Today on the Special Education Inner Circle podcast, I interviewed Dr. Maria Gilmour, author of Seven Superpowers. We chatted all about providing compassionate behavior support at home and school. Sometimes this can feel tricky when emotions are running high, but Maria has been working with children for 25 years and has great strategies to share!

Key Strategies Discussed:

• Compassionate support means finding a balance between being highly reactive and not reacting at all.
• To support a child with compassion, we need to understand that when kids are struggling with behaviors or tasks that are new or not their favorite, they feel scared and emotional. We need to develop a support system to meet them where they are at.
• Remember, kids are always watching, so it's crucial to be aware of our own facial expressions when providing compassionate care and support.
• Giving children choices is also important. As kids grow older and become real adults with real opinions and thoughts, it's essential to let them make choices for themselves based on what they want and who they are.
• Lastly, downshifting is important. Downshifting involves slowing down and being present in the moment, instead of constantly being in a hurry to complete tasks. This can be challenging for parents and teachers as we often have to hurry up and go to get things done. However, downshifting can help us maintain a more peaceful and calm environment, which can ultimately help us support children with compassion.

Need more strategies to provide compassionate support during stressful situations? Grab Maria's Book, Seven Superpowers on Amazon

Additional Links Mentioned In This Episode:

• Master IEP Coach® Certificate Program
• Start Your Own IEP Coaching Practice
• Download 12 IEP Questions You Need to Ask
• Find All the Special Education Inner Circle Podcast Episodes