Feeling connected with other people is a basic human need. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, it comes just above the need to feel safe, which means that it is the next most important need after feeling safe. It also comes before the ability to accomplish anything.
This means that if you don’t feel that you belong somewhere or that you are loved or cared for, it can make it really hard for you to be able to accomplish something you are trying to do.
I recently worked with a family whose child was struggling with focus at school. The teacher felt that the child might need some accommodations in the classroom to help them. What was discovered through working with the parents is that the child was so excited to connect with their teacher and share something special that if they didn’t get the opportunity to do that, they had a hard time focusing on classwork.
So what did this mean for this child? The parents were able to share their findings with the teacher and the teacher stood at the door each morning and would allow that student to share what news they had first thing in the morning. Then the child would not have to try to gain the teacher’s attention throughout the day and could focus on what was being asked.
This small change in connection made a huge difference in this child’s life. Similarly, I have worked with other parents who notice a change in their child’s sensory sensitivities or ability to eat different foods just by focusing on connection.
Want to know how to discover your child’s connection preferences? Book a free consultation on our website.
