Nurturing Neural Systems: How to Help Children in Crisis

Understanding the intricate connection between a child's brain and body is fundamental to addressing mental health challenges. In my new book, I explore this critical relationship, emphasizing how a child's neural pathways process experiences and shape their responses to the world around them. Mental health isn't just about identifying problems—it's about understanding how children receive and interpret interactions, which ultimately influences their behavioral patterns and emotional well-being.
 
 When we encounter a child in crisis, our first instinct might be to focus solely on their behavior. However, this approach often misses the underlying neural mechanisms at work. Children don't inherently understand why they feel different or struggle in certain situations. They simply experience a sense that something is wrong with them, creating a foundation for long-term mental health challenges. My research demonstrates that these challenges aren't reflective of fundamental flaws in the child but rather indicate how their sensory systems receive and process information from their environment.
 
 The path to supporting children's mental health begins with understanding what I call "the received path"—how sensory information enters and is processed by the brain. This understanding must lead the body's responses. Rather than merely training children to behave differently, we need to organize their sensory pathways in relation to their neural systems. This is why I emphasize "talking to the brain not the body"—addressing the root processing mechanisms rather than just the outward manifestations of struggle.
 
 Children navigate complex landscapes daily—transitioning between home, school, neighborhood, and eventually workplace environments. Each context presents unique challenges that can impact a child's trajectory. A difficult experience at home might affect school performance, which could drive a child to seek outlets in potentially problematic neighborhood interactions, ultimately affecting their future workplace success. This cascade effect demonstrates how mental health is inherently connected to a child's ability to process experiences across different contexts.
 
 As parents, teachers, and coaches, we must recognize that children experience us—our behaviors, reactions, and emotional states. We serve as models for how to navigate life's complexities. The question becomes: what are we giving children that helps them understand the crises we ourselves navigate? By developing a child's sense of self in relation to others, we help them connect their internal neural systems to their sense of identity. This connection allows children to process pain, hurt, and sadness through supportive relationships rather than internalizing negative self-perceptions.
 
 My human systems science approach integrates knowledge about sensory processing, information pathways, and behavioral responses. By studying complex human interactions, particularly how impaired sensory processing affects behavior and learning, I've developed models that explain interactions within adaptive and less adaptive systems. The Brain's Body Model provides families with analytical tools for understanding emotional regulation and learning problems, bridging the gap between theoretical understanding and

Chapters

• 0:05 Welcome to Doc's Day
• 0:52 Understanding Mental Health in Children
• 1:56 The Crisis of Neural Systems
• 3:25 Human Systems Science Approach
• 5:15 The Brain's Body Model Introduction