A–Z Glossary

Caregiver accommodation

Parental accommodation is when caregivers change routines or avoid triggers to reduce a child’s distress in the short term.

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Helping children who avoid new experiences

Helping children who avoid new experiences

Understanding avoidance without blame A child who avoids new experiences is not simply being difficult. Avoidance is a biologically understandable strategy: when the brain detects threat or uncertainty, the autonomic nervous system may shift toward fight, flight, freeze, or appease responses. In children, this can look like hiding behind a caregiver, refusing to enter a […]

Helping a child who needs everything to go exactly as planned

Helping a child who needs everything to go exactly as planned

Understanding the need for exactness A child who needs everything to go exactly as planned may be communicating, “I do not feel safe with uncertainty.” The trigger might be a delayed meal, a substitute teacher, a different route to school, a canceled playdate, or a parent saying the schedule has changed. The reaction can seem […]