Big, deep breaths

When a child living with ADHD is dysregulated, telling them to calm down rarely works. But telling them to breathe and knowing why that works is a different thing entirely. This episode looks at the science behind breathing and the ADHD brain, why slow deliberate breathing is one of the few regulation tools that works in the middle of a meltdown rather than before or after it, and how to teach this skill to a child before they need it most.SCIENCE REFERENCESJerath, R., Edry, J.W., Barnes, V.A., & Jerath, V. (2006). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system. Medical Hypotheses, 67(3), 566–571.Porges, S.W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. W.W. Norton & Company.Siegel, D.J., & Bryson, T.P. (2012). The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind. Delacorte Press.Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., & Gemignani, A. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353.