Neuro/Bio Maturity
•What does this domain often look like?
•Youth may seem younger than their age; fast, reactive, or sensitive body systems.
•What does an over-reactive stress response look like?
•Everything feels big; quick shifts into fight/flight/freeze.
•Why do emotions feel 'too big' for trauma-impacted youth?
•They lack stable co-regulation; emotions feel big and fast.
•What is validation?
•Acknowledging a youth’s internal experience makes sense.
•What does attachment injury often look like?
•Wanting closeness but not feeling safe in it.
•What is one strategy staff can use to support biological maturity?
•Predictable routines, reduced sensory load, slow pacing, body-based calming.
•What is a 'stress script' staff can use?
•Examples: 'You’re safe. I’m here.'
•What is one tool for building emotional vocabulary?
•Feelings charts, zones, check-ins.
•What is validation *not*?
•Not agreeing with behaviour or removing limits.
•What is relationship pacing?
•Steady presence without forcing closeness.
•What does 'regulation before expectation' mean?
•A youth must be regulated before they can learn, reason, or follow expectations.
•What should staff reduce by 80% during dysregulation?
•Staff should reduce language by 80%.
•What does 'repair after conflict' sound like?
•'We had a tough moment. We're still okay.'
•Name one reason validation lowers threat.
•Decreases amygdala activation and increases safety.
•Why is predictability more important than warmth?
•Predictability builds safety.
Name one sensory-supportive environment change.
Soft lighting, reduced noise, structured environment.
•Why do trauma-impacted youth go '0–60'?
•Their nervous system is over-tuned from past unpredictability.
•What is the role of co-regulation?
•Adult calm regulates youth’s nervous system.
•List one step of the validation script.
•Notice + name + reason + support.
•Name a strength-based identity reframe.
•Example: 'Persistent' instead of 'stubborn.'
Reframe: What is a strength-based way to view 'hyper' behaviour?
Movement is regulation—it's adaptive, not misbehaviour.
•Reframe: What is the strength beneath 'dramatic' behaviour?
•They feel intensely because their system learned to survive big emotions.
•Reframe: What is a strength-based view of 'oppositional' behaviour?
•They're protecting safety and control.
•Fill in the script: 'I can see you’re ____. It makes sense because ____.'
•'I can see you're frustrated. It makes sense because the plan changed.'
•Why does shame block responsibility-taking?
•Shame overwhelms them before reflection.