Excellent detectors

Every child is an earthquake detector.

When something is wrong, they know.

They walk into a room. They can feel something is up.

Maybe someone is visibly upset. A table has been knocked over. There's an atmosphere.

Detecting these vibrations is an essential skill.

It's impossible to teach. It's a feeling.

And it may very well save their life.

Problem for kids with trauma... they are EXCELLENT earthquake detectors.

There's nothing wrong with their ability to sense those vibrations.

They're just too good... they detect the smallest vibrations, and their alarm goes off even for imperceptible rumbles.

So they detect everything, every movement, every change.

A glance. A change in body position. A word.

They predict it could be an earthquake. Their alarm goes off.

And they're right.

Based on their model of the world, every tiny vibration could be an earthquake.

Telling them they're wrong won't help. They know they are right.

They've been right in the past. And it kept them alive.

So how do we help?

Tune in to what they feel. Feel it with them.

Put words to it “I think you've noticed something...”

Help them see the vibration isn't an earthquake this time.

We also need to work to reduce the vibrations around them.

Think carefully about the words we use, our body language, changes to routines and environments. Keep things predictable. Let them move and stay tuned in to their bodies.

Once you see that some children are excellent earthquake detectors, we can stop fighting against them and start working with them.

We can listen when they detect something.

And work to lower those vibrations around them.