Page 9 - Refresher Overview November 2020
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Element of Key Points from Evidence Base What this means for those supporting Key tools/resources developed within Leading experts working in the field
Programme young people & their families our programme related to this
Child’s Mentalisation, the ability to Much negative behaviour is driven ▪ Our mantra: Knowledge of self is power
Understanding understand the mental state, of subconsciously: although children generally to self’. Positive impact of metacognition
of Self at the oneself or others, that underlies overt know what they are doing is not helpful to ▪ The focus on the child being at the strategies - EEF:
Core of the behaviour has been found to be a key others, they are rarely clear on what drives centre of this approach runs through https://educationendowmentfounda
Empowerment factor in effective intervention the behaviour. every aspect of the programme – from tion.org.uk/evidence-
Approach programmes (Peter Fonagy) By understanding and making sense of their the high focus on concrete and visual
behavioural responses, a child is enabled to resources, the adaptation of all models summaries/teaching-learning-toolkit
Metacognition has been identified as a move from subconscious autonomic for use with children and the creation
high impact factor in interventions responses to conscious control of self. of action plans, reports and tools Peter Fonagy:
(EEF) Knowledge of self is power to self’ – the more designed for the child not simply for https://www.annafreud.org/about-
children can understand and make sense of adults. us/meet-the-leadership-
their behavioural responses, the more they ▪ The Me Mindsearch & You Mindsearch team/professor-peter-fonagy-chief-
will be in a position to take control and plan model executive/
for positive change. By knowing needs, they ▪ The Chair Swap Model
will be in a position to meet these in more See also research into the Mirror
helpful ways. Neuron System, e.g. Van Overwalle
The process of mentalisation – the skill of and Baetens, 2009).
analysing and making sense of one’s own
thoughts, feelings and those of others, has
been found to be a key factor in the efficacy
of intervention programmes (Fonagy, 2018).
Understanding Challenging behaviour arises due to When a child presents with challenging ▪ Our Three Brain Needs & 6 categories Dr Stuart Shanker
& Reducing the child experiencing stressors in one behaviour, the first step should be to work of needs
Stressors: or more domains. with the child to identify stressors. ▪ The Cups Model: we all have differing https://self-reg.ca/wp-
Overview levels of need. content/uploads/2017/10/SCIENCE_prin
In order for children to make Once the stressors are identified, adults ▪ Stressor Spotting Model: working out table.pdf?pdf=science-backgrounder
progress, we must identify and reduce should work with the child to reduce these stressors using the Needs/Stressor
these stressors. stressors. cards https://self-reg.ca/self-reg/self-
▪ Principle: when cups of (physical, regknowledge-series/
Many children have poor body awareness emotional or cognitive) needs are not
and are not able to recognise signs of stress. met well, young people can ‘feel Body aware: see also Daniel Siegel
This needs to be taught and practised. prickly’. strategies e.g. Body Scanning
▪ Our mantra: ‘When children feel
Children need regular strategies for energy prickly, they act prickly’. Although our ‘Three Brain Needs’ model
restoration and experiencing inner calm. This ▪ Our mantra: ‘Be curious, not furious’ is based loosely on the concept of the
is different for each person and needs to be about behaviour. What’s inside the Triune Brain (MacLean, 1990) it has
explored and weaved into routines. prickle?’ been adapted to take account of
▪ Concept of filling cups – meeting unmet criticism of MacLean’s work (e.g. Reiner,
needs. 1990) and follows Geary’s (2002)
▪ Strategies for become body aware premise that: “The Triune brain concept
▪ Strategies for finding calm. may be wrong in some of its particulars,
▪ I can self-reg rubric right in others, but still very useful and
valid in its more general features.”
