TRAINING

ADOLESCENT BRAIN MALADAPTATION: 

(What Happens When a Teen’s Brain Gets Stuck)

Our success as an adult is largely impacted by what happens in our brains between the ages of 10 and 15. The adolescent years are a crucial time for healthy brain development in the area called the pre-frontal cortex. This session focuses on what happens to this vital area of the brain which is responsible for problem solving, goal setting, impulse control, and abstract thought when it is affected by trauma and/or substance use. Attendees will learn why traditional approaches to learning, discipline, and reasoning with at-risk teens often fail with this population. The session covers alternative strategies for engaging youth whose cognitive functioning has been limited by problematic life experiences.