Understanding Deeper Developmental Needs

Book excerpt: How do we best help a child who is struggling? By learning to look carefully.Children's challenging behaviour -- such as bullying, attention problems, anxiety, memory problems or sensory-seeking behaviour -- can often be related to a developmental issue, and the best way to understand the behaviour, argues Adam Blanning, is through close observation of the child. Watching how a child moves, listens, eats or sleeps can offer valuable insights into a child's experience of the world, and help tell the child's story.This detailed book explores in depth the 'constitutional polarities' of children discussed by Rudolf Steiner, which in turn can lead to effective, individualised therapeutic approaches to challenging behaviour. Teachers, counsellors and medical doctors will find tools in this book to enrich their work with children. The constitutional pictures are accompanied by diverse therapeutic indications that will help children into new growth and maturation, from the inside out.