Tanya Valentin's Blog, page 3

Understanding Interoception and Support Children with Elen Nathan

In this conversation, Tanya and Elen delve into the concepts of interoception and neuroception, exploring how these senses impact our understanding of bodily signals and emotional responses. They discuss the importance of recognizing and responding to internal cues for self-regulation, particularly in neurodivergent individuals. The conversation also highlights the significance of creating safe environments and understanding survival responses, such as fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. Finally, they emphasize the need to find glimmers of joy in everyday life to support emotional well-being and resilience.

Interoception is our sense of what’s happening inside our body.Neuroception is our sense of safety and danger.Everyone has sensory systems, and understanding them is crucial.Self-regulation starts with noticing internal sensations.Not everyone receives interoceptive messages reliably.Children may struggle with recognizing bodily cues due to various factors.Trauma can impact one’s ability to sense internal messages.Finding glimmers of joy can enhance emotional resilience.Practicing self-regulation strategies when calm is more effective.Understanding survival responses helps in supporting children.Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Overview

03:12 Understanding Interoception and Neuroception

06:36 The Impact of Interoception on Daily Activities

14:29 Challenges and Variations in Interoception

19:13 Being Trauma-Informed in Interoception Work

27:27 Strategies for Developing Interoception Awareness

40:23 Supporting Children in Using Self-Regulation Strategies

50:00 Understanding Neuroception: Our Sense of Safety and Danger

55:41 The Different Threat Responses: Mobilization and Immobilization

01:13:37 Signaling Safety to Children: Tuning into Glimmers and Moments of Joy

Download Transcript Here

The post Understanding Interoception and Support Children with Elen Nathan appeared first on Tanya Valentin.

Understanding Interoception and Neuroception to Support Children with Elen Nathan

In this conversation, Tanya and Elen delve into the concepts of interoception and neuroception, exploring how these senses impact our understanding of bodily signals and emotional responses. They discuss the importance of recognizing and responding to internal cues for self-regulation, particularly in neurodivergent individuals. The conversation also highlights the significance of creating safe environments and understanding survival responses, such as fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. Finally, they emphasize the need to find glimmers of joy in everyday life to support emotional well-being and resilience.

Interoception is our sense of what’s happening inside our body.Neuroception is our sense of safety and danger.Everyone has sensory systems, and understanding them is crucial.Self-regulation starts with noticing internal sensations.Not everyone receives interoceptive messages reliably.Children may struggle with recognizing bodily cues due to various factors.Trauma can impact one’s ability to sense internal messages.Finding glimmers of joy can enhance emotional resilience.Practicing self-regulation strategies when calm is more effective.Understanding survival responses helps in supporting children.Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Overview

03:12 Understanding Interoception and Neuroception

06:36 The Impact of Interoception on Daily Activities

14:29 Challenges and Variations in Interoception

19:13 Being Trauma-Informed in Interoception Work

27:27 Strategies for Developing Interoception Awareness

40:23 Supporting Children in Using Self-Regulation Strategies

50:00 Understanding Neuroception: Our Sense of Safety and Danger

55:41 The Different Threat Responses: Mobilization and Immobilization

01:13:37 Signaling Safety to Children: Tuning into Glimmers and Moments of Joy

Download Transcript Here

The post Understanding Interoception and Neuroception to Support Children with Elen Nathan appeared first on Tanya Valentin.

Understanding Monotropism

Strategies For Protecting Your Autistic Child from Burnout.

As a parent of an Autistic child or teen, understanding the unique ways their brain processes information can be incredibly helpful in giving them the support they need and protecting them from Autistic Burnout. One such concept is Monotropism—a term that refers to a person’s ability to focus intensely on just a few things at a time while tuning out everything else. This deep focus can lead to intense experiences and deep thinking, especially for Autistic individuals. (Murray, Lawson, Lesser, 1990)

What Is Monotropism?

Monotropism is when someone whose brain has the tendency to focus deeply on one thing at a time. This is often described as “tunnel vision,” where a person with a monotropic brain can become deeply engaged in specific tasks or interests. This is different from the majority of people, who have polytropic brains, allowing them to focus on multiple things at once and switch tasks more easily.

For Autistic individuals, this intense focus can affect how they process information and communicate. Since monotropic and polytropic people experience the world differently, it can sometimes lead to misunderstanding and a phenomenon known as the “double empathy problem”.

Sensory Overwhelm

Because of their monotropic focus, your Autistic child or teen may experience the world very intensely through their senses.

Many classrooms are filled with loud noises, other students, and visual distractions. An Autistic child or teen may struggle to focus on their learning because their attention is consumed by the sensory environment.

Sensory input like loud noises, bright lights, or uncomfortable clothing can consume their full attention. This means that if they’re dealing with sensory overwhelm, they might not hear or respond to your requests.

What You Can Do:Recognise the Intensity: Understand that their sensory experience is taking up all their focus.Reduce Overwhelm: Minimize or remove the source of overstimulation whenever possible.Give Them Time: Allow them time to regulate their nervous system before making requests or giving instructions.Understanding Monotropism And Autistic Inertia

Autistic inertia refers to the difficulty many Autistic individuals experience when starting, stopping, or switching tasks.

Understanding monotropism plays a significant role here because of the intense focus on a limited number of interests or tasks. Once your child is deeply engaged in an activity, shifting their attention can be incredibly challenging.

Autistic inertia can also affect your child during transitions between different parts of their routine. For instance, such as going from being asleep to waking up and getting out of bed.

Additionally, if your child is anticipating an upcoming event, it might consume a lot of their focus. They may seem “stuck” waiting for the event to occur. This might mean that they may struggle to remember or complete other tasks until the event has passed.

What You Can Do:Acknowledge the Challenge: Understand that transitions are difficult not because they don’t want to, but because it’s hard for them to shift their focus.Allow Completion: Let your child finish a stage of their activity before asking them to move on.Use Visual Aids: Tools like sand timers or picture schedules can help ease transitions.Use Declarative Language: Declarative language is an indirect, observational way of speaking that helps a child feel safe, as there’s no right or wrong response. It encourages them to notice their surroundings, learn through discovery, and solve problems independently, maintaining their sense of autonomy.Start the Next Step for Them: When an Autistic child or teen seems stuck, beginning the task for them can provide helpful support. For instance, you could write the title and date on their assignment page to get them started or lay out their clothes to assist with morning transitions.Understanding The Link Between Monotropism And BurnoutMonotropic Split

A monotropic split occurs when your Autistic child is suddenly pulled out of their hyperfocus and asked to pay attention to multiple things at once. This can cause significant stress, leading to overwhelm, meltdowns, or even rage.

Autistic children tend to process information in ‘chunks’ (gestalt learners). This means that they approach a task, activity or playscape with a specific framework of how things need to go. The Autistic child will have a desired endpoint that allows them to feel like what they have been finished with is complete. When they are pulled away from their hyperfocus before they are ready child has to split their focus.

On the one hand, they have not stopped thinking about their hyperfocus and are being forced to focus on the new task which can cause stress on their brain.

Repeatedly experiencing monotropic split puts a strain on your child’s internal resources, increasing the risk of Autistic burnout and mental health challenges.

‘Environments where they must perform like a polytropic person, the amount of attention to detail they apply to multiple attention streams doesn’t decrease, all that happens is the monotropic mind experiences trauma by being pushed into trying to give more attention than any individual can cognitively give’.  ‘The monotropic mind is having to split its attention and give more mental energy and attention than it has available to be able to withstand the environment it is in and remain safe’. Tanya Adkin.

Are You Concerned That Your Child May Have Autistic Burnout? Download my FREE Resource to Discover 10 Signs of Autistic Burnout.

Co-Occurring Conditions And Monotropic Split

Being Autistic often involves co-occurring conditions like poor interoception, chronic illness, or chronic pain. These co-occurring conditions can significantly affect an Autistic person’s ability to meet their basic needs. Understanding monotropism is crucial for supporting their well-being and preventing burnout.

For instance, when your child is hyperfocused on a task or special interest, they may not notice signals from their body, such as hunger, thirst, fatigue, or the need to use the toilet. Consistently missing these cues can strain their health and increase the risk of burnout.

Similarly, if your child experiences chronic pain or a health condition, much of their attention may be absorbed by the discomfort, leaving them with limited energy and executive functioning for other tasks or even activities they enjoy.

Monotropic Split And Burnout

When your child has to divide their attention between managing basic needs, coping with health conditions, and completing tasks, this can lead to a monotropic split. This split in focus can negatively impact their well-being, as it drains their limited mental resources and makes it harder to function effectively.

As mentioned previously, monotropic split significantly increases your Autistic child’s risk of burnout. Burnout happens when the demands placed on an Autistic person exceed their capacity to cope, often leading to physical and emotional exhaustion.

Do You Want To Learn More About Autistic Burnout? Click HERE To Read More About Autistic Burnout.

What You Can Do To Manage Monotropic Split

Here are strategies to minimize stress maximize focus and help manage this monotropic split effectively:

Prioritize NeedsBasic Needs First: Ensure that your child’s basic needs, like eating, drinking, and using the bathroom, are regularly met before starting tasks. Set reminders or use visual schedules to prompt them.Health Condition Management: If your child has a chronic condition, make sure it’s well-managed with medication, routines, or other treatments to minimize its impact on their focus.Simplify TasksBreak Tasks Into Steps: Divide larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps. This helps reduce cognitive load and allows your child to focus on one thing at a time.Use Visual Supports: Visual aids like checklists, schedules, or timers can help your child stay on track without having to remember all the steps at once.Minimize TransitionsStreamline Transitions: Transitions between tasks or from one part of the routine to another can cause stress. Reduce the number of transitions or allow extra time for them to adjust.Predictable Routines: Keep daily routines predictable and consistent. Help your child focus on one thing at a time. Unpredictability and sudden changes can be overwhelming for a person with a monotropic brain.Reduce Sensory OverloadCreate a Calming Environment: Limit sensory distractions in the environment (e.g., loud noises, bright lights) to help your child focus better on the task at hand.Use Sensory Breaks: Allow sensory breaks during tasks, where your child can decompress and reset, helping them refocus their attention afterwards.Address HyperfocusGently Interrupt Hyperfocus: If your child becomes overly absorbed in one task or special interest, gently remind them of their other needs, like eating or resting.Set Timers: Timers can help your child transition away from hyperfocus and prompt them to check in with their body or move to the next task.Build In FlexibilityFlexible Expectations: Adjust expectations based on how your child is feeling, especially if they are dealing with pain, fatigue, or stress. It’s okay to allow more time or fewer tasks on challenging days.Rest and Recharge: Encourage regular breaks between tasks to give their brain a chance to recover and refocus. Make sure these breaks are restorative, such as engaging in a calming activity or taking time to rest.Use External SupportsTechnology Assistance: Use tools like reminder apps or alarms to cue your child when it’s time to eat, drink, or complete a task.Co-Regulation: Help your child manage their attention and emotional state by co-regulating with them. This could mean working alongside them or body doubling, providing gentle guidance, or modelling calming strategies.Focus On Emotional RegulationTeach Self-Regulation: Help your child recognise when they’re becoming overwhelmed by a split focus. Use this as an opportunity to teach coping strategies like deep breathing, asking for help, or taking a sensory break. Using visual communication aids or other forms of communication can be helpful in preserving their energy and internal resources.Offer Emotional Support: Create an environment where your child feels safe to express frustration or stress. Help them to process these emotions in an empathetic and validating way.

By prioritizing needs, simplifying tasks, and providing sensory and emotional support, you can help your child manage a monotropic split more effectively. This goes a long way to improving their focus and well-being.

Understanding Monotropism And Its Impact On Mental Health

Monotropism can have both positive and challenging aspects, especially when it intersects with mental health issues like negative thoughts, obsessive behaviours, and self-harm.

Monotropism And Negative Thoughts

When a person is deeply focused on a single line of thought, they may struggle to shift their attention elsewhere, making it difficult to break free from negative or distressing thoughts. These can become overwhelming, especially if they are related to anxiety, fear, or low self-esteem. Since the brain is locked into a hyper-focus state, it can be difficult to access more positive or neutral thought patterns.

Obsessive Behaviors

Obsessive behaviours can sometimes be linked to the intense focus seen in monotropism. When distressing thoughts become the focus, an individual may engage in repetitive actions as a way to cope or regain control. These behaviours might provide temporary relief or a sense of routine but may exacerbate the negative cycle if they reinforce anxious or harmful thinking.

Self-Harm

In some cases, the combination of overwhelming negative thoughts and obsessive behaviours may lead to self-harm or suicidal ideation. For some Autistic individuals, self-harm can serve as a release or distraction from emotional distress, or it may be a way to regain a sense of control. The lack of ability to shift attention away from negative thoughts can make it harder to break free from harmful patterns.

Support And InterventionMindfulness and Redirection: Encouraging mindfulness practices can help individuals gradually shift their focus from distressing thoughts to more neutral or positive stimuli. Mindfullness and redirection should be approached in a trauma-informed way that respects the person’s unique wiring.Safe Outlets for Obsession: It can be helpful to redirect obsessive behaviours toward safer outlets or interests, offering a more positive focus.Therapeutic Support: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) adapted for Autistic individuals can be effective in addressing obsessive thoughts and self-harm, especially when integrated with a deeper understanding of monotropism.

Reducing the demand for constant change and allowing space for special interests and periods of deep focus can alleviate some of the stressors that lead to negative thought spirals and self-harming behaviour.

Protective Factors For Monotropic Brains

Special interests—intense passions for specific subjects or hobbies—are a protective factor for many Autistic individuals. These interests provide joy, comfort, and a sense of mastery, allowing your child to enter an Autistic flow state. This is when they become so deeply immersed in their special interest that they lose track of time and feel fulfilled. Autistic flow state is important for the well-being of Autistic individuals.

“For many autistic monotropic people, their ‘special’ or ‘strong’ interests create flow states; this may be due to their interests being a source of safety, reliability, and predictability, which are all key factors to consider when reducing anxiety. Instead of learning being an effort, if you are in a flow state, it may feel like a joyful, fluid, meaningful, rejuvenating experience.” Helen Edgar.

What You Can Do:Honour Special Interests: Recognize the importance of your child’s special interests and give them uninterrupted time to engage in them.Encourage Flow States: Ensure they have the space and time to enter these deeply fulfilling states regularly.

Understanding monotropism and supporting your child’s monotropic brain can go a long way in protecting them from burnout and helping them thrive.

By recognizing the challenges and honouring the unique ways they engage with the world, you’re not only protecting their mental health but also helping them build a fulfilling and balanced life.

Additional Support:

Did you find this article helpful?

Would like to learn more ways to support your Autistic/ADHD child?

The Neurodivergent Family Toolbox is for parents of neurodivergent (Autistic, ADHD or AuDHD) children or teens, who are looking for a way to support themselves and their child in a neuro-affirming way.

This programme is suitable for families who:

Know that there is something ‘different’ about their child and recognise that they are neurodivergent (You may or may not be on a waiting list for an official assessment).Recently received their child’s diagnosis of Autism or ADHD.Have been processing their child’s diagnosis and are now ready to learn more.

This wrap-around toolbox program which incorporates prerecorded education modules, live weekly group coaching sessions and community, teaches you important tools to help you understand your child’s unique wiring, safeguard your child’s (and your) mental health and improve your relationship with your child.

Find Out More About The Neurodivergent Family ToolboxReferences

Research on monotropism, particularly in relation to autism, is a growing area of study. Monotropism was first formally introduced by Dinah Murray and Wenn Lawson in 2005 as a theory to explain the cognitive differences seen in Autistic individuals. Below are some academic references and key studies that have explored this concept:

Monotropism: An Interest-Based Account of Autism, Dinah Murray, Mike Lesser, Wenn Lawson, Autism, 2005

Monotropism, the Demand for Relevance, and the Disorder-Identity Trade-Off, Wenn Lawson, Good Autism Practice, 2010

Autistic Perception, Monotropism, and the Importance of Context in Autistic Intelligence, Dinah Murray, Autism and the Edges of the Known World: Sensitivities, Language and Constructed Reality, edited by Olga Bogdashina and Harry Procter, 2010

The Double Empathy Problem, Damian Milton, Autism, 2012

Monotropism and Joint Attention in Autism: A Developmental Perspective, Nicola Grove, C. Fisher, Research in Developmental Disabilities, 2015, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891422215300163

Monotropism in Autism and Related Disorders: Reflections on Dinah Murray’s Legacy, Damian Milton, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2022, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-022-05620-9

Adkin, T. (2022). What is Monotropic split? 

cited: https://emergentdivergence.com/2022/07/14/guest-post-what-is-monotropic-split/

Adkin, T. & Gray-Hammond, D. (2022) Autistic people and the burnout-psychosis cycle – Emergent Divergence.
cited: https://emergentdivergence.com/2022/07/12/autistic-people-and-the-burnout-psychosis-cycle/ 

Edgar, H. (2023) https://ndconnection.co.uk/blog/embracing-autistic-childrens-monotropic-flow-states

Meet Tanya

Tanya Valentin is a Trauma-Informed and Neuro-Affirming Family Coach, NZ Registered Teacher, Lecturer (Te Pukenga – Early Childhood Education and Care), Author and Podcaster.

Tanya is a Neurodivergent person and a proud Mama of 3 Neurodivergent humans. She works to support, educate and foster inclusion, acceptance and positive life outcomes for all neurodivergent children, teenagers and adults in all her areas of life.

Tanya lives with her family in beautiful Northland, New Zealand. She has authored several books and blogs and co-hosts the Seen Heard Accepted Podcast with her family. She is the founder of the Neurodivergent Family Toolbox, Autistic Burnout Care and Recovery and Parenting Neurodivergent Kids Together podcast.

Tanya is committed to making a difference in the world by supporting parents with practical tools and strategies to help them understand their child and their unique wiring, feel confident in their parenting and nurture strong connections between themselves and their children.

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Advocating For Inclusive Education With Aleesha White

Aleesha White, founder of Moody, shares her journey of supporting neurodivergent individuals and their families.

She discusses the challenges she faced as a high school student with seizures and her subsequent passion for helping neurodivergent people.

Aleesha emphasizes the importance of creating inclusive opportunities and supporting neurodivergent individuals outside of the traditional classroom environment.

She also highlights the need for neuro-affirming strategies in education and offers advice for educators and parents. Moody aims to provide a supportive platform for teachers, students, and parents on their neurodiverse journey.

What we chatted about on the show:

Supporting neurodivergent students requires creating inclusive opportunities and focusing on their well-being and mental health.Neurodivergent students may face challenges in traditional classroom environments, and it is important to provide support outside of the curriculum.Teachers can make a positive impact by modifying and differentiating their teaching strategies to meet the needs of neurodivergent students.Parents can advocate for their neurodivergent children by establishing open communication with teachers and sharing concerns and successes.Moody aims to provide a supportive platform for teachers, students, and parents, offering resources and strategies for the neurodiverse community.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Aleesha White and Moody

01:27 Creating Inclusive Opportunities for Neurodivergent Individuals

04:17 Supporting Neurodivergent Students Outside of the Classroom

09:06 Neuro-Affirming Strategies for Educators

16:10 Advocating for Neurodivergent Children: Tips for Parents

22:47 Moody: A Supportive Platform for the Neurodiverse Community

Connect with Aleesha:

Free guide: empowering parents of neurodivergent children ⁠https://moody.myflodesk.com⁠ Instagram @themoodydifference

The full transcript for this episode is available HERE

Find out more about ⁠The Neurodivergent Family Toolbox⁠

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Changing Bedtime From Stress Filled To Connection Filled With Laura Hellfeld

For many parents of neurodivergent children, bedtime is one of the hardest and most stressful times of the day. If this is true for you and your family, you’re not alone, as many neurodivergent individuals find sleep challenging.

In this episode, I chat with Laura Hellfeld, neurodivergent nurse and sleep consultant.

Here are some of the topics we discussed:

Changing the paradigm from traditional parenting perspectives on sleep and bedtime to a more connection-oriented approach.Helpful insights to support parents at bedtime.Giving yourself permission to listen to your child and your intuition and take the road of least resistance at bedtime.

To Follow Laura’s Work

⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠

⁠⁠Webpage⁠⁠

Resources

⁠⁠Creating Safe Spaces for Autistic People paperback⁠⁠

⁠⁠Creating Safe Spaces for Autistic People Ebook⁠⁠

⁠⁠Autistic Revolution online magazine⁠⁠

⁠⁠Find out more about the Neurodivergent Family Toolbox⁠⁠

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Exploring ARFID with Elen Nathan from The Playful Place

Today, I am joined by Elen Nathan from The Playful Place to give us insight into ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).

Here is what we chatted about:

What is ARFID?What causes ARFID and how can we know if our child (or we) are affected by ARFID?What can we do as parents to support our children if they are affected by ARFID?

If you missed Elen’s other two episodes on Sensory Systems here are the links:

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/78epUpjiXJb

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/tG4jyrjiXJb

You can connect with Elen Nathan at:

https://www.theplayfulplace.co.nz

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Click here to find out more about the Neurodivergent Family Toolbox⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you would like to join the conversation by being a guest on the show, please email Tanya at tanya@tanyavalentin.com.

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Making Sense of Our Emotions

In this solo episode, I talk about a topic that is often shut down in parenting communities. The topic of experiencing grief for various aspects of our parenting journey.

In our Instagram society, where we just see the highlights, the happy moments the joyful moments of parenting we can feel ‘wrong’, ‘broken’ and isolated because we aren’t feeling or experiencing these things.

There can be many times when we wish things were different.

I have often felt like this but have not had the language to talk about my experience until I came across the Five Gates of Grief by Francis Weller.

In this episode:

I talk you through these five gates of grief and how they could relate to you. I share with you the three-step process I use when I am processing difficult emotions. If you experience grief over aspects of your parenting journey then I hope that you feel seen by what I share in this episode.

Frances Weller’s deep and profound work can be accessed here: https://www.francisweller.net

Click here: https://tanyavalentin.co/the-neurodivergent-family-toolbox-week-by-week-breakdown/

to find out more about The Neurodivergent Family Toolbox.

You can contact me on Instagram and Facebook @tanyavaletinnz to chat about the Neurodivergent Family Toolbox or the contents of this show

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Supporting Your PDA Child With Kate Kleinau

Today on the show I chat with Kate Kleinau, who you may know from her Facebook and Instagram accounts as Raising PDA Kids.

In this episode, Kate and I chat about:

How her son’s autistic burnout in his early childhood years led her to discover that he was PDA.The things she and her husband did to support her son’s recovery from burnout.How embracing radical acceptance and adapting the way she parents her children has led to calmer, connected moments with her son.Her work supporting other PDA mums.

Does this resonate with you?

Do you think your child might be PDA? The PDA Society has some great resources:  ⁠https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/⁠ You can find out more about Kate’s work here: ⁠https://raisingpda.com/⁠ Connect with her on Facebook and Instagram at Raising PDA Kids- Kate Kleinau, OT

⁠Click here to find out more about the Neurodivergent Family Toolbox⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you would like to join the conversation by being a guest on the show, please email Tanya at tanya@tanyavalentin.com.

⁠

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Enabling Your Good Life With Pip Brunn

Today on the show we chat with Pip Brun, a neurodivergent human, a mum of 6 and a passionate advocate for the rights of disabled people.

Pip is a passionate member of the Enabling Good Lives mid-central leadership group in New Zealand.

In this episode, we chat about:

Pip’s lived experience as a mum of 6 neurodivergent children (including her daughter Lucy who has a rare chromosome disorder).The Enabling Good Lives approach and its guiding principles and what these mean for us in our lives.How can we live these principles in our lives and use this approach to empower us to advocate for ourselves and our loved ones?

Additional information and resources for the Enabling Good Lives Approach:

https://www.enablinggoodlives.co.nz

Good Start To Life Practice Guidance:

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https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/monitoring/uncrochttps://www.enablinggoodlives.co.nz/system-transformation/mid-central-updates/midcentral-leadership-team/pip-brunn

⁠Click here to find out more about the Neurodivergent Family Toolbox⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you would like to join the conversation by being a guest on the show, please email Tanya at tanya@tanyavalentin.com.

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The Eight Sensory Systems With Elen Nathan – Part Two

A funny thing happened when I sat down with Elen Nathan from the Playful Place for our first chat on the sensory systems. We just clicked and geeked out about the sensory systems and our neatly planned agenda for the episode went out of the window.

After recording part one we immediately knew that we should do a follow-up. So Elen came back on a Sunday to record this episode with me and it is a real gem.

In this episode:

Elen unpacks the 8 sensory systems and the hyper (extremely sensitive ) and hypo (low sensitivity) of these.We also chat about rethinking children’s so-called ‘behaviour’ from a sensory perspective and how we can use this lens to be more supportive parents.This is essential listening for all parents and educators.

To get your free sensory system screening tools:

Free Resources

You can connect with Elen Nathan here:

Website: https://theplayfulplace.co.nz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePlayfulPlace

⁠⁠Click here to find out more about the Neurodivergent Family Toolbox⁠⁠⁠

If you would like to join the conversation by being a guest on the show, please email Tanya at tanya@tanyavalentin.com.

⁠⁠⁠⁠

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