The Brain As Explained By Kids

December 22, 2018Na'ama Yehuda Articles and references, Current events, Life and love, Professional Development, Resources and links, Speech Language Pathology, Things Kids Say, Trauma and Development, Video Tags: children, education, Fear, From the mouths of babes, learning, Neurobiology, Resource, speech pathology, The Triune Brain, Trauma, Trauma and Development, Video clip 3 Comments

Sometimes a resource comes along that distills complex concepts so they are instantly understandable in both theory and practical applications. The three minute clip below is one.

The children in the video do an excellent job explaining the brain’s structure, function, and response to fear. They detail what fear reactions can look like in behavior, how fear affects processing, and why it is so important that we understand how behavior is, in essence, communication.

It is a brief yet fantastic resource. I hope you watch. I hope you comment. I hope you share.

Children often make great teachers. These kids certainly do! Well done, everyone!

For detailed information on the ways fear and trauma affect language, development, behavior, and communication, go to: Communicating Trauma.

Also check the Resources and Trauma and Development pages as well as the Book Chapters and Articles page on this site for additional information and resources.

For information on the organization that produced the video above, go to: Trauma Recovery Centre

If Eyes Could Speak

December 21, 2018Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Current events, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Photography, Reflections, Trauma and Development, Writing Tags: Being seen, Give a voice, hardship, hope, humanity, Photo a Week, Photo Challenge, Photo prompt, Photography, Poetry, Stories, travel, Universality, Writing prompt 24 Comments

Photo: Dvora Freedman

If eyes could speak,

They’d tell of roads

No one should take,

And hardship that

Does not build,

But breaks.

If eyes could speak,

They’d share the stories

Of long paths,

That some must walk

With shattered hearts.

If eyes could speak,

They’d share hope, too.

For being seen

Brings light into

What one must know,

And one must do.

For Nancy Merrill’s a Photo a Week challenge: Eyes

What Matters Most

December 18, 2018December 19, 2018Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Current events, Life and love, Meditations, Muse and Flow, Photography, Reflections, Writing Tags: children, Current affairs, Future, Newborns, Photo a Week, Photo Challenge, Photo prompt, Photography, Poetry, Priorities, Protection, Writing prompt 8 Comments

Photo: Yisca Freeman

What matters most

Are those we wrap

In loving arms

To keep from harm.

What matters most

Are those who hold

All future steps

Yet to unfold.

For Nancy Merrill’s Photo a week challenge

Leaving Leaves

December 17, 2018Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Current events, Life and love, Meditations, Muse and Flow, Photography, Reflections, Writing Tags: Beauty, Change of Seasons, Friday Foto Fun, Just for fun, Leaves, Nature, Photo Challenge, Photo prompt, Photography, Poetry, Transition 22 Comments

Photo: Karen Forte

In flaming end to

Warmth’s reprieve,

Cold days burnish

Red

Onto leaves.

A final curtain call

To leave.

For Calm Kate’s Friday Foto Fun Challenge: Leaves

It is Time

December 14, 2018Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Current events, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Photography, Reflections, Writing Tags: Current affairs, Enough, greed, hope, Justice, Photo Challenge, Photo prompt, Timesquares, Truth, Writing Challenge, Writing prompt 9 Comments

Photo: Na’ama Yehuda

It is time to make time

For the truth

Of what happened.

It is time to make space

For what some wished

Not be known.

It is time to take heed

Of the lengths went

To smother

The misdeeds and bad choices

So the fake

Will take hold.

It is time to revisit

Civic duty and justice

And refuse to permit

Free reign for hate,

Greed and lies.

It is time to return

To the truth.

For in fact it has long been

Well way past

The time.

For December Squares: Time

A Challenge To Pick

December 11, 2018December 11, 2018Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Current events, Life and love, Muse and Flow, Photography, Reflections, Writing Tags: Challenges, Climbing, Courage, Dangerous, encouragement, fpj-photo-challenge, Glacier, One step at a time, Photo Challenge, Poetry, travel, Writing prompt 14 Comments

Photo: Chagit Moriah-Gibor

When faced with

This-is-just-impassable,

The oh-too-dangerous,

And far-too-far

To pull out from;

One step

And then

A careful second,

With a resolute pick

And sturdy rope,

Will help lock arms

With trembling courage,

To climb you out

Of hazard’s maw.

For the Tuesday Photo Challenge: Challenge

“Ian”: A Moving Story

December 11, 2018Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Articles and references, Current events, Life and love, Professional Development, Resources and links, Speech Language Pathology, Trauma and Development Tags: Awareness, Bullying, children, Dignity, Disabilities, Inclusion, Playgrounds, playing, Resource, Short Movie, speech-language-pathology, Trauma and Development, True Story, Video 4 Comments

All children want to play, including those with disabilities. However, the latter are all too often left out of playgrounds altogether, are rendered invisible to others who look through them or past them, or are bullied. This internationally acclaimed short movie, which is based on the true story of Ian, wordlessly and profoundly delivers the universal message about the inclusion and dignity to audiences young and old.

It is a must-see.

From a fabulous article about the movie from Respectability:

“All kids want to play. Kids with disabilities are no different. “Ian” is a short, animated film inspired by the real-life Ian, a boy with a disability determined to get to the playground despite his playmates bullying him. This film sets out to show that children with disabilities can and should be included.

“Ian” premiered for audiences around the world on YouTube and was broadcast in Latin America simultaneously on Disney Junior, Cartoon Network, Discovery Kids, Nickelodeon, PakaPaka and YouTube Kids Nov. 30, 2018.

“Ian” started as a mother’s mission to educate her son’s bullies on the playground—one to one. When she realized that the need for inclusion was bigger than one playground, she wrote a book and founded Fundación ian to change thousands of minds and attitudes about people with disabilities. She approached MundoLoco, a top digital animation studio in Latin America, about creating “Ian,” an animated film to deliver the message of inclusion to audiences all over the world.”

For the rest of the article on Respectability, information about the real Ian, links, and a lot more, click here: “Short film about playground inclusion wins international acclaim”

A Journey’s Blessing

December 7, 2018Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Current events, Life and love, Meditations, Muse and Flow, Photography, Reflections, Writing Tags: blessing, Ethiopia, Going home, humanity, Meditation, Photo Challenge, Photography, Poetry, travel, Universality, Weekly Photo Challenge, WitsEndChallenge 8 Comments

Photo: Dvora Freedman

As you take the journey home,

May there be a light

To guide you.

As you take the journey home,

May all that’s necessary

Be with you.

As you take one step

After another,

May the energies

Sustain you.

And when you finally

Reach home,

May loving arms and hearts

Embrace you.

For Wits End Weekly Photo Challenge: The Journey Home

A Child’s Cheer

December 3, 2018Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Current events, Life and love, Meditations, Muse and Flow, Photography, Reflections, Writing Tags: children, dVerse, Festival of Lights, Hanukkah, History, Holidays, hope, Poetry, Quadrille, winter, Writing Challenge, Writing prompt 20 Comments

Photo: Chagit Moriah-Gibor

As chilly nights

Churn cold winds

And unclothed trees

Hold branches

In a yearn

To huddle near,

Cherish the fleeting

Flowing moments

Of memory’s chalices

Filling with cheer,

As a child

Chants a prayer

And gently lights

History’s challenge

To despair

Lack

And fear.

For the dVerse Quadrille Monday challenge: Cheer

The Chief’s Command

December 1, 2018Na'ama Yehuda Anecdotes of Life, Current events, Muse and Flow, Photography, Reflections, Writing Tags: Creative writing, Current affairs, Ethiopia, Flash Fiction, History, Micro-fiction, Nature, Primates, What Pegman Saw, Writing Challenge, Writing prompt 10 Comments

Photo: Ofir Asif

“They are not welcome here,” the Chief decreed.

His eyes regarded the troop that was his to protect. The land was plentiful, but his soul recalled the stories of Times of Famine, when many had been reduced to skin and bone and many more had died. Legend had it that The Others had brought it on, had taken more than was their share, and angered rain from falling, seeds from growing.

He sensed Bannu’s discontent. Chiefs didn’t have to grant permission for anyone’s opinion. Life showed him, however, that good Chiefs balanced silencing with persuading.

“Bannu?” he grunted.

“What if they return with more of their kind?” The youngster’s sparse ruff bristled apprehension.

The Chief nodded. Foresight was rare. The youth had potential. It also made him someone to watch out for.

“If they challenge us,” the Chief bared teeth and growled an answer and a warning. “We fight.”

For What Pegman saw: Ethiopia