Roots and Wings: Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

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Roots and WingsInfant and Early Childhood
Mental Health

• Angela M. Tomlin, Ph.D., HSPP
• Riley Child Development Center LEND
• IAITMH

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Early Childhood Mental Health DefinitionZERO TO
THREE (2002)

• The childs developing capacity to
• Form close and secure interpersonal
  relationships
• Experience, regulate and express emotions
• Explore the environment and learn
• All within the context of family, community, and
  cultural expectations

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Stages of Attachment (Bowlby)

• Limited discrimination (0-2 mos.)
• Discrimination with limited preference (2-7 mos.)
• Preferred attachment (7-12 mos.)
• Secure base/Safe Haven (12-18 mos.)
• Goal corrected partnership (18 mos.- 4 yrs.)

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What do we mean by Social and Emotional Skills in
young children?

• Forming close relationships with others
• Self-soothing
• Sympathy and empathy toward others
• Self-control/inhibition
• Following instructions
• Cooperation
• Sharing
• Theory of Mind skills

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Ghosts and Angels in the Nursery

• Early childhood mental health specialists refer
  to challenging relationships as ghosts in the
  nursery
• More recently, it has been acknowledged that
  positive past experiences also exert influences.
  These relationships have been termed angels in
  the nursery

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How this worksInternal Working Models

• Over time, your experience of being cared for
  creates expectations about
• how relationships work,
• how you expect to be treated,
• and about yourself (sense of self)
• These cognitive sets are called IWM
• Once set, the IWM guides, interprets new
  relationships

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Internal Working Models

• If you had an insecure early relationship
• Chances are you will
• View new relationships through that lens
• Tend to misinterpret others behavior, intentions
  with a bias toward insecurity
• Try to shape new relationships to fit your model

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Earned Security

• Some people have continuous security from infancy
  through adulthood
• Some adults who were raised in adverse situations
  nevertheless have secure states of minds as
  adults, attained by intact self-reflection skills
  or through a process of experiencing a positive
  relationship.
• Adults who overcome adversity to become secure as
  said to have earned security

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Parent-Provider Relationships

• Understand parent behaviorIt hurts to give that
  what you did not receive (Circle of Security)
• Use your relationship to helpCorrective
  Attachment Experience (Lieberman)
• Recognize and understand your own reactions

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Parent-Provider RelationshipsParallel Process

• Model an appropriate relationship
• Be consistent and reliable
• Provide emotional support/contain emotions
• Set boundaries as needed
• Be attentivelisten and observe well
• Avoid judgment
• Match your response to where the parent is
• Hold the parent in mind

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Use Reflective Methods

• Wonder about the childs thoughts, feelings, and
  actions
• Wonder about the parents experiences
• Be aware of your own feelings and
  responsesrecognize and manage
• Promote the parents reflective capacity by
  asking the right questions

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Highlight Strengths

• Helping parents see what they do well improves
  their sense of self-efficacy
• Parents who feel more effective are more
  responsive to their babies
• Pointing out mistakes is unlikely to motivate
  people to change
• Many parents also need help to accurately see
  their babys response to them

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How Highlighting Strengths Helps You in Your Work

• Hearing positives increases the parents interest
  in working with you (think positive
  reinforcement)
• Parent will be more willing to accept and ask for
  your help when you are positive
• Finding strengths leads you to solutions to
  problems

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Materials to Use and Share

• iaitmh.org
• See our Announcements and Reflections
• zerotothree.org
• Check out the NTI, Policy Center, and more
• CSEFEL http//www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/index.html
  
• Handouts, curriculum and videos
• TASCEIwww.challengingbehavior.org
• Handouts, curriculum

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Indiana Endorsement

• IAITMH is offering endorsement to all infant
  toddler providers
• Endorsement is a way to show your competence in
  working with the social and emotional needs of
  very young children
• Endorsement information can be found on our
  website, iaitmh.org

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Questions Discussion

• Contact info atomlin_at_iupui.edu