Supporting Our Demand Avoidant and Highly Anxious Children to Sleep
The struggles around sleep with a highly vigilant nervous system are complex. In this webinar and full guide, I give you tried and tested recipes for better bedtimes with your child who may show many complex behaviours around bedtime and the need to sleep.
You will learn:
How common bedtime struggles can present in PDA, autistic and ADHD children.
Appropriate expectations for bedtimes and the needs of your child.
All about routines and whether you and your child need routine or not.
Root causes of common neurodivergent sleep struggles and the indicators that will help you to identify them in your child.
How to support your child as bedtime approaches and how to investigate at what points your child might struggle.
What to do when PDA says no.
How to handle meltdowns.
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Introduction
In this webinar, we will look at some of the reasons why bedtimes can be so challenging for PDA kids and for those who are trying to help facilitate them, and how we can make bedtimes better.
Overview of webinar:Language and Values
Expectations
Routines
Demand Avoidance
Supports Needs
Support Strategies and When To Flex
When Bedtime Is The Worst Time
De-Escalating Behaviour Through Play
Supporting Meltdowns
In this webinar, we will look at some of the reasons why bedtimes can be so challenging for PDA kids and for those who are trying to help facilitate them, and how we can make bedtimes better.
Overview of webinar:Language and Values
Expectations
Routines
Demand Avoidance
Supports Needs
Support Strategies and When To Flex
When Bedtime Is The Worst Time
De-Escalating Behaviour Through Play
Supporting Meltdowns
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Language, Values and Why It Matters
Neurodivergence or neurodivergents? Paradigm shift?!
Let’s have a brief intro into the common terms and discuss the paradigm shift needed for sleep support for the whole family.Neurodivergence or neurodivergents? Paradigm shift?!
Let’s have a brief intro into the common terms and discuss the paradigm shift needed for sleep support for the whole family. -
Expectations
In this section, we take a look at what the common expectations are around bedtimes and look at when and why these expectations are not appropriate for PDA and otherwise highly anxious and/or neurodivergent kids. Then we look at what biologically and developmentally appropriate expectations are for our differently wired children.
In this section, we take a look at what the common expectations are around bedtimes and look at when and why these expectations are not appropriate for PDA and otherwise highly anxious and/or neurodivergent kids. Then we look at what biologically and developmentally appropriate expectations are for our differently wired children.
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Routines
Do all kids thrive with routines? In this section, we take a look at why routines are suggested and when routines don’t work.
Do all kids thrive with routines? In this section, we take a look at why routines are suggested and when routines don’t work.
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Demand Avoidance
How can you make changes when PDA says “no”? We also look at some of the ways that demand avoidance presents through behaviours.
How can you make changes when PDA says “no”? We also look at some of the ways that demand avoidance presents through behaviours.
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If bedtime isn’t all about an “effective routine”, what is it about?
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Support strategies for bedtimes and transitions
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When Bedtime Is The Worst Time
The end of the day is typically when everyone is depleted. Wouldn’t it be nice if our children recognized their tiredness and cozied up in bed? Here’s what to do when that doesn’t happen and this is a dreaded time of the day.
The end of the day is typically when everyone is depleted. Wouldn’t it be nice if our children recognized their tiredness and cozied up in bed? Here’s what to do when that doesn’t happen and this is a dreaded time of the day.
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De-Escalation Through Play
In this section, we take a look at some PDA-affirming strategies to de-escalate heightened emotions and energy through play.
In this section, we take a look at some PDA-affirming strategies to de-escalate heightened emotions and energy through play.
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Supporting Meltdowns
This can be the most challenging thing we do, especially at times when we are the most depleted, overstimulated, stressed and frustrated. This isn’t something we are taught to do and many times, meltdowns can be traumatic for the whole family. Here I give you some strategies on safely holding the space for our children to release this energy.
This can be the most challenging thing we do, especially at times when we are the most depleted, overstimulated, stressed and frustrated. This isn’t something we are taught to do and many times, meltdowns can be traumatic for the whole family. Here I give you some strategies on safely holding the space for our children to release this energy.
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Conclusion and Overview
In the concluding section, I give you the overview of what we need to create better bedtimes.
In the concluding section, I give you the overview of what we need to create better bedtimes.
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