Participants will:

• Examine the characteristics of disability and how those may intersect with trauma history, environmental factors and temperament
• Examine what the brain research has to say about human functioning under stress
• Explore what is to be considered disordered and what is considered to be “normal” functioning in stressful environments
• Link the various influences on human functioning to a stress response in different settings through the escalation or anxiety curve
• Identify the strategies that are best suited for support at various stages of the escalation curve and be able to explain this based on what we know about the brain
• Apply a problem solving format which will be supportive when working with folks who have unexpected behavior due to neurodiversity