When Behavior is Biology: Supporting Kids by Understanding Stress, Capacity, and the Nervous System
When Behavior is Biology: Supporting Kids by Understanding Stress, Capacity, and the Nervous System
Details:
Days: Thursday, July 30, 2026
Time: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm EST, 10:00-12:00 pm CST, 9:00-11:00am MST, 8:00-10:00am PST
Cost: $69 Parents, Caregivers; $99 Professionals
2 CEs $10 for Florida LCSW, LMHC, LMFT, and MCSW through CEBroker, Certificates provided for self-reporting for others.
If you support individuals with FASD or other brain-based differences, then you are supporting fragile (and easily overwhelmed) nervous systems. That means behavior isn’t just about choices, it’s about one’s nervous system capacity. In the upcoming training, When Behavior Is Biology with Eileen Devine, LCSW, you’ll learn how stress, cognitive load, and regulation impact both children and the adults supporting them.
DESCRIPTION:
Many children, especially those with developmental differences like FASD or histories of stress, experience the world through highly sensitive nervous systems. When a child becomes overwhelmed, what looks like “behavior” is often a reflection of their more fragile nervous system’s current capacity to cope, process, and stay regulated. At the same time, caregivers and professionals bring their own nervous systems into every interaction, shaping how support is given and received.
This training introduces a practical, accessible understanding of how stress and cognitive load impact both children and adults. Participants will explore how regulation fluctuates across the day and environments, how overwhelm shows up differently across individuals, and why traditional behavior-based approaches often fall short in creating lasting change. Emphasis will be placed on the dynamic relationship between adult and child regulation, highlighting the importance of co-regulation, scaffolding, and proactive supports.
Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the critical role of the nervous system, how to recognize early signs of overload, reduce cognitive fatigue, and implement preventative supports and accommodations that support resilience,connection, and success across home, school, and community settings.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
• Describe the role of the nervous system in shaping behavior, stress responses, and regulation in both children and adults
• Identify indicators of dysregulation and early signs of overwhelm across settings and individuals
• Explain the process of co-regulation and the influence of adult nervous system states on child functioning
• Analyze the impact of cognitive load and fatigue on a child’s capacity for regulation and adaptive functioning
• Demonstrate the application of scaffolding strategies and preventative accommodations to support regulation and reduce overwhelm
FACILITATOR:
Eileen Devine, LCSW
Eileen Devine is a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Brain First Parenting and the Think Brain First Training Program for professionals. With over 20 years of clinical experience, she is an internationally recognized expert in supporting families raising children with FASD and other neurobehavioral conditions, as well as the professionals who serve them. In addition to her clinical work with parents, Eileen delivers dozens of workshops and trainings worldwide each year for parents, educators, mental health professionals, and agency leaders. She is also a trainer for the Center for Adoption Support and Education’s (C.A.S.E.) accredited Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) Program, where she teaches clinicians across Oregon to provide adoption- and foster-competent care. Eileen lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two teenage children, one of whom has Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, a serious and lifelong brain-based condition.