Navigating Neurodivergence
Making the Most of Your Unique Wiring
Arika Rapson, MA
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(18)
What's included
Meets on Demand
schedule meetings as needed55 mins
per sessionTeacher support
Homework
1 hour per week. Most of the homework for this course will be observing and tracking our behaviors and responses, as well as mapping out new incremental steps to respond to various situations. There will be some reflection and goal setting also.Assessment
An informal assessment will be made at the end of the course.Class Experience
Week 1: Core Values & Challenges Discussion: *How neurodivergence is showing up in your life * Identify area(s) you want to work on and the challenges of doing so Identifying Core Values *Discussion, activity and further reflection *Homework: Keep track of what you do this week that reflects your core values Week 2: Navigating Your Nervous System *Discuss the 3 primary states we move between (fight-or-flight, shut down mode and the Optimal Zone) * Discuss Neurodivergence and the Nervous System * Activities: Analyze where you are spending most of your time, make a chart of your own Nervous System *Homework: Worksheet on your major stressors & track your nervous system states every day for the next week Week 3: Anchors and Your Daily Energy Bank * Go over the data you collected on your nervous system--notice any patterns * Set goals for your Nervous System *Discuss Anchors that help us shift, stay grounded and 'feel like ourselves again' * Activity on identifying your personal Anchors * Activity and/or Homework: Analyze your most frequent activities and figure out if they drain or recharge you (or both!) Week 4: Shifting and Glimmers * Discuss how to protect our Daily Energy Bank * Discuss Shifting activities and the different categories for them * Activity: Chart out your own shifting activities and make note of new things you could try out * Discuss Glimmers and how to create more positive experiences * Homework: Try out some new shifting activities and then assess how well they worked. Also, be on the lookout for glimmers and make note of them when they occur. Week 5: Responding to Stress and Getting Unstuck * Discuss how to set realistic goals for responding to stressful situations that arise * Activity: Create If/Then scenarios customized to your stressors so you have a plan to support yourself when you need it * Activity: Map out a complete sequence of activities that could get you out of an undesirable 'stuck' state to a an optimal state * Homework: Continue tracking Glimmers, Nervous System States and helpful shifting activities Week 6: Distractions & Training Attention * Discuss how distractions relate to core values, the role of dopamine and the prefrontal cortex, and how neurodivergence fits in * Activity: Managing Distractions Worksheet *Activity: Training Attention Exercise Week 7: Focusing & Reframing Choices *Discuss focusing tips for neurodivergents and how our brain decides which part of the brain to listen to *Activity: The 10 Minute Rule * Activity: Reframing Choices Worksheet * Homework: Track your use of the 10 minute rule and write out some things you are willing to try out to stay focused Week 8: Putting it into Action & Creating a Path Forward *Check in with yourself and figure out what areas remain most challenging and what your best tools are for meeting those challenges * Activity: Start mapping out a path forward for you to begin the first phase of pursuing a goal that has felt out of reach until now * Homework: After the completion of this course, you will continue mapping out each phase of your goal until it is reached NOTE: Students do not need a formal diagnosis of any kind to do this course. However, they are expected to have some idea of what being neurodivergent means and how that shows up in their life.
Learning Goals
* Find out how the nervous system and key parts of the brain work, and how things differ in the neurodivergent mind
* Learn how to pay attention to signals from your body so that you can make adjustments to avoid/minimize prolonged stress and overwhelm
* Get trained on how to shift more easily when you get stuck
* Practice techniques to improve attention, focus, self-awareness, impulse control and the ability to manage stress
*Learn some brain hacks to cultivate more positive experiences and support when you need it
* Get familiar with strategies to work through fear to achieve your goals
* Practice writing step-by-step action plans for typical stressful scenarios you are likely to face
Other Details
Parental Guidance
While there will NOT be direct conversation regarding personal feelings and difficult emotions, students will be asked to identify some areas that are general stressors for them and can lead to overwhelm/anxiety/shutdown. Examples of general stressors include things like taking tests, socializing, meeting deadlines, getting interrupted, etc.
Students will be informed that this class is not the place to address more personal stressors/experiences.
They will then be learning about what is happening in their nervous system and brain that leads to those states and will learn about cognitive strategies they can use to work through those stressors.
Because each student has their own unique wiring, they will be spending time getting to know the patterns of their own unique nervous system, which means they will be tracking things like how often and for how long they may be getting stuck in a fight/flight or shutdown state. The point here is to customize shifting strategies for each student, not to engage in sorting through the difficult emotions as you might do in a therapeutic setting.
Students will NOT be talking about the specific details of things that are upsetting to them, but they will need to be aware of areas that are challenging for them.
Supply List
A 30+ page PDF Workbook will be provided. Additional paper may be needed.
Language of Instruction
English
Joined May, 2020
4.9
18reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I am a neurodivergent teacher with ASD and am a Certified Cognitive Coach through IBCCES (The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards). Cognitive Coaches are trained in cognitive strategies and techniques to calm brain cortical systems using the SEAL model (Social-Emotional-Academic Learning) for ASD, ADHD, dyslexia and anxiety.
Additionally, I have a MA from Stony Brook University and a diploma in Cognitive Behavioral Techniques from Holbeck College. I have been teaching all ages for 20+ years and have also worked one-on-one with high school students as a SPED paraeducator.
Although I first started off as a music teacher, I have gained additional experience as a classroom substitute and leave replacement teacher for grades K-12.
So how do teaching music and doing Cognitive Coaching relate to each other? Well, imagine this scenario. Your piano student arrives at their lesson. They tell you they practiced for hours and it went really well. They sit down to play and start hitting some wrong notes. Every time they do, their hands fly up in the air and they make sounds of frustration and then start berating themselves. The student's distress is mounting. What do you do?
Over the years, I have had many neurodivergent students who have studied music with me. Early on I recognized that when a student was highly or anxious or overwhelmed, what they really needed was strategies to get calm. They need training on how to respond rather than react. My music training did not teach me how to coach students in this way, although some of my lived experience with ASD did. This became a key focus area for me as an educator, and I continued sharpening my skills by taking coursework in things like mindfulness and CBT, and trainings in ASD and neurodiversity. Then the pandemic hit.
My passion for coaching neurodivergent teens intensified during Covid-19, when the need for this sort of training
become especially apparent. Previously some students had been more able to camouflage their anxiety and overwhelm, but during the pandemic the level of need became more obvious. Realizing that I wanted to do more to support my tribe, I decided to become a Certified Cognitive Coach. So in the past year I have begun teaching these skills outside of music lessons as a stand alone course. My experiences with implementing the SEAL model in this manner has demonstrated that acquiring skills such as self-awareness, responsible decision-making and self-management are essential to learning and moving forward in any subject area, and it has been highly rewarding to expand this training to a wider group of students.
Reviews
Live 1-on-1 Lessons
$30
per sessionMeets on demand
55 min
Completed by 1 learner
Live video meetings
Ages: 14-18
