Post-Lockdown Transitions for Hypervigilant Children

Supporting Transitions for Hypervigilant Children & Young People

Many Foster Carers have reported that for the children in their care, Lockdown has actually provided a very safe and predictable environment. Without the additional strains and stimulation of the school setting, some of these children have made great progress in other areas of life.

This poses some challenges for us as we begin to move out of lockdown. We need to support these young people as they transition back into the mainstream world, whilst also trying to integrate their achievements. We believe in supporting carers to develop a practical skill-set that adapts to the unique needs of each child.

New Training: Transitions and Hypervigilance

This course gives carers both the understanding and theoretical tools to support their young people during this transition.

We look at how children and young people in the care system have had to adapt to there previous trauma through Dissociation and Hypervigilance. Then, we explore the concept of ‘the window of tolerance‘. We will learn strategies to aid young people to widen this “window of tolerance”, so they may continue on their therapeutic journey.

The session includes very practical methods. We cover the detail of managing and therapeutically assisting through methods such as mindfulness, bodywork and building resilience.

Hypervigilance & Transitions – Course Aims and Objectives:

• Understanding the impact of childhood trauma on both the body and the brain
• Understanding how the brain and body adapt to cope (Dissociation and hyper-vigilance)
• What does each state look like, and why it occurs?
• Understanding the window of tolerance model and how to support children to widen their window so that they can engage in the therapeutic process
• Understand the importance of the “window” and that if it remains limited, the child is prevented from taking part in the therapeutic process.
• Explore methods to co-regulation with the young person leading to self-regulation
• Explore bodywork (drawing from the book “The body keeps the score”), including activities that can lift children out of Dissociation or bring them down from hyper-vigilance. Explore calming methods in sensory integration (Sucking, pushing, pulling and swinging) to aim regulation. Being present
• Explore resilience – using narration, social stories and role play.
• Finally, exploring mindfulness models, books and tools to empower children and support them in finding methods to move forward out of trauma effectively. This will include skills to help us be present with the young person to aid mindfulness.
• Finally, exploring transition and supporting children with leaving safe places such as lockdown and integrating what they have gained in the everyday world. This will include methods that they can use in stressful situations.

You can find all of our home-based training including Open Courses, Commissioned Courses and e-learning options HERE.