April 12, 2019 – Keynote Address – Expanding Horizons for the Early Years from Science to Practice

Categories: Events

TORONTO, ON.

Kim is excited to be giving the Closing Keynote at the Expanding Horizons for the Early Years from Science to Practice Conference on How Brain Science Informs Parenting Practices and Mental Health

To learn more about this great conference click on the link below:

Expanding Horizons for the Early Years from Science to Practice Conference

Articles

The Matter of Tone Posted on: Jan 26th, 2013
Therapists providing intervention to children with movement challenges have traditionally considered and have perhaps treated “muscle tone” specifically as an impairment impeding motor performance in daily living function. In our hands, we can “feel” the resistance, heaviness, responsiveness and changes of each child’s body with whom we interface in therapy. Our own motor system learns and remembers how each child’s limbs and body feel in the various positions we place them in and during the movement experiences we provide them in…
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Posted on: Feb 28th, 2013
A large number of drugs pass from the mothers' blood stream through the placenta to the fetus. Drugs of abuse have a low molecular weight and lipid solubility making it easier to cross the placenta. When drugs or other substances of abuse are taken by the mother equilibrium is established between the materanal and fetal circulations. This in utero equilibrium provides a constant supply to the baby and with the mothers' excretory and metabolic mechanisms the drug is cleared from the baby's circulation. During this time, the fetus undergoes a…
What is Addiction? Posted on: Mar 1st, 2013
When differentiating between "physical" addiction and "psychological" addiction in newborns of addicted mom's, it is a slippery slope of distinction. It is known that physical addiction comes about through an array of neuroadaptive changes and the laying down and strengthening of new memory connections in various circuits in the brain. We do not yet know all the relevant mechanisms, but the evidence suggests that it is the long-lasting brain changes from prolonged drug use that are responsible for the distortions of cognitve and emotional…
Becoming a Detective Posted on: Mar 3rd, 2013
The tricky part about "reading" your patient's nervous system and their sensory needs is that this process keeps you on your toes! The difficulty with sensory diets or "programs' is that they don't always allow you to "read" the nervous system of the child in the moment. Questions like "what is the child's current state?" before you begin a sensory intervention is key in deciding which types of activities might be helpful in moving the child's state towards homeostasis. Too often when following prescribed activities, flexibility is limited in…
Vestibular Stimulation and Seizures Posted on: Mar 25th, 2013
The vestibular system helps us to understand the position of our head and body in gravity-bound space. It gives us information about which way is up and which direction we are going. It assists our body with balance, spatial orientation and maintaining a stable visual field, even when we are moving. Since movement is a part of everything that we do, the vestibular system is always working in the background. Many children experience challenges in the processing of vestibular information. Some children seek out movement while others actively…
What does Hypotonia have to do with Autism? Posted on: Mar 26th, 2013
This is another wonderful frequently asked question! As you know there are so many variations to the theme of ASD and so really we are lumping a group of children together who someday may be differentiated like apples and oranges. Motor control issues are a prevalent aspect of challenge for many children with austim spectrum disorder and increasing research is helping to validate these observations. Researcher Philip Teitelbaum of the University of Florida, has researched early signs of autism in infants through investigation of their motor…
Connection, Fear and Sensory Processing Posted on: Mar 26th, 2013
This is a topic near and dear to my heart! Studying the brain has taught me how intimately connected the sensory systems are to the emotional centers (limbic system) and the rational centers (frontal cortex) of the brain. The bucket of chemicals that lives inside the amygdala (amy for short) does not know the difference between the sensory terrifying experience of fluffies in the socks from an earthquake! Each experience is interpreted through the perception of the individual. When our clients are sensory defensive, their experience of…
Explaining Sensory Regulation in Layman's Terms Posted on: Mar 28th, 2013
Therapists frequently ask "How do I explain these concepts to parents?" "What is sensory regulation?" In order to participate in our every day tasks we need a background of alertness that is created in the brain allowing us to attend, think and participate. Different tasks require different states of arousal and alertness. The state needed to watch tv is quite different from the one required for playing soccer! The typical nervous system has the flexibility and skills to adapt and move from one state to another with ease. Many of the…
How Attachment Shapes our Lives Posted on: Oct 5th, 2013
The following series of blogs stems from inspiration by work that is in process between Kim Barthel and Theo Fleury surrounding the topic of healing from sexual abuse. Many people who have been sexually abused define themselves through the lens of that abuse. They believe that their sometimes addictive and chaotic behaviour is caused solely by their childhood sexual abuse experience. Unfortunately for someone looking for a simple cause and effect explanation of why they do what they do today- it’s not that simple. We have come to…
Hope is Healing Posted on: Nov 22nd, 2013
As therapists we are positioned to bring new ideas and possible solutions to families of children with special needs. Often the families we are there to serve experience a “state of desparation” and “hopelessness”, floundering for ways to help their child. This state of vulnerability expressed by families can seemingly place us as professionals into potential positions of power over the family rather than in a mutual partnership. Throughout my career as a therapist and teacher, I have faced many an accusation from my peers as…
Helping is Healing Posted on: Dec 1st, 2013
Did you know that you can make your brain work better and become healthier by helping others? When you experience anxiety, depression or stress, helping others not only makes you feel good, but also changes the structure of your DNA. DNA is the code within your cells that makes you who you are and unique from everybody else. Every time a cell divides and makes a new cell (which is happening all day long) the DNA is exposed to all the chemicals inside your body. When the replicating strands of DNA are chronically exposed to stress and…
How Attachment Shapes Our Lives - Part III Posted on: Dec 29th, 2013
Abuse by a caregiver has been shown in research to damage the right side of a child’s growing brain, interfering with how they regulate their emotions, communicate socially, solve problems and learn. There is a tendency for dissociation – a process in which normally integrated thinking can become disjointed and disorganized. Parents who repeatedly rage at their young children may create a state of alarm in the child’s brains that lead to disorganized and disordered attachment strategies that can negatively and significantly effect…
Compassion for Offenders - Bob Spensley Posted on: Mar 9th, 2014
Tough topic. Some cultures still take the literal position that “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” is absolutely justifiable. Of all the people on earth, offenders (people who hurt people) are the ones most likely to be wished dead, or worse. In jails, we’ve all heard stories how child-molesters often end up murdered by fellow in-mates. And as a parent, if my daughter were the recipient of unspeakable abuse, I can’t say with certainty that I would be able to put into practice what I’m about to write about. But, I hope…
Theo Fleury Radio Interview for Conversations with a Rattlesnake Posted on: Apr 23rd, 2014
Great interview with Theo Fleury in Winnipeg. Give it a listen. Theo and Dahlia Click Here to learn more about the Conversations with a Rattle Snake event in Barry,…
Invitation to Speak in London, England at an International Conference Posted on: Jun 27th, 2014
Kim and Theo have been asked to share their life changing healing model of Breaking Free Through Healing Conversation with the international psychotherapy community. They will be attending the International Conference of Psychodrama, Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes at the University of London from August 28 to September 1. Kim and Theo are honoured to have this opportunity. Details of the appearance can be found below: Theo Fleury and Kim Barthel introduce a novel healing model that provides a mass public audience with an…