Stuart Shanker talks self-regulation

Dr Stuart Shanker is the author of the Self-Reg trilogy: Calm, Alert and Learning: Classroom Strategies for Self-Regulation; Self-Reg: How to Help Your Child (and You) Break the Stress Cycle and Successfully Engage with Life; Reframed: Self-Reg for a Just Society.
You can find out more about Dr Shanker and his work at
self-reg.ca/ and selfregglobal....
For more great science of psychotherapy, go to thescienceofps...
Our Podcast:
Find us on iTunes itunes.apple.c...
Find us on Spotify open.spotify.c...

[@4602experience]

Stuart was my professor at York University for an MA course on Wittgenstein. Absolutely brilliant professor and person! Inspirational

[@richhillgemma]

An absolutely fascinating interview. You were fortunate to have him as your professor!

[@kerryholland4822]

I’m assuming this in particular effects those with ADHD aka extremely dopamine deficient/seeking?
I was also thinking how this seems to explain autistic meltdowns (also found in ADHDers) and the misunderstanding of what they are (seen as tantrums), before the story of the autistic boy was mentioned. Meltdowns, as far as I understand, usually happen when an autistic/ADHDer are unable to self-regulate or,more often than not, denied the option of self-regulating as their sensory seeking needs (which is often how they down-regulate their nervous system) is seen as inappropriate and ‘misbehaving’. Their stress becomes distress because them seeking what they need to calm down their distress is misunderstood as acting out/bad behaviour.
Would I be on the right lines of understanding?

[@richhillgemma]

Very keen observations and thoughts Kerry. Matt and i are advocates of a more 'responsive' approach to the needs of others. Our social standard of 'expectation' and 'behavioral norms' do nothing to help us engage together in an interpersonal way. The individual variation in ability to access and utilize regulating systems in the brain and body needs to be acknowledged and, as best as possible, given more sensitivity. Attuning to others is about finding what lies between - the social synapse - and the contributions made by the people contributing part of themselves into that social synapse. The Science of Psychotherapy can help us develop our sensitivity and responsiveness to others in concert with our empathy. Many thanks for your comment :)