Transform Your Approach to Listening and Learning

Are you a parent or teacher who felt like your child or student is not listening to you? Have you uttered the phrases  "Pay attention to me", "Why aren't you listening?", "Look at me!", “Can you hear me?!” - How often have we found ourselves saying these phrases to children who appear to not be listening? It's a scenario played out in countless homes and classrooms. . But what if the way we understand listening is only part of the story?

True listening is more than a child making eye contact or sitting motionless. It's a symphony of whole-body and brain regulation, deeply intertwined with executive functioning. The common expectations of “Look at me!” or “Sit still!” might, in fact, be counterproductive, especially for those children who process in a different way.  These are not helpful and can even be harmful, and we have been doing a lot of ‘listening’…