Child Development and Neuroregulation
Now, let’s take another dimension and let’s ask about people who regulate their state with objects? Remember that we’re in a world in which social communication is being redefined by people who are challenged in their own abilities to regulate physiological state with others.
\This new world of social communication is what is called social networking. We’re using computers and we’re texting. In a sense, we are stripping the human interaction from human interactions.
Changes in education are moving away from face-to-face interactions. Schools are putting iPads in the hands of preschoolers and elementary school children. I was watching a recent newscast of a school where the administrators and teachers were so proud that in their first grade classroom, all of their students had iPads. As the camera captured the classroom, the kids were looking at the iPads, and were not looking at each other or the teacher.
What is the consequence of this trend? This trend results in the nervous system not having appropriate opportunities to exercise the neural regulatory circuits associated with social engagement behaviors.
If the nervous system does not have these opportunities, then the nervous system will not develop the strength and resilience to self-regulate and regulate with others, especially when challenged.
If schools continue on this trajectory of “technological advancement,” the children will not get the appropriate neural exercises to develop an efficient neural platform to support social behavior and to
facilitate state regulation.1
Footnotes
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Dr. Stephen Porges, “Polyvagal Theory: Why This Changes Everything: A Webinar Session with Ruth Buczynski, PhD and Stephen Porges, PhD,” The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine. ↩