I’ll be giving a presentation to a group of teachers in another state this morning.
My goal is to equip them to work more effectively with their students struggling with ADHD and ASD.
While going through my morning routine I listened to a podcast that featured an audio clip from a presentation by Brene Brown. Her work has had a huge impact on mine.
The subject Brene discussed was trust, and how trust is formed in small moments where you felt seen and cared for by another person.
I want to add another important feature for building trust, consistency. When someone shows caring, respect or valuing you, it’s easier to trust that this person is who they show up as.
How’s the trust in your relationships?
Many years ago I sat in on an IEP meeting during which I tried to explain to staff that the young boy I was working with didn’t trust the teachers because of inconsistency in promises made versus promises kept.
His own case manager said, “Well people are inconsistent.” Needless to say things got worse at school and he was eventually sent to another school where thank goodness there was more consistency and he thrived.
It’s hard enough going through life with ADHD, or anything else that makes you have to work 10x harder for the same results.
But then to have to worry about whether you’ll be left hanging during your most vulnerable moments. That can be terrifying.
But to have someone in your life you can trust to be there when you need them, that can make the difference between giving up and staying at it.
