Understand and Respond to Hyperaroused Youth
This webinar provides attendees with the framework for working with hyperaroused youth. The full arc of hyperarousal—from the biological basis of how a meltdown begins to recovery after a meltdown occurs—is discussed, including the implications of fight and flight modes during a meltdown, the importance of caregiver attitude, making a safety plan, implementing a comfort kit during a meltdown, and steps to take after a meltdown event. Participants leave this one-hour webinar with an understanding of the attitude and skills caregivers need when faced with an impending meltdown, knowing how to construct a Comfort Kit to help de-escalate youth prone to hyperarousal and how to use effective grounding, self-soothing, and endorphin-releasing techniques to prevent full-blown meltdowns.

Course Content

• Understanding the hyperarousal response and its implications for intervention
  • Hyperarousal: the biological basis for dysregulation
  • The trigger idea
  • The hyperarousal response: fight and flight modes
  • The fight and flight response pattern
  • Fight and flight: relationship to stress models of crisis
  • Important points and implications about fight and flight modes
  • Why the caregiver response is so important in preventing meltdowns
  • Caregiver regulation basics
  • Use the “MAAP": 4 questions to ask when dealing with a hyperaroused youth
  • Strengthening caregiver regulation
  • Common pitfalls when dealing with an impending meltdown
  • The importance of caregiver attitude and how to develop the right one
  • The importance of attunement
  • The "Caregiver Debriefing"

• Preparing for the meltdown
  • Assessing triggers and patterns
  • Using environmental control
  • Reframing meltdowns as skill deficits
  • Making a safety plan
  • Identifying and practicing grounding and self-soothing techniques
  • Examples of grounding techniques
  • Positive activities to release endorphins
• Implementing the Comfort Kit during a meltdown
  • Preparation
  • Implementation
  • What to do if they have a full-blown meltdown

• Recovery after a meltdown
  • Steps to take after a meltdown
  • Implementing logical consequences after the meltdown