Resistance, Escape, Non-compliance?

As a trauma-informed behavior analyst, we often have a different lens than a traditional behavior analyst when it comes to “non-compliance” or avoidance behaviors. When you understand how trauma impacts the brain and influences our behaviors, you understand that we don’t always have control over our behaviors, at least not when we are in a fight or flight survival mode. From a trauma lens it might be…

Less “I refuse” and more like “my body can’t take it”

Less “I refuse” and more like “I don’t feel safe anymore”

Less “I refuse” and more like “I need to survive”

We consider that, maybe someone’s resistance is actually someone’s nervous system hitting their limit.

Sometimes, the body doesn’t know the difference between a non-threat and a threat, especially if this body has a history of trauma. When the body feels under threat, it communicates to the brain to activate stress in the entire body. Heart rate increases, pupils dilate, blood stream limits to its extremities, and this prepare the body for survival action. This “survival action” is where some of those challenging behaviors might show up.

In adults, it can show up as ignoring the subject, changing the subject, fidgeting, getting defensive, joking it off or being sarcastic, becoming argumentative and say “I disagree”, being combative and blaming, or shutting down in general. In children it can possibly look like fidgeting, running away, biting or hitting, saying “no”, refusing an instruction, falling asleep, screaming, throwing items, or yelling at you. When people engage in these type of behaviors, they have already left their window of tolerance, and their window of tolerance is their safety net. The window of tolerance communicates to them, “no one is out to get me, I’m safe, I can relax”.

This is what we call a trauma-informed approach. It’s understanding that a behavior is never ill intended, but instead, sensitive to the consideration of how a lack of safety can show up in various forms of behaviors. This doesn’t mean these behaviors ALWAYS mean a lack of safety. There are nuances to it, but that’s why learning how to be trauma-informed is so important. To learn more, you can book a free 30 minute session with Annie or browse her “resources and services” tab.