scsn early years annual conference - heather stack - presentation oct 2013
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SCSN Annual Conference – Early YearsThursday 10th October 2013
Heather Stack, Founder & SEND
ConsultantHM Stack
Consulting
Impact on babies & young children of Parental Absence & Return,
Re-location & Disability
Commonality of Concerns
Parental absence & return
Re-location Disability, physical
and/or mental health
Potential for one or both parents to experience –
Loneliness Social isolation Fear & uncertainty Insecurity Loss & adjustment Anger & resentment Additional pressure Of life becoming a little
smaller... All of which impact on
parenting skills & family life
Much research pointing to risk factors & adverse impacts of service life on children
Links established between – Repeated re-location & risk of suicide in young people Parental depression & mental health problems in children Demands of caring for a disabled person & mental health
problems of carers, leading to elevated risk of mental health problems in children...
Not difficult to find evidence base for risk
Of Risk and Resilience
“We should never lose sight of the fact that our genetic inheritance is all about survival, and that’s just as important for new born babies as it is for the adult hunter.”
(Robert Winston – Human Instinct, 2002)
Our starting point, at birth, is one of survival and resilience.
Human Instinct & Resilience
There are 3 crucial elements for adult happiness –
1. Optimism2. High self esteem3. Control over one’s life
For infants, self esteem and control are not an issue What infants need, and can be taught, is optimism. The determining factor is happiness and laughter
Elements for Happiness
1. Happiness2. Confidence3. Success
Securing these characteristics should be a primary goal Between 1 & 2 years of age, personality begins to emerge An optimistic or a pessimistic personality The child who is happy, laughs a lot, is excited by the world, v
the child who is fearful, timid, prone to crying, anxious
What parents want for their children
Babies can imitate expressions not long after birth – key to the bonding process
At 6 months, babies grasp the significance of facial recognition
The process of attachment follows soon after Attachments are vital to a baby’s survival Adults can recognize hundreds of faces & recognize emotions We can tell if a baby is happy, sad, frightened or hungry Research has shown that the reverse is true Relatively young babies can read our emotional expressions
almost as well as adults can If a mother is scared, or anxious, or angry, a baby takes notice Babies tune into the tone of voice as an indicator of mood
The Process of Attachment
Baby to Adult Communication
Infants communicate with other people by a multi-channel system of senses and expressions – linking the baby’s brain activities to those of the
adult, expressed in touches, vocalisation, face expressions and gestures
Parental low mood state over a protracted period can impact on a baby’s brain activity & development
Relationships & experiences are key to brain development Brain activity is stimulated by touch, language, sounds,
gesture, facial expressions & physical contact Speech and language, emotional & social development &
attachment depend on that early parent-child interaction Where that interaction & connection is impoverished, the
foundation for developmental difficulties is formed
Brain Activity & Early Development
1 in 10 first time mothers suffer from post-natal depression Difficulties arise when depressed mothers are unable to be
sensitive to their babies’ emotional needs High levels of stress hormone make mothers short-tempered,
responding more emotionally when a baby cries Presence of a supportive partner a factor in recovery The effects on children are not always extreme Easy, resilient babies come out of it best Difficult, needy babies are more at risk and boys are
particularly vulnerable
Vulnerable Mothers & Babies
Girls of depressed mothers can be more withdrawn & unhappy at 5 years of age
Boys of 5 years could also suffer intellectually & may become hyperactive
No real research on why this gender difference occurs, but boys are generally less mature at birth
Studies in brain development show that neglect affects parts of the brain responsible for mood and judgement
This may explain why children of depressed parents are known to have higher propensity to depression in later life
Vulnerable Babies & Young Children
The emotional challenge of deployment & pre-deployment complex & demanding
For parents, the challenges made more complex by the needs of dependent young children
“A guide for the families of deployed regular Army Personnel” (March 2011)
Guidance provides support and information to help prepare for what to expect at a practical & psychological level
Tips for dealing with stress in children & other concerns The storybook project for young children
Parental Absence & Return
7 Stages of the Emotional Cycle of Deployment
Pre-deployment Deployment &
R & R Recovery Post Deployment
1: Anticipating departure 2: Detachment & withdrawal
3: Emotional disorganization 4: Recovery & establishing stability 5: Anticipation & home-coming
6: Adjustment, renegotiating relationships
7: Re-establishing stability
Risk Factors Resilience
First time mothers Partners on first
deployment Difficult babies Babies under 2 years Boys Socially isolated mothers Unexpected or prolonged
stress Support ‘out there’ Insecure family context
Experienced mothers Partners on second or
subsequent deployments Strong support networks Effective community
support Easy babies Girls Positive relationships Anticipated challenges Support at point of need Secure family context
Inattentive, persistent, non-attuned parenting Relationship tensions & stresses Increase in working hours & stress factors Shifting roles & responsibilities Dominant needs set the tone & mood for family life Emotional absence, preceding actual physical absence Taboo subjects, niggling issues, fractured relationships Irregularity of time at home, absence from family life Changing or reduced connections within the community
Features of Pre-Deployment
Anticipated stress can be a positive force enabling a child to develop coping strategies for later in life
The ability of parents to buffer stresses crucial to impact – Support groups Secure relationships (‘Strong Families. Strong Forces’) Friendships Information & knowledge On-going communications with the absent parent Targeted support Community groups and positive integration projects
Fostering Resilience through Deployment
Complex psychological issues impact upon a parent’s ability to recognize the need for help & support
Difficulties experienced by mothers in prioritising own needs Concepts of –
FailureInadequacyPride & loyalty
A barrier to intervention Integration issues and tensions (military & civilian) can hinder
access to support Stigma attached to visiting professionals (welfare)
Those Left Behind - Hidden Voices
Community Covenants complement at local level the work of the Armed Forces Covenant, June 2011 launch
A voluntary pledge of mutual support between a civilian community & its local armed forces community
Ideal v current reality Much work to integrate communities with fixed identities The brown porch, white porch syndrome – all those with
white porches are civilian owned, all those... Children grow up learning trust, co-operation, a sense of
belonging, or grow up with tension, suspicion & mistrust
Reintegration – Brown Porch, White Porch Syndrome
The children of parents on active military duty are vulnerable to long term emotional strain
US Study by Child Trends, Home Front Alert, 25 July 2013 Author David Murphey, ‘Home Front Alert: The Risks Facing Young Children in
Military Families’ This group of children are facing emotional obstacles that
could develop into more serious long term issues. As many as half a million American children face the elevated
risk for emotional problems, particularly anxiety issues.
Home Front Alert
“We’re concerned that children exposed to stressful events, particularly traumatic stressful events, will have difficulty learning to cope with emotions, to do well socially and emotionally, and even have problems with their physical health.”
“As these children grow up, there will be at least a subset of them that will face very substantial problems.”
David Murphey, Home Front Alert, July 2013
Home Front Alert
“It could be the accumulation of those stresses as well as a single overwhelming stress that can lead to really lasting changes in the developing brain, that can have negative implications for development further along the line.”
A single overwhelming stress or multiple stresses that accumulate...
Home Front Alert
Infantile amnesia – the absence of long-term memory events from childhood
Young children can remember events in the short term, but these memories do not persist
New research suggests early childhood events are forgotten because of the high level of neuron production during the first years of life
The formation of new brain cells increases the capacity for learning but also clears the mind of old memories
Research by The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto & University of Toronto – Dr Paul Frankland & Dr Sheena Josselyn
Memory & the Highly Dynamic Hippocampus
Neural pathways 0 – 2 years
Links shown in research between reduced neuron growth and increased memory recall
The opposite also true – a decreased ability to remember when neuro-genesis is increased (as during infancy)
“Before the ages of four or five, we have a highly dynamic hippocampus which can’t stably store information.
As new neurons are generated, memory may be compromised by that process.”
Dr Frankland, HfSC, Toronto, September 2013
Memory Development
Babies’ brains grow & develop as they interact with their environment & form relationships
Babies whose needs are not met, or are met with neglect, learn different lessons
Neural pathways that develop under negative conditions prepare children to cope in that negative environment
The ability of babies to respond to nurturing and kindness may be impaired
Brief periods of moderate, predictable stress are not problematic – they can prepare a child to cope with the world.
Effects of Neglect on Brain Development
Children learn to deal with moderate stress in the context of positive relationships with reliable care givers
Great amounts of stress may also be tolerable if a child has a reliable adult who can help buffer the child
But prolonged, severe or unpredictable stress, including neglect or abuse, during a child’s early years, is problematic
The brain’s development can be altered by this toxic stress resulting in impacts on a child’s physical, cognitive, emotional and social growth
Responses to Neglect or Maltreatment
Brain development of 3 Year Old Children
Effects of ‘global’ neglect on brain development – severe sensory-deprivation neglect (from research into brain development of children from
Romanian Orphanages in early 1990s)
Brain imaging technologies and studies of human development in optimal and deprived conditions, show impact of neglect or prolonged stress on brain development
Major effects include – Persistent fear response – chronic stress or repeated trauma
can result in biological reactions, including a persistent fear state
Neural pathways involved in the fear response can create permanent memories that shape the child’s perception of, and response to, the environment
Emotional & Behavioural Impact
Hyper-arousal – when children are exposed to chronic, persistent stress, their brains sensitive pathways for the fear response and create memories that automatically trigger the response without conscious thought – this is hyper-arousal
Dissociation – a coping mechanism whereby children mentally & emotionally remove themselves from a traumatic experience – (zoning out)
In adults a capacity to zone out may be a safeguard against stressful circumstances
In children, the process is less likely to be engaged at a conscious level
Emotional & Behavioural Impact (2)
Disrupted attachment process – the foundation of much of childhood development is attachment – the emotional relationships formed with other people.
An infant’s early attachments form the basis for future emotional relationships. It also provides the basis for other learning.
If the attachment process is disrupted, the child’s brain will be wired to meeting day to day needs for survival, rather than building the foundation for future growth
Slides 14 – 19 with thanks to the Child Welfare Information Gateway
Emotional & Behavioural Impact (3)
Away from severe effects of prolonged stress, negative impact may occur at a lower level of severityChanges in infant behaviourIncreased non complianceDisturbance in sleep patternsChanges in eating habitsIncrease in anxiety levelsHeightened sensitivityNightmares and sleep terrorsIncreased angerFrequent mood changes
Short & Long Term Impact of Stress
Reports on Impact of Deployment – 4 negative themes1. Behaviour2. Loss 3. Emotion & 4. Military life impact
“Many of the parents reported changes in their child’s behaviour across the deployment process. These were changes that they attributed solely to their child’s experience of deployment....”
Katy Farrell-Wright, May 2011, Cardiff University
Study on Impact of Deployment on Spouses & Children
Emergence of 4 positive theme, some of which were in direct opposition to the negative themes –
Behaviour Character Enhanced relationships Military life impact
“There were a number of areas in which participants described the development of positive personality attributes in their child...”
“It brought us all so much closer, having to go through something like that; we were a much stronger family unit afterwards.”
Impact of Deployment (2)
Popular romantic film images of returning service men & women reunited with beaming families
Illusion & reality somewhat different ‘There’s a stranger in the house’ The re-emergence of the father ‘You wait till your Dad gets home!’ Behaviour management – the threat of the absent parent Emotional expectations may not meet real life experiences Yet the illusion persists...
The Romanticism of Return
Aware that Joy has researched extensively the impact of mobility and deployment on service children
Mobility Project -2009, Halton School Cycles of disengagement and re-engagement before and after
school moves Periods of settled and unsettled behaviours in babies and
young children Emotional and physical responses to environmental factors The resilience of children and their parents a factor in
reducing negative impact of mobility
Service Mobility & Impact on Young Children
“Moving between different postings and the potential for deployment are facts of military life. These not only impact on the Service person, but also on the family. Moving on a regular basis, ‘mobility’, may have a deleterious impact on the family and was one of the most significant concerns raised by military families..”
Unsung Heroes, 2012.
“For mobile families, every time they move they enter a lottery; whether they get a choice of school or whether they get children into a good or failing school.. “
Written Evidence from Army Families Federation, 8th Feb 2013
Impact of Re-location
Anecdotal evidence (community centre mothers) to indicate the mostly negative impact of mobility on children
New school entry generating a host of negative experiences & childhood memories
Comment that as service children, they ‘hated every minute of being stood before the whole school’ & introduced to peers
Parents see their own children going through the same processes, with same fears they experienced
What are the practices schools employ to integrate new children? How is intention matched by outcome? How are child sensitivities & needs protected?
Integration Practices & Impact
Potential for a family to share the same experiences Anticipation of stresses, in a familiar context, can offset
anxieties The ability to re-create home environment & routines The mood & attitude of parents a significant determining
factor in how positively young children respond to change Infants, with an emerging optimistic personality, more likely
to gain from the experience Young children, with an emerging sense of self & identity &
pessimistic personality, less likely to fare well from experience
Protective Factors – Building Resilience
Defence Recovery Capability Help for Heroes runs four Recovery Centres – Colchester,
Catterick, Tidworth & Plymouth Designed to inspire, enable and support wounded, sick or
injured service personnel and their families The centres provide a launch-pad-to-life support service See the needs of the individual being grouped into five key
areas – medical, mind, body, spirit and family – all needing to be in balance to ensure a fulfilled and happy life
(Co-Founders’ Letter, Annual Report, H4H, 2012)
Impact of Disability
Disability - Five Key Areas of Support - HfH
Injured Servicemen &
women
Medical
Mind
BodySpirit
Family
“We all need to remember that those wounded in the last 10 years will still need help in 20, 30, 40 years time and beyond...”
Bryn Parry, Chief Executive’s Report, 2012
A need to remember that the partners and children, of those wounded in the last 10 years, will still need help...
Impact of Disability
The impact of physical and/or mental disability profound & long term if not life-long
Sense of loss, adjustment and grief common Changing roles in relationships & families can be problematic The shift from independence to dependence, and shift back
again to independence, fraught with difficulty A toll taken on service families, on partners & children that
can break up families & impact significantly on relationships The needs of babies & young children may be secondary to
more demanding & diverse needs of injured service men
From Independence to Dependence
“The support injured service personnel receive from their families has been shown to be integral to recovery.
As well as addressing the psychological needs of service personnel recovering from physical injuries, the practical and emotional impact on the families who care for them must also be taken into consideration.”
Unsung Heroes: Developing a better understanding of the emotional support needs of service families, March 2012
Impact of Disability on Families
Publishing & publishing houses – Who represents the needs of service children & families? ‘Not our thing’, ‘a niche market’ ‘not commercial enough’ Political lobbying - SEND groups very successful with influence at senior level Funding disparities between needs of service children &
communities & funding on SEND What gains could be made with £30k per pupil per year? What gains could be made with £250k per pupil per year? Individual pupil ‘high-level’ support v whole community
support
Final Thoughts...
Heather Stack E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 01926 495695 Mobile: 07955 607434
LinkedIn – Heather Stack, Founder & SEN Consultant, HM Stack Consulting
Twitter @HMStack hmstack.wordpress.com
Contact Details