Indigenous Practices, Play is the Way, and Helping Kids Regulate Emotions - Leroy Slanzi

We sit down with Leroy Slanzi, an experienced educator with 25 years in the field, to explore practical ways to support the mental health and emotional well-being of children with special needs. Leroy shares how schools can create a “pathway” through the mental health challenges faced by students, discussing the role of play-based learning in building emotional intelligence. He emphasizes how practices like structured and unstructured play help children learn to self-regulate their emotions and build social skills. Claudie Pomares, our Chief Scientist, delves into how sensory enrichment can enhance focus and calm in children. She explains why combining multiple sensory inputs, like scents and sounds, can boost dopamine levels and improve concentration. Claudie and Leroy collaborate on creating a new game to strengthen the corpus callosum, which is the bundle of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the brain. The game is designed to improve sensory integration and cross-brain communication, helping children to process and integrate sensory information more effectively. By incorporating elements like touch (holding objects of different textures and temperatures) while performing movements, the game aims to engage both sides of the brain simultaneously. This type of activity can help children with neurodevelopmental challenges better coordinate their movements and responses, improve their focus, and enhance their ability to manage sensory inputs, ultimately contributing to their overall brain function and emotional regulation. Episode Highlights: 11:05 - Leroy shares the daily smudging practice in Indigenous schools, explaining its role in creating a calm, welcoming environment for students. 14:51 - Claudie explains how pleasant smells like sage increase dopamine levels in the brain, helping children focus better. 18:00 - Kim talks about the powerful effect of sensory enrichment practices in Indigenous communities and their rapid adoption of these methods. 19:01 - Leroy highlights the importance of attachment bonds in Indigenous families and how they support children’s resilience. 43:45 - Leroy and Claudie collaborate on designing a sensory game to strengthen the corpus callosum, integrating touch and temperature to enhance brain connectivity. 46:39 - Leroy describes a simple yet effective game called “Dead Ants” that helps children develop coordination and focus by combining physical activity with sensory variations.