Supporting listening and spoken language is most effective when a child is engaged and cooperative, but when a child becomes upset, professionals can feel powerless to achieve desired outcomes. Conscious Discipline is “a trauma informed, brain-based self-regulation program combining discipline, social-emotional learning and school climate into one integrated practice.” Hearts for Hearing has adapted the Conscious Discipline approach to coach parents and professionals to help children build self-regulation and executive skills for greater performance in the therapy room, the audiology office, the classroom, and at home. During our workshop, we will explain Conscious Discipline’s three-level neurodevelopmental brain-state model. We will provide tools for parents and professionals to build safety at the level of the brainstem, connection at the level of the limbic system, and problem solving at the level of the prefrontal cortex. By identifying the level of the brain at which a child is operating and accessing level specific tools, we provide children a foundation of safety and connection that supports function in the highest level of the brain where they are able to access executive skills to learn listening and spoken language. Within this culture of safety, connection, and problem-solving, 1) discipline issues are transformed into opportunities to teach children social-emotional and communication skills; 2) children are engaged in therapy sessions and meeting listening and language goals, cooperative in audiology appointments to obtain accurate information about their hearing and prepared for success in the mainstream classroom; and 3) parents are equipped to support listening and spoken language at home.

Learning Objectives: Participants in this events will be able to:

• Identify the 3 brain states and how they relate to behavior.
• Identify tools to create an environment of safety, connection, and problem solving.
• Apply tools of Conscious Discipline into auditory-verbal therapy and audiology, as well as, the classroom, and the home.

This event addresses the following Standards from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: 1.1.2, 1.2.2, 1.3.2, 1.4.2, 1.5.2, 1.6.2, 2.6.2, 3.2.2, 3.3.2, 3.4.2, 3.6.2, 4.1.2, 4.4.2, 4.5.2, 5.1.2, 5.2.2, 5.3.2, 5.4.2, 6.2.2, 6.2.6, 6.3.2, 6.4.2, 7.4.2. It fits within the Priority Area of Children/ Student with Disabilities. This event is evidence and research based.