Page 47 - Unit 3 Brain Control

What does this all mean to practice?

What this means to the way we should support children and young people

WE NEED TO FOCUS ON STRENGTHS

8. We should use a strength-based approach, helping everyone to understand that what may

appear as a difficulty in some situations, their responses as natural brain adaptations for keeping

themselves safe, or simply brain differences. We should focus on whether e.g. impulsivity (which can
be a great strength in some situations) is helpful or unhelpful in a particular situation.

• For example, instead of saying to a child who is being a Determined Donkey rigid thinker and
refusing to do something, “You are being stubborn”, we explain times when this rigidity would be

helpful and how right now it is not so helpful.

• Instead of describing a child with Squirrel Attention as not being able to concentrate, we should
explain times when being on high alert like this and noticing lots of different things would be

helpful. We could then Focused Feline (cat) attention is the one that would be best now.

9. By focusing on strengths and describing difficulties as skills to develop, we preserve a

child’s sense of self and confidence.