Welcome to "On the Horizon"

Issue 216:
One Step Back, Three Steps Forward: Dysregulation and Development

On the Horizon is an award winning weekly ezine for parents of children with developmental disabilities who want simple, effective strategies to reduce stress, support their child’s development, and improve quality of life for the whole family.

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• A Note from Dr. Beurkens
• Feature Article:
  One Step Back, Three Steps Forward: Dysregulation and Development
• Upcoming Events
• Recommended Resources

Hi Everyone!

It’s March and that means it’s Brain Injury Awareness month. Did you know that 1.7 million Americans sustain a brain injury each year? Brain injuries range in severity from very severe to very mild, but there is no doubt that they can permanently impact the structure and function of a person’s brain. At our clinic we work with many children and adults who struggle with the after-effects of brain injury. These patients and their families need ongoing support and treatment, and often they don’t get it. People think of brain injuries as an "event" that happens to the person, and then they heal and go on with their lives. While this may be the case for a select few people, most people experience the impact of brain injuries long after the physical injury has healed. You can get more information on brain injury facts, research, and awareness events happening this month on the Brain Injury Association of America website.

The feature article this week is one I wrote quite a few years ago about kids moving backwards before they move forward with their development. I find it to be an important reminder, and one that hopefully will benefit you this week as you think about your own child and/or students.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Looking to the horizon,

One Step Back, Three Steps Forward: Dysregulation and Development

By Nicole Beurkens, PhD

I’ve been thinking about dysregulation and developmental "growth spurts" lately, as my 9-month old daughter has had a weeklong stretch of frustrating behavior. Normally she is a very easy baby; content to hang out with us and do whatever. She generally likes to be held, likes to play with toys on the floor, sleeps through the night, etc. Two weeks ago she learned to crawl — that funny army crawl where babies kind of use their elbow and knee to propel themselves forward as they move across the floor (OT’s in the audience-yes I know the importance of doing a cross-crawl but for now she is doing it this way!). She wants to get everywhere and she is FAST! There is now a lot of time spent telling her "no you can’t go there," and picking her up to move her back to a space where she can be. She has also started to wake up quite a bit in the night; crying out and banging on her crib rails. I’ll go into her room to see her trying to pull herself up in the bed. Then she gets mad when she falls down onto the mattress. During the day she seems to be is frustrated and upset about everything! She doesn’t want to be on the floor unless she is allowed to crawl wherever she wants to. She doesn’t want to be in her jumper or her exersaucer; but she doesn’t really want to be held either. Basically she just wants to be on the go and exploring her newfound mobility, and if she can’t then she is MAD!

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Upcoming Events

Hear Dr. Beurkens Speak

Upcoming dates and locations where Nicole Beurkens, PhD will be speaking:

Autism and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Practical Strategies to Improve Processing

April 10, 2013 in Tarrytown, NY

April 11, 2013 in Plainview, NY

April 12, 2013 in Manhattan, NY

Recommended
Resources

Learn as we grow

This long-awaited book is written for parents and professionals who want to be more effective in their work with students who have neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.

More Information >>