Fight or Flight

“What the heck is happening?” 

“Why are you acting this way?” 

“I don’t even know what to do with you!”

We’ve all heard these terms:

·      Dis-regulated child

·      Spirited child

·      Disconnected child

·      Unmanageable

·      Spoiled

But what do these labels REALLY MEAN?  And are these kids and parents doomed to fail?

No!  No!  No!  THERE IS HOPE!  There is no doubt that children who are described with these words are very hard to parent – even exhausting, but that is not the end of the story!

 Whether your child is very head strong or on the autism spectrum, the executive functions that allow the child to regulate which part of the brain controls their reactions to adverse “input” does not function well or at all.

 When these children feel any resistance, the part of the brain that deals with emergencies takes over and these kids CANNOT think, regulate, control their emotions or even keep themselves safe!  They are in FIGHT or FLIGHT mode.

What does this REALLY look like?  How can I tell my child is in this mode?  Continue to read my series on Dis-Regulation for more!