Best Practice for Navigating Transitions
By Natalie James , MS NCC LPC Oregon State University , Cascades
Widely known amongst the neuro-scientific community is that our brains develop from the bottom to the top , and from the inside out , beginning in utero . This means that the lowest , innermost parts of the brain are the only parts that are fully functioning and mature at birth . Our more complex structures strengthen and develop over time , with maturity and in relation to our experiences . Our most sophisticated brain functions — wherein we are able to reason , reflect , manage our emotions , control our impulses , organize information , and the like — are not fully “ online and firing ” until our mid to late 20s . And this is only within the context of optimal development ! So what does this mean for the children and young people with whom we are connected ? How does traditional brain development impact behavior and , potentially , compromise healthy working relationships ?
In my 20-plus years working with children and families , first in early childhood education and later in pediatric mental health , it has become abundantly clear just how problematic a lack of developmental understanding can be with regards to the adult-child relationship . You see , children behave exactly as their brains are wired to behave based on current stage of development , stress level , and lived experience . When an unprepared and immature brain is faced with an unfamiliar challenge , frequent transitions , varying expectations , reactive discipline , etc ., reasoning , reflection , and self-regulation go out the window . The young individual will unconsciously default to the more developed , protective functions of the lower brain . Whichever actions the child has learned over the course of his or her life experiences are the most effective for staying safe ( mentally , emotionally , and physically ) become the automatic response . For some children that action is freezing or fawning , while others tend to fight , and many attempt to flee .
Page 6 Fall 2022 CSEE Connections