What drives compliance for a child or adult with neurodivergent special needs?
When it comes to disorders such as Autism or similar Sensory processing disorders, the truth is, all environments can be challenging.
Why is this?
All of our brains are complex. For us humans, emotions run the whole show each and every minute. Much of the time, we are on some sort of autopilot whereby the emotions do not affect function or the task at hand. However, we are certain to be derailed with the emotions of fear or anger when it enters our awareness. We have many choices in receiving this awareness.
Some choices are:
To flee the situation or
to ponder the fears/angering feelings then react or
to have an aggressive reaction or
do nothing at all and process the feelings within ourselves without reaction.
All of these require an expenditure of energy associated with a certain amount of stress. These are relative to the significance of the emotions being felt. The basic primal feeling of fear and anger are initially represented in an area of the brian called the Amygdala. This area is located in the limbic system which is responsible for most of our emotional processing. In a “neurotypical” brain we find the brain centres to process well, and then transfer information to the cerebral cortex (prefrontal) for some rational problem solving and critical thinking. Sometimes this occurs without a “second thought”.
So, what happens within the brains of children and adults with neurodivergencies?
Essentially the same brain anatomy and processing capability exists. However, there are varying degrees of deficits in the amygdala, overall limbic system and even the hippocampus (for short term memory and learning) and brain neurotransmitters associated with each processing level. This makes challenges for comprehending, interpreting and processing fears and anger (perceived threats).
Let’s illustrate through an example…
Picture yourself walking down a dark alleyway in the city. You begin by walking and then hear distant footsteps. Your initial wondering is if this is a threat, and you may feel some fear inside. As you continue to walk, the sound becomes louder and louder. Your anticipation of who will be at the end of alleyway is high. Finally, you open to some light and a man strolls past your path. He continues to walk without incident. You feel relief and calm once the idea of the threat is no longer.
NOW, picture a person with ASD or other sensory processing challenges, walking down the same alleyway. They start off, its dark and they hear the distant footsteps. They continue down the darkness and as they approach the opening a man appears and walks across their path! No relief is felt, in fact a heightened state of alarm continues, high stress without the ability to self-calm. The potential threat is gone. However, in this case the brain stays on alert and cannot easily be shifted due to the deficits within the limbic system. I may take hours or the day to become calm again. In some cases, an aversion to the situation is created in the brain’s short term memory centres which inhibits the individual from entering the alleyway again.
How can this be helped?
Essentially all brain activity can be counterbalanced with altering its state. This means to create a calming effect using outlets for directing energy and changing the brain’s response. Examples of this would be using prescribed exercise, art (like drawing or painting or sculpting), music and pleasant visuals. Also, incorporating transition plans and story lines (using fantasy if helpful) to create a new pattern for future experiences. Such as changing the fear perception of a predictable situation that may occur in the future. This will take some time and repetition. Also, some professional assistance to encourage the process and assist family members. Supports that can be placed into the development of children and adults include using nature, breathing techniques and movement while in a state'. Its is absolutely essential to the overall development of an individual to be working with interventions that assist and help improve independence over the long term.
To answer the question-what drives compliance? The above illustration suggests that fear and anger emotions drive compliance. Without them, processing and learning would be much faster, and the outcomes become clearer. Memory also improves which creates a longer-term effect for overall learning and improvement. Many individuals will develop coping mechanisms such as escape activities and controlling methods to circumvent possible anger or fear responses related to their experiences. These can be debilitating to daily functions and present a developmental challenge for families to move forward.
We all hope for more compliance to help our children, because we need consistency to improve. Stick with it…Once we understand what drives it, we can help, and families can feel better about the journey!