Making Sense of Hypersensitivity
Sessions: 8
Lecture: 11h 46m
Certificate: 16+ hrs
200 CAD
This course provides a fresh look at the causes and consequences of sensory overload in the brain and its role in a spectrum of syndromes including autism, and to a lesser extent, some forms of giftedness as well as attention problems. Uncovering this root neurological condition sets the stage for retreating from a battle against symptoms and creating a context for isolating and minimizing the resulting dysfunction.
As is the case with all our courses, this course features lectures by Dr. Neufeld, carefully curated support for enriched study, study aides, the opportunity to ask questions of trained faculty or course facilitators, a year's access to the campus to enable study at one's own pace, and a certificate of attendance upon completion. For more information, consult the 'about our courses' page.
COURSE SUMMARY
New understandings of how the brain works, when viewed through a comprehensive appreciation of attachment, human vulnerability and the developmental process, hold great promise for unraveling some of the most confounding mysteries of childhood. Evidence is mounting that the neurological condition of sensory overload may very well be the root cause and common denominator of a myriad of diverse manifestations and syndromes, including autism, some types of attention problems and even a form of giftedness. The huge diversity of symptoms results from both the degree of severity of the neurological condition as well as the domino effect on a child’s attachments, emotions and resulting development. If understood and properly addressed, sensory overload issues can usually be compensated for and much of the secondary domino effect can be reversed. Dr. Neufeld will discuss the most promising interventions, including the cultivating of strong attachments, the priming of the human adaptive process, and the harnessing of true play as Nature’s own remedial and corrective process.
SUITABILITY/APPLICABILITY
Everyone in today’s world knows someone who demonstrates the signs of hypersensitivity in one way or another, but few will appreciate the meaning of what they are observing. This course will have special relevance for parents, grandparents, teachers and therapists of the hypersensitive, as well as to those who suspect that hypersensitivity might be the explanation for their very own baffling experiences.
SAMPLE TOPICS
- the root neurological condition underlying a diverse set of syndromes
- an understanding of classic autism that revolutionizes treatment
- how hypersensitivity is different than being highly sensitive
- some telltale signs of sensory overload in the brain
- how parents can be the hypersensitive child's best bet
- why the hypersensitive are more impulsive, more alpha and more prone to aggression
- understanding the attention problems of the hypersensitive child
- understanding the frustration of the hypersensitive child and how to come alongside it
- the attachment and emotional defenses of the hypersensitive child
- what is reversible and what is not reversible in hypersensitivity
- why play and relationship are the best answers for the hypersensitive
COURSE OUTLINE
In this course, Dr. Neufeld joins forces with a brilliant former university student of his – psychologist Jule Epp – who is a gifted specialist in autism operating out of Berlin. Her lectures alternate with Dr. Neufeld's, augmenting and illustrating the material presented. The resulting course is structured into eight sessions with each lecture up to 1 ½ hours in length.
- Sessions 1 & 2 Hypersensitivity as a sensory gating problem
Neuroscience has revealed that the brain’s first line of defense has to do with controlling the nature and amount of input allowed into the brain at any given time. In this session the basic condition of hypersensitivity is described along with its primary impact on attention, emotion and relationships. A checklist for hypersensitivity is provided and the main known causes of the condition are outlined. Strategies are given for how to compensate for sensory gating system problems. - Sessions 3 & 4 Hypersensitivity, vulnerability and defendedness
The brain’s inability to sufficiently control the incoming signals greatly increases the inherent vulnerability of the child. Since the brain’s primary way of defending itself is compromised, other defenses within the brain are typically activated to compensate. Understanding these defenses is key to working with them as well as reversing them. - Sessions 5 & 6 Hypersensitivity, adaptation and aggression
The irony of hypersensitive children is that they are in dire need of adapting yet less likely to experience the emotional conditions that are conducive to this process. Nothing could be more important than restoring the neural plasticity of the brain of the hypersensitive child. Strategies are provided for how to do this as well as how to handle the aggression of the non-adaptive child in such a way as to not exacerbate the underlying problem. - Sessions 7 & 8 Hypersensitivity, attachment and play
The focus of these sessions is on the two kinds of interventions that are most promising for deep and lasting change – relational-based and play-based. The more dysfunctional the hypersensitive brain, the more in need for strong emotional connections with caring adults to compensate. The play mode is being discovered as the context in which the brain heals itself, neural plasticity is maximized, attachments are more likely to form, attention is at play, emotions tend to self-regulate, and new neural networking takes place. We explore the kind of play that is most helpful and provide suggestions of how to activate the play mode in the child.
Inquiries
If you have questions or require additional information that you cannot find on our website or FAQ page, you may contact our office on our Inquiries page.
Charity & Non-Profit Status
The Neufeld Institute is a registered Canadian charitable organization under the name Neufeld Institute Foundation and is also registered as a NPO in British Columbia. If you would like to make a contribution to us, please go to our donation page.
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