.

Introduce the specific skill to be trained. Separate the skill into discrete parts. Practice each component. Model, experience then repeat. Provide feedback. Review the learned behavior. Establish time frames for practice. Provide consistent specific reinforcement.

Five Secrets To Intervention

SEL www.kimochis.com Music – Highest assoc w college

graduation is reading and competently playing an instrument

Motor to Cognition – The Wii – Cross planes w thought

Movement – SPARKPE.org Discrete Skill Sets – Break it down to

avoid the melt-down

KIMOCHIS™ KEYS TO COMMUNICATIONCall someone’s name, wait for eye contact, and give a communication tap, if necessary, before you speak.

Use a talking tone of voice instead of a fighting tone of voice.

Use a talking face and relaxed body language instead of a fighting face and tense body language.

Choose words that help instead of hurt. (“I feel mad because …” instead of “I hate it when …”)

Be brave and redo hurtful moments.

Be kind and let people try again.

Assume the best. (“He probably isn’t mad at me, maybe he is mad because he lost the game.”)

Expressing Mad FeelingsThe Kimochis Way

I am aware I felt mad because ______ I used my calming skills so I could be mad

without being mean. I gained attention before speaking by calling a

name, making eye contact and/or using a communication tap.

I chose my talking voice. I chose my talking face and body. I chose helpful words. I feel proud I chose a positive way to

communicate.

Methods For Calming The Caveman SEL www.kimochis.com Physical Movement www.sparkpe.org Repetitive Movement http://yogakids.com/ Rhythmic Breathing Take Five Music/Stories Listening

www.stressfreekids.com Art Drawing Mandalas Listen to a Raisin – Meditate Visual Training www.cognibeat.com

Sample Breakdown: Teaching Skills- Listening

I chose not to speak I listened to someone speaking I nodded my head to show I was listening

I repeated back what I heard, when asked I asked a question when I did not understand

I remembered instructions

I followed the instructions

Our Call To Courage

Stepping Up Your Game Develop a research-based not opinion

based practice. Respect the inherent skills in your clients. Read the research. Join groups, forums and professional

organizations for continuing education. Read books, research articles, listen to

podcasts, watch Youtube, develop a circle of professionals to call when you need to know more.

Climb On The Brain Train

Join Twitter the fastest research site in America RT brain-based research @DrLynneKenney Read The Ultramind Solution Mark Hyman, MD Consider Food - The Eat Clean Diet Tosca Reno Read The Family Coach Method Lynne Kenney, PsyD Implement - Growing an In Sync Child Carol Kranowitz Be cutting edge with Howard Eaton, Norman Doidge, Daniel

Pink and more Be The Mindful Therapist: A Clinician's Guide to Mindsight

and Neural Integration Daniel Siegel Take Care - Therapist's Guide to Self-Care Lillie Weiss; Take

Care Tips Jennifer Antkowiak Know when to refer out!

Books For Your Library

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science (Hardcover) by Norman Doidge

Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain (Hardcover) by Oliver Sacks

Brain School by Howard Eaton Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of

Exercise and the Brain (Hardcover) by John J. Ratey

Let Us Change Lives!

I am personally inviting you to help us by being a Brain Ambassador. Join The Brain Train.  You too can change lives. What can you do to spread brain-based parenting skills across the globe?

1. Sign-up for my "Welcome to My Brain" ebook about your child's brain at www.lynnekenney.com2. Share one kernel of brain based education from my blog or from the sites of my team members Wendy Young, Sue Atkins, Deborah McNelis or #411 Voices.Then tell us what content you shared on Dr. Lynne Weighs In. 3. Tell the coaches, clinicians, and social workers you know about my May Training. http://lynnekenney.com/from-method-to-practice-in-30-days/4. Teach emotional intelligence with Kimochis5. Use physical tools such as the SparkPe.org curriculum for motor to cognition