Page 48 - SEN107 SEN Magazine July-August 2020

SEN 107 senmagazine.co.uk 48 Since lockdown started, I have had lots of enquiries from parents seeking support and help to understand their child’s challenging behaviours. Anxiety plays a large part in this, as children are externalising their stress and lack of control through their behaviour. Many children are also co-regulating off their stressed out parents, which is exacerbating the situation. Several parents have also reported that ASD and SPD traits which were barely noticeable in their children pre- lockdown are more obvious and extreme during quarantine. This may be due to parents having more time to observe their children and their daily routine. A lack of predictability and a changed routine also plays a role. As a Mum of an autistic teen boy, I have noticed that he has become more anxious, which is making him come across as rude, argumentative and then withdrawn. The fight/flight response is constant and triggered by everything. An autistic child may also feel less pressured to mask their behaviours, as they are now in their ‘safe’ place all of the time. So how can we support our anxious SEND children? It’s important that children understand how their bodies respond to change, unpredictability and anxiety. If we make children aware of the physical signs of anxiety (stomach ache, headache, raised heartbeat, sweaty hands etc.), we can help them understand that they are not physically ill and that they can manage their anxiety, through emotional coaching, co-regulation, and self-regulation strategies. It’s also important to teach children about their brain, and why they struggle with being logical when it comes to anxiety and the fight/ flight response. Then, we can work on helping them manage those huge emotional responses. Stress is felt in the body and can be internalised as physical illness and shutdowns or externalised as meltdowns and physically aggressive behaviours in our SEND children. It’s important that adults support children to externalise anxiety. Adults need to validate children’s fears and emotions to help them feel heard. We also need to label those emotions, so they are normalised for the child, which will help build their emotional vocabulary. Children also need strategies to manage their anxiety. Deep belly breathing is a vitally important skill to teach in order to regulate the vagus nerve and to reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety, which can be a very scary sensation, especially in a child with sensory processing needs. Externalising anxiety can also be developed through play, drawing, painting and writing. Seeing their responses to the situation on a picture, or being played out with dolls, can help the adult see how the child is feeling about the current situation. This can then be discussed and the adult can help the child make sense of the situation. At this present time, children need to feel safe and connected. Many parents have spoken to me about their children regressing to baby-like behaviours. The child is showing them that they felt safe as a baby and that’s what they need at this time. Relationships and emotional connections are paramount in supporting our SEND children to manage what comes next. Especially to feel safe enough to return to school, grandparents, friends’ houses and normal life! Point of view: professional/parent Lockdown and SEN Parents are seeing more anxiety, sensory processing needs and autistic traits, now children are home all of the time. Writes Emma Kaye . About the author Emma Kaye is a freelance SEND teacher, trainer and consultancy/play therapist and parent. e.kaye@hotmail.co.uk The SEND Trainer Adults need to validate children’s fears and emotions to help them feel heard Children need to feel safe and connected Point of view