Emotional and Language Contagion in Child with Special needs

When my brother (who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome, ADHD, and has been evaluated with Autism), was in third grade, he had to be transferred from an inclusive school into a school that didn't value inclusivity, because we had moved into a new house. This life transition at a very young age was the foundation of many of his current behaviors.

At age 7, he was in a school that valued inclusivity, because children who had special needs were able to attend regular classes and engage with other students, instead of being kept in a special education class for the entire day.  He also had a one-on-one Para-professional teacher who specialized in special education and speech. During this time he was learning communication skills and was able to mimic the sounds of words and letters. Unfortunately, when he was transferred into the new school, he was kept in a special needs classroom the entire time, and there was no inclusivity for the children that were in this special education class.

During the two years that he was at this school, not only did he forget the sounds of the words and letters that he already knew, but, without working with a Para one-on-one and without the reinforcement of speech,  he lost the complete ability to pronounce words and letters. Then he develop sounds that were loud, noisy and repetitive. Most of the time he sounded like he was yelling, but this was the way he had learned to communicate. In addition to developing these loud verbal cues, he also develop unusual behaviors. For example, he had an increase number in tantrums, would show aggression, and would not listen to directions, or follow directions.  We suspected that the change in school had something to do with these speech and behavioral changes, but at the time we didn't know why.  So after two years, we moved again, and were able to get him into a school that valued and practiced inclusivity. He began 5th grade at this new school, and he began to learn different ways of communicating non-verbally including the use of PECS and sign language, but most importantly he was also evaluated for the use of an assistive technology device.

At the time, it was difficult to understand why he began to manifest these new behaviors, but after reading about emotional contagion,  I can now understand and describe how this may work. Some individuals (including my brother) have a greater ability to mimic the gestures, behaviors, body postures, mannerisms, and actions of other people (Hatfield, E., & Cacioppo, J., et al. 1993). Individuals who have a greater ability to mimic the action of others will do so automatically, and will soon find them selves replicating the same behaviors or actions, a phenomena called emotional contagion (McIntosh, 2006).  As my brother was constantly (more than 5 hours a day, 5 days a week) exposed to an environment where he observed and learned from the abilities of others that were similar to his own, he began to mimic them. On a regular basis, my brother and other children were only exposed to each others abilities, which were in many ways limited due to their special needs.  And since most of the other children in the classroom were also non-verbal and used non verbal vocalization in order to communicate, he then began to learn and mimic these communication techniques. 

Emotional Contagion

In addition to non verbal cues, the children would also engage in other actions and behaviors as a way of interacting with others, but these behaviors were sometimes challenging and portrayed aggression. Disruptive behaviors including tantrums, grabbing on to others, throwing items, self injury and sometimes injury to others can be very common behaviors observed in a special needs classroom. If children with deficits in their communication are exposed to these behaviors all of the time then they are more likely to learn and mimic these behaviors, because they are mimicking behaviors from people that they spend the most time with (McIntosh, 2006). 

McIntoch, D., Reichmann-Decker, A., & Winkielman, P. (2006). Developmental Science. When the Social Mirror Breaks: Deficits in Automatic, but Not, 9(3), 295-302. Retrieved August 01, 2016, from http://psy2.ucsd.edu/~pwinkiel/McIntosh-Reichmann-Decker-Winkielman-Wilbarger_Mimicry-ASD-DS-2006.pdf

 

Hatfield, E., & Cacioppo, J., et al. (1993). America Psychological Society. Emotional Contagion, 2(3), 96-99. Retrieved August 01, 2016, from http://psychology.uchicago.edu/people/faculty/cacioppo/jtcreprints/hcr93.pdf

 

 

Children Can Mimic Violence

In our individualist society we tend to blame a child for acting out or being aggressive. We also encourage them to change these behaviors. We then seek counseling and other behavior therapy to "fix" such behaviors, and when the problem is not "fixed" we seek out additional help, including: the use of pharmaceuticals. As a society, we do not realize that this is a societal issue. We blame children for such behaviors, labeling them as having a mental health illness, giving them a diagnosis such as ADHD, and then we put them on medication. All of this is done, without fixing the root of the problem.

Part of the problem is that in todays society, parents do not spend as much time with their children as parents used to back in the day. Children spend less time outdoors learning about their environment, them selves, and others. The uprising of technology has enslaved the children of today, and their time is spent watching TV, playing video games, and using a tablet or a phone. Technology is great, if it is used the right way, but many children who tend to watch violent videos, are learning these violent behaviors through mimicking violent actions.  (Robert Winston, 2004) reports that based on a study, he noticed that children who watched violent actions, tend to mimic violent actions towards their toys, friends, and others. In another recent article by (Abel Mwema 2014), research states that children who are exposed to violent actions are more likely to act violent, use violence to solve problems, use violence to feel attractive and to improve their self esteem. Children will develop and grow believing that violence is the norm, and will use violence in the future. 

We see many of these dynamics within survivors of domestic violence. Children raised in households where domestic violence was a "norm", will mimic these behaviors outside of the house including: in school, in the community, and in therapy or counseling sessions.  In therapy as well as in school, they will express their feelings and use violent actions in their play (or play therapy) to understand and resolve these feelings.  Children who have witness domestic violence, will also most likely choose to live in a violent relationship, where they will be a perpetrator or a victim.

In communities and societies where individuals turn to violence to solve problems, children observe their peers and tend to develop violent behaviors.  For example, in Latin America, men are very oppressive towards women, a behavior and social norm known as Machismo. Young boys learn through mimicking behaviors of oppression against women at a very young age. They learn that women are the ones who cook, clean, maintain the house, are responsible for the chores around the house, are the caretakers of the children, and that their husbands make the rules. In many cases, men use violence to discipline their wife's if they didn't accomplish these household responsibilities. Younger boys who are raised in this society, see that these behaviors are the "norm", and from a young age they mimic and begin to follow such behaviors and actions. They often follow these norms with-in a heterosexual relationship, and learn that as a man, it is their duty to follow these roles.




Citations:
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2004/jan/07/highereducation.uk

Mwema, A. (2014). Effects of Media Violence on Children. Pediatrics for Parents. Retrieved on June 23, 2016, from http://www.pedsforparents.com/general/102897/effects-of-media-violence-on-children/

Rolemodeling abilities

Throughout my life, I have learned on a personal level by life experiences as well as on a professional level while in school (or while having a job), that it is very important to role modeling positive behaviors when working with individuals who have different abilities. I have also determined that good role models are needed in their life.

While growing up I have witnessed that my brother (who was born with Down syndrome and was later diagnosed with ADHD to then later be evaluated with Autism), needs structure and positive role models in his life.  He has done well with people who model positive behavior, motivation, and structure related to his own abilities, while at the same time accepting his own abilities, and allowing him to express his uniqueness.

He has taught me techniques that I apply in the community while being a role model for other people.

When I was working with individuals who had TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), role modeling played a huge part of my role in their rehabilitation. In many cases, after a TBI occurs in an individual, they need to re-train their brain on things that their brain used to be good at.  This can be life changing for them and their family members/caregivers.  When I worked with them as a Life Skills Therapist, I would model good behavior, motivation, and structure around their own ability on a daily basis. One of my roles, was to learn the therapeutic techniques that were used in their therapy sessions, and then to implement these skills in their own home or community. 

Modeling the exercises, techniques, and skills that therapists used was very important during their rehabilitation.  By modeling these techniques regularly, their body and mind were able to practice and be trained on the simple things that they had difficulty accomplishing, including: walking, dressing, and feeding.  Their family members or caretakers also learned these techniques rapidly and with ease so that they could then model the behaviors at home when I was not there.

Modeling and teaching effectively is important, because it contributes to the learning process of others, and learning happens best in a positive environment.  Now-a-days, I work with individuals who have a developmental disability. Through modeling positive techniques and behaviors related to their own abilities, they are able to learn simples tasks including: chores, shopping, cooking, and job skills.

The Mirrors in Our Brain

When we engage with others on a regular basis, we are constantly listening and observing. We take note of their facial expressions, emotions, mannerisms, and their actions, because these observations give us a lot of information about the other person.  But how exactly does our Brain register this information? And how does our brain facilitate our ability to engage, communicate, and emphasize with others.

Previous research has shown that there are multiple areas of our brain involved when we observe other people, imitate, and then learn from them.  In fact, the specific brain areas are called the superior temporal and inferior frontal cortical brain regions and they are involved in obtaining and processing information related to actions.  The insula, connects these brain regions to the limbic system, the area of our brain that processes our emotions and behavior via the insula.




Specifically, the inferior frontal cortex is activated when performing and observing an action, but the superior temporal cortex is activated only when observing an action (Carr, et al,. 2003). The insula is seen as the relay system between our actions and emotions.

According to (Carr, et al,. 2003), flow of information in the brain:

1. Action occurs and visual information is sent to superior temporal cortex.

2. Superior temporal cortex then sends information to the posterior parietal mirror neurons, which record the movement.

3. posterior parietal mirror neurons then send the information from the recorded kinesthetic movement to the inferior frontal mirror neurons which records the goal of the action.

4. The goal or plan of actions, are sent back from the inferior frontal mirror neurons to the posterior parietal mirror neurons, and then finally to the superior temporal cortex so that the imitative action can be initiated.






The limbic system is connected to all three brain regions: superior temporal, posterior parietal, and inferior frontal cortex via the insula, and relays information between motor and emotions when imitation occurs.

Citations:

Carr, L., Iacoboni, M., Dubeau, M., Mazziotta, J. C., & Lenzi, G. L. (2003). Neural mechanisms of empathy in humans: A relay from neural systems for imitation to limbic areas. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100(9), 5497-5502. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC154373/

Foxon, D. (2014). What do Chameleons, Brands and Mirror Neurons have in common?. The Big Brother Theme: Blog at word press. Retrieved from https://neuroexpression.wordpress.com/2014/07/22/what-do-chameleons-brands-and-mirror-neurons-have-in-common-2/

Rajmohan, V., Mohandas, E. Mirror neuron system. Indian Journal of Psychiatry. Retrieved from https://www.scienceopen.com/document/vid/41b6df47-6241-4bc6-a989-5eb914576ab2

Reflection of a Mirror

I still remember when my father was carrying my brother, Angel, to the NICU after he was born. I looked over to see a small baby with a blue hat, wrapped tightly in a blanket. He had the most beautiful upward-slanted eyes, a small nose, a protruding tongue that was bigger than his small mouth, a single straight crease across his palm and a gap between his first and second toes. These were the physical characteristics of Down syndrome, a genetic disorder I knew nothing about. After his birth, I had many mixed feelings of anger, confusion, and happiness. I was happy because I had always wanted to have a baby brother, I was angry because I demanded to know why he had to be born with a disability and I was confused and in denial because I kept thinking that his illness was just brief and that it would miraculously go away.

Despite this, at fourteen years of age, I found myself caring for my 6 month old brother while my mother and father had to work. I had to feed him, dress him, carry him, and make sure that he was receiving the proper amounts of oxygen. At only 14 years old, not only was I young and naïve, but I had to also care for a baby who needed special care because of his diagnosis. But as my mother cared for my brother, I was able watch and learn from her the best techniques that were needed to provide the proper care. I found myself imitating my mother, and I my self developed caring and empathetic skills at just 14 years of age.

Play therapy; Understanding life

Case: A child had set the counseling room to be similar to the real life setting of a grocery store and guided the therapist in their role as a stranger, the child told the therapists that they had to come by them and ask them out for coffee. The child then wrote down a number on a piece of paper.  Later when the therapist had a follow up conversation with the mother, mom told the therapist that she had been recently asked out on a date at a grocery store, and the therapist then made the connection that

the child was trying to understand this life event in play therapy.

Reflection: Play therapy is a great way for a child to role play and mimic what they have experienced in real life; this is a way that they process what is going on around them. If something happened that they didn't understand or were not sure about, then they will use different scenarios in their play to make better sense of their experience.  In this case, the child had seen their mother being asked for her number and out on a date, and without the therapist being aware of this information until after the session, the child had mimicked this real life situation in play therapy. The child had mirrored the parents actions and body gestures and mimicked them into their play therapy counseling session.



Citations:
(2015). Retrieved November 12, 2015, from http://images.vectorhq.com/images/premium/thumbs/161/illustration-of-isolated-cartoon-bear-dress-up_161607902.jpg

My neuron mirrors your neuron!

Mirror Neurons play a huge role in todays society. But they have also been the driving force of evolution. Mirror neurons seem to have contributed and continue to contribute towards the evolution of humanity, because they have helped improve both physical and verbal language, intelligence through nurture, and our social development. For example, at an early age, infants, children and youth look at the actions of their older peers within their community and learn from their actions; they learn their expressions, language, culture, religion, etc.   They tend to learn from the experiences of others: whether negative or positive.  For decades, language as it began with the use of signs and gestures in our primitive ancestors, were then taught to younger generations who were also the future; they learned by exposure as they mimicked behaviors.  In order for learning to occur quickly, the mirror system in the brain needed to adapt rapidly so that this knowledge could be retained through repetition and practice.  This could mean that the mirror system must have been activated every single time an individual was exposed to or practiced the language within their immediate family/community.  In the early years, our primitive ancestors used non verbal signs and gestures, and emotion recognition in facial expressions of other individuals must have been crucial in order to understand when an individual was in pain, dissatisfied, or happy.  Therefore, the mirror system could have facilitated our capability to emphasize with others during times of pain and fear but also happiness. In comparison, during war, it must have been important to understand other individuals intentions; being able to observe others gestures and body languages allowed our ancestors to quickly understand and make predictions for safety. Tool and art making were very important in communicating and in the evolution of our primitive ancestors, because it allowed them to socialize with other members as well as to hunt for food.  The mirror system could have played an important role in the ability of our primitive ancestors to learn quickly the processes of making these artifacts, but most importantly learn their use. 

On a regular basis, we seem to be easily influenced by individuals who share our same goals, beliefs, language, culture, and background.  We see our selves as a reflection of them because of the similarities; they are the mirror.  They are considered to be our mentors and leaders as we look up to them for the courage that we wish to have. But unfortunately, we are also influenced by the media in negative ways, for example, wishing to have the physical characteristics of models or celebrities, wishing to have the riches of others and therefore becoming unsatisfied with our life. We find our selves mimicking the actions of those who we are exposed to on a regular basis by the media. 

Citations:

Oxytocin for Autism and Social Anxiety. (2014, June 10). Retrieved February 14, 2015, from http://www.khemcorp.com/oxytocin-nasal-spray-autism-social-anxiety-summary/

 

Knowledgemonivore. Mirror neurons (2010, March 24).  Retrieved August 28, 2015, from https://knowledgeomnivore.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/mirror-neurons/.

Pedersen, C., Chang, S., & Williams, C. (2014). Evolutionary perspectives on the role of oxytocin in human social behavior, social cognition, and psychopathology. Brain Research, 1580(2014), 1-7. Retrieved February 14, 2015, from http://changlab.net/papers/Pedersen_editorial_BR_2014.pdf

Hormones. (2013, March 11). Retrieved February 14, 2015, from http://www.yourhormones.info/hormones/oxytocin.aspx