Beyond behaviors : using brain science and compassion to understand and solve children's behavioral challenges / Mona Delahooke, PhD.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 269-289) and index.

Understanding behaviors. Revealing the hidden, adaptive benefits of behaviors -- What's wrong with the status quo? -- A new way of understanding behaviors -- A developmental iceberg -- Neuroception: a guiding principle -- Top down or bottom up? : before we respond to behavior, we need to understand its origin -- Top-down or bottom-up? -- Functional emotional development -- The processes of social-emotional development -- The pathways of the autonomic nervous system -- Individual differences -- Individuals differences contribute to observable behaviors -- The physical body and behavioral control -- Sensory processing: how we understand the world -- Behaviors influenced by feelings -- Behaviors influenced by thoughts and feelings -- The importance of a team approach -- Solutions. Safety is the starting point -- Personalized attunement -- Determining neuroceptive state -- What is stress? -- Children need adults for co-regulation -- Providing cues of relational safety for children -- Addressing what underlies behavior : working on challenges from the bottom up -- Inquire about the child's history and track behaviors -- Determine what circumstances contribute to the child's distress -- Address developmental challenges -- De-escalation strategies -- Working on challenges from the body up to the top down -- Play as a neural exercise -- Play basics -- Teaching a child to recognize and name his/her autonomic state -- Helping children find their own solutions -- Finding opportunities for top-down thinking -- Neurodiversity, trauma, and looking to the future. Behaviors in autism and neurodiversity : handle with care -- The importance of presuming competence -- Behaviors and autism -- Interpreting behaviors in neurodiverse individuals -- Behaviors have meaning -- Modeling awareness and self-compassion -- Supporting behavioral challenges in children exposed to toxic stress and trauma -- The impact of early adverse experiences on brain development -- The problem with rewards and punishments -- Targeting relationships, not behaviors -- Disciplinary techniques not recommended for children -- Hope for the future and plenty to do now resources -- Combating the negativity bias -- Hardwiring happiness -- Creating positive, enriching experiences -- Quantity matters.

In Beyond Behaviors, internationally known pediatric psychologist, Dr. Mona Delahooke describes behaviors as the tip of the iceberg, important signals that we should address by seeking to understand a child's individual differences in the context of relational safety. Featuring impactful worksheets and charts, this accessible book offers professionals, educators and parents tools and techniques to reduce behavioral challenges and promote psychological resilience and satisfying, secure relationships.