Dear Friends of Danny,
Danny has declared: “I am cranky today.” He didn’t get sleep last night. Today he’s struggling because “I want to do so much, but I am so tired.” So there’s a bit of dysregulation bubbling up, on top of whatever it was that prevented him from sleeping last night.
What’s helping him in the moment is a strategy he and his therapist came up with, to really get him into the thinking part of his brain. Informing us that his brain needs way more than we’d realized, he suggested transcribing* foreign language literature *while* listening to intellectually engaging podcasts. Because of course that’s relaxing… 😉
So today, he’s transcribing excerpts from Voltaire’s Candide, in French (which he has never studied), while listening to The Titanium Physicists podcast. This is his 3rd time using this practice to help regulate himself. I’m so impressed with how deeply it engages his attention, and it’s something he can do on his own once someone sets it all up for him.
He gave me permission to share this. We’d love to hear of any similarly intellectually challenging regulation practices you’ve tried!
Danny’s older sister bear,
Tara
*Our dad taught him 10-finger typing when he was a kid – even though it’s not something he can use for purposeful communication, he can transcribe easily
Danny With Words 
Unbelievable. I feel as though my responses to Danny’s intellect are so primitive. I feel this frequently. Thank you for sharing this powerful piece.
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