By Giedrė Sujetaitė-Volungevičienė a Self-Reg in Early Childhood Development learner.
A Shift in Perspective
It is remarkable how much one’s perspective can change in just one year. This story represents a true journey for me—it marks the moment I began to recognize limbic breaks in young children and understand that intelligence is a whole-brain phenomenon.
Changes in Paul’s Behaviour
Last year, I worked with a 4-year-old boy named Paul. When Paul’s brother started school, his behaviour changed noticeably. He became “that” child in the group—uttering hurtful words, pushing others away, and constantly competing. Paul had only one friend, whom he was very protective of. We spoke with his parents to identify the source of the problem.
When Behaviour Escalates
By this fall, the situation seemed to have improved. His brother was already attending school, and Paul had adjusted to the change. Although his behaviour was not ideal, everyone accepted it as part of his character—hot-tempered, egocentric, and competitive. However, in October, Paul began to display increased anger, pushing, and even fighting with other children. His defensive reactions became uncontrollable. When we tried to talk to him, he would run away. He struggled to concentrate and participate in activities and frequently exhibited signs of stress behaviour.
Understanding Limbic Brakes in Young Children
After the lecture on “Unpacking Intelligence” in the course “The Self-Reg in Early Childhood Development Certificate Program”, I began to piece together Paul’s sequence of events that might explain his “limbic brakes”. Around the same time his aggressive behaviour began, Paul was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with a hernia in his leg. He was informed that he would need leg surgery. We started discussing with the teachers the signs of stress, the main emotional triggers, and the actions that might be causing Paul to feel more pressured. How could we reduce Paul’s Red Brain brakes and encourage his learning? During personal meetings, Paul felt comfortable; he enjoyed the attention, and activities like playing doctor and building with Lego blocks helped calm him.
Supporting Regulation in Group Settings
However, in group settings, the noise caused significant stress, and his relationships with other children remained strained. Everyone was now afraid of Paul and reluctant to befriend him because he had previously acted aggressively. They didn’t trust him and also had emotional “brakes” regarding Paul. Therefore, within the group, we began discussing feelings more openly, introduced an anger meter, created a personal space for solitude, provided headphones to use when it became too loud, and established a construction area. Gradually, the children forgave Paul.
A Deeper Understanding of the Whole Child
I feel that I have made progress in recognizing when intelligence is incomplete or not balanced in a whole brain. The MEHRIT Centre modules helped me find effective ways to communicate with teachers and parents about a child’s behaviour—not through reactive measures, but through a deep understanding of what causes stress for the child. I have started to ask “WHY” – why he struggles to self-regulate, why he resists learning, and why he reacts defensively. A recent consultation regarding Paul also highlighted his cognitive abilities. He may be gifted, and the behaviour he exhibits could be a sign of boredom.
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