You cannot punish a child into having a skill they do not have.
Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with Doris and Rick Bowman to unpack why most school behavior plans fail — and what changes when we stop managing behavior and start working with the nervous system underneath it. For every parent, advocate, and educator who has ever heard "we have tried everything," this one is for you.
We are not giving legal advice. We are educating you — so you can sit at the table prepared.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Welcome and meet the Bowmans
3:30 What "trauma" actually means for the nervous system
6:00 Access to the cortex vs. capacity to meet a demand
10:00 The state of protection — what it looks like
13:30 Connection as the primary intervention
16:00 Adult regulation is a skill, not a given
23:30 Tone, eyes, and what kids really read
28:00 Praise as judgment — and why "I noticed" works better
36:00 What if the parents are not doing the work at home
45:00 A one-minute regulation practice for the classroom (HeartMath)
1:08:00 The stress response system, explained
1:11:00 Re-patterning the nervous system with small daily doses
1:22:00 Where ABC behavior plans live — and where to move instead
1:25:00 Getting a district to buy in
ABOUT OUR GUESTS — DORIS & RICK BOWMAN
Doris and Rick Bowman are "Team Bowman," founders of Bowman Consulting Group and trainers, consultants, and coaches on trauma-informed, neuro-affirming practices. Rick holds an M.A. in Clinical Psychology and is a licensed school administrator. Doris holds an M.S. in Education/Special Education and is a licensed administrator, elementary educator, and special educator. Together, they hold Graduate Certification in Applied Educational Neuroscience, are Advanced Certified Trauma & Resilience Practitioners (Education and Clinical), Certified Trainers in Collaborative Problem Solving (Think:Kids, MGH), and Certified HeartMath and "The Coherence Advantage" Trainers.
With a combined 50+ years working with the students schools struggle most to serve, they have sat on every side of the table — as the school, the parent, and the advocate. They are the authors of two Amazon #1 books: Your FBA Is a Fantasy! and Facing the Fantasy, Finding the Way Forward.
Find their books and trainings at https://www.bowmanconsultgroup.com
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-boss-with-karen-mayer-cunningham/id1805933912
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/03I43tikXlYvR6xIe3F24w
Buzzsprout: https://specialeducationboss.buzzsprout.com
CONNECT
Website: https://specialeducationacademy.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialeducationboss/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpecialEducationBoss/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@specialeducationboss
#SpecialEducationBoss #KarenMayerCunningham #IEPHelp #BehaviorSupport #TraumaInformed #SpecialEducation #FBA #IEPAdvocate #KnowYourRights
Karen Mayer Cunningham sits down with Doris and Rick Bowman to unpack why most school behavior plans fail — and what changes when we stop managing behavior and start working with the nervous system underneath it. For every parent, advocate, and educator who has ever heard "we have tried everything," this one is for you.
We are not giving legal advice. We are educating you — so you can sit at the table prepared.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Welcome and meet the Bowmans
3:30 What "trauma" actually means for the nervous system
6:00 Access to the cortex vs. capacity to meet a demand
10:00 The state of protection — what it looks like
13:30 Connection as the primary intervention
16:00 Adult regulation is a skill, not a given
23:30 Tone, eyes, and what kids really read
28:00 Praise as judgment — and why "I noticed" works better
36:00 What if the parents are not doing the work at home
45:00 A one-minute regulation practice for the classroom (HeartMath)
1:08:00 The stress response system, explained
1:11:00 Re-patterning the nervous system with small daily doses
1:22:00 Where ABC behavior plans live — and where to move instead
1:25:00 Getting a district to buy in
ABOUT OUR GUESTS — DORIS & RICK BOWMAN
Doris and Rick Bowman are "Team Bowman," founders of Bowman Consulting Group and trainers, consultants, and coaches on trauma-informed, neuro-affirming practices. Rick holds an M.A. in Clinical Psychology and is a licensed school administrator. Doris holds an M.S. in Education/Special Education and is a licensed administrator, elementary educator, and special educator. Together, they hold Graduate Certification in Applied Educational Neuroscience, are Advanced Certified Trauma & Resilience Practitioners (Education and Clinical), Certified Trainers in Collaborative Problem Solving (Think:Kids, MGH), and Certified HeartMath and "The Coherence Advantage" Trainers.
With a combined 50+ years working with the students schools struggle most to serve, they have sat on every side of the table — as the school, the parent, and the advocate. They are the authors of two Amazon #1 books: Your FBA Is a Fantasy! and Facing the Fantasy, Finding the Way Forward.
Find their books and trainings at https://www.bowmanconsultgroup.com
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/special-education-boss-with-karen-mayer-cunningham/id1805933912
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/03I43tikXlYvR6xIe3F24w
Buzzsprout: https://specialeducationboss.buzzsprout.com
CONNECT
Website: https://specialeducationacademy.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specialeducationboss/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpecialEducationBoss/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@specialeducationboss
#SpecialEducationBoss #KarenMayerCunningham #IEPHelp #BehaviorSupport #TraumaInformed #SpecialEducation #FBA #IEPAdvocate #KnowYourRights