Childrens Therapist Roseville, a key component in fostering secure attachment in babies and toddlers is attunement. Attunement is crucial for developmental trauma integration. The process of attunement gives complete, non judgmental attention that is responsive to the child through such means as eye contact, touch, smiling, nodding, etc. Some parents have the skill set to demonstrate attunement naturally and do not even realize that they are providing it for their children. Frequent and extended occurrences of attunement is recognized as one of the most critical necessities for brains of an infant, toddler or adolescent to develop sequentially. Childrens Therapist Roseville
During the first years of life, babies are completely dependent on their caregivers for its needs. Childrens Therapist Roseville It is imperative a child experiences regularly occurring attunement, which is fundamental in supporting healthy brain development. However, even in the best situations and environments, most parents will not be able to foresee all of a child’s needs. So it is natural for an infant to inevitably get upset periodically to no fault of the parent. This is commonly referred to as “misattunement”. Childrens Therapist Roseville
Misattunement is unavoidable at times and does not cause long lasting damage if it is followed by immediate reattunement. Ongoing and repeated stressors that are not followed by reattunement will severely disrupt the baby or toddler’s ability to understand and be familiar with being in the center – being attuned to. Children, toddlers, and infants who encounter this disruption on a repeated and daily basis are at a high risk of experiencing emotional, mental and/or physical impairments. At the very least, the foundation for creating and forming nurturing relationships, having a feeling the world is safe, and self regulation will all be harmed. Childrens Therapist Roseville
The developmental steps that we referred to in the previous article. Roseville Childrens Therapist The ladder (of brain development) will have missing steps as it continues thru the developmental stages. If one does not have a proper foundation of attunement and the ongoing sense of security and stability in the world, the brain will continue to develop but miss the higher order of functionality i.e. concentration, retention, logic and the ability to respond and not react. Infants, toddlers and children who don’t regularly experience attunement are not able to create and form stable relationships (secure attachments). This applies to not only relationships with others but to themselves i.e. the ability to be attuned to themselves, to their own requirements and needs. Childrens Therapist Roseville
The inability to attune to self and others is a dangerous precursor for a plethora of unhealthy and destructive behaviors and symptoms. A common and fundamental perception of survivors of abuse and neglect is that life itself is not safe and relationships are not predictable. These individuals seek connection with others re-actively instead of being appropriately responsive.
