The Breathe Rudiment Research Project:
Utilizing Breath as a Self-Regulation Activity for Decreasing Classroom Emotional and Behavioral Outbursts and Increasing On-Task Abilities
January 2008
Research & Development Data for 36-months to 19 years of age
Directed by:
Jennifer L. Wilke-Deaton, M.A., L.P.A.
Private Clinical Practice Richmond, KYFrankfort, KY
Evan S. Lainhart, B.A.
Music and Guided Imagery Consultant
To Whom It May Concern,
Let me start bay saying thank you for your consideration of this project in your school system. By incorporating brief self-regulation activities in the classroom on a daily basis we not only increase performance and focus on classroom activities, but also decrease emotional and behavioral outbursts significantly. Preliminary data indicates that by utilizing breathing and relaxation techniques regularly in the academic setting we can actually decrease emotional/behavioral outbursts by over 60%, and increase task-orientation to academic and unstructured activities by up to 50%. We are asking that your school system utilize the Breathe Rudiment Track (3 minutes and 18 seconds) twice each day as part of the classroom preparation and transition model from unstructured time to structured tasks.
For the schools that are using this tool, we ask for the BRT to be used twice each day. Generally, the expectation is that the recorded track is used at the start of the day, transitioning from the school bus/breakfast/morning recess to classroom time and again after the lunch period as a transition back into the afternoon academic routine. Materials will be provided for all classrooms interested in participating. The BRT is under copy write, so we ask that if replacement materials are needed that you contact us for copy.
We will provide as many copies of the Breathe Rudiment Track (BRT) as are needed for all teachers willing to participate, all documents for data collection, and copies of outcome data once each year.There is no need to provide identifying information for any one child or adolescent, only ages and grade levels, so as to maintain standardized confidentiality within the school system.
Please find attached the research data and the rationale for incorporating this tool into your school routine, as well as pre-test and post-test forms for teachers to complete. We have altered the expectation for teachers, as we know that they already have their hands full with IEP and OHI compliance. This breathing activity is not only for identified Special Education and Other Health Impaired students, but also for the regular classroom students. The teachers we have been working with often find that the BRT also helps them become more focused for the day, engaged in the classroom, and less sensitive to frustrations in the classroom setting.
The pre-test is requested for completion on each child in the classroomat the beginning of the project (pre-BRT use). This is our baseline for tracking initial emotional/behavioral/attentional issues pre-BRT. The post-test is requested for completion 3 times in 6 week intervals for each student, and we will send a reminder letter and copies as needed with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. We have attempted to make a very user-friendly questionnaire, and the average time needed to complete each form is less than 1 minute per student. Our only request is that if your school chooses to participate in the research and development data project, that you complete at least one semester of full usage of the BRT. Noticeable differences should be seen in the classroom after 2 full weeks of usage.
I do hope that you consider utilizing this quick and effective technique in your school system, and if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Jennifer Wilke-Deaton directly at .
With Deepest Appreciation,
Jennifer L. Wilke-Deaton, M.A., L.P.A.Evan S. Lainhart, B.A.
Research and Development Proposal for Breathe Rudiment Track (BRT) in the Academic Setting
By: Jennifer Wilke-Deaton, M.A., L.P.A. & Evan S. Lainhart, B.A.
Mindfulness and self-regulation approaches in classrooms have been shown to be quite effective across the nation over the past 20 years (Murphy, N. & Donovan, S., 2002; Langer & Moldeveneau, 2000; Ritchart & Perkins, 2000; Adams, 1999; Langer, 1997; Kabat-Zinn, 1994;Linden, W., 1973). In many school-systems that are using a model of self-regulation, academic test scores and classroom performance have increased; staff intervention needs for emotional/behavioral problems have decreased; and overall classroom physical and mental health have increased positively (Herpertz, et.al, 2005; McCown, D.A., 2005; Peck, et.al., 2005; Bradley, S., 2000; Fontana, D. & Slack, I., 1997; Goldman, et. al., 1979). Although these results may seem appealing, it can also feel like quite a daunting task to incorporate an entirely new teaching model into a well-established classroom or school-system. The intent of the BRT deep breathing model is to alleviate concerns about whole-system changes within the school. By taking less than 8 minutes each day to practice self-regulation, the same results can be achieved in terms of brain change, positive attentional impact, and academic development.
The pace and tone of all of our days are usually set in motion by the time we rise each day. By 8:00 a.m., most school-aged children and youth in our country have been awoken jarringly by an alarm clock or parent; rushed through a morning hygiene routine; perhaps eaten a quick and nutritionally poor breakfast; pushed out the door to a waiting school bus filled with excessive movement, loud noises, and little structure; and harried to the first bell at school after standing in an over-stimulating, hectic, and loud hallway. As they sit down in class, most children and adolescentsare unprepared to start their day and oftentimes are unfocused and anxious. Students sit at their assigned desks and tables still thinking of what they have forgotten to bring to class, focusing on missing homework, or processing the conversation in the hallway that was left unfinished. Often, our low socio-economic populations, which constitute more than 31% of our nation, start the day hungry or neglected at some level. With primary and secondary abuse ratesof17:1000 children and 2:3 adolescents/young adults (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2007; Bender, E., 2004; Boudewyn, A.C. & Leim, J.H., 2004), many children and adolescents in the academic setting are also finding it the first time to rest comfortably and without anxiety or fear of abuse.
School days start out with at a rapid pace, and many researchers over the last 15 years have found that the first and last 10 minutes of the day are the least productive in the academic setting (LaCourse, et.al., 2006; Claxton, G., 1997). By mid-morning, most children and youth have completed one third of their daily academic activities; have been pulled-out of classrooms for counseling sessions, speech therapy, occupational therapy, or advanced academics; and nearly 40% of our youth today have eaten lunch by 11 a.m. For many of the children we work with this may be the only meal a child or adolescent will receive in a day. This is detrimental to academic and social progress (Burke, et.al., 2005; Huffman, et.al. 2000; Cole, et.al., 1996; Engle, et. al. 1996; Bussing, et.al., 1988), as noted by the American Medical Association’s recommendations that everyone eat 4-6 small meals a day to increase focus and maintain healthy metabolism. The odds seem to be against our youth population’s success, before the teaching ever begins in a classroom.
By mid-afternoon, most of our nation’s children and youth have completed their day’s academic instruction. Afternoons in the school setting are also about preparation for going home. At this time, homework is assigned, planners are completed, and children prepare for the trip home, extracurricular activities, after-school tutoring, counseling, or work. On average, children in the United States under the age of 14 return home between5:30 p.m.- 6:00 p.m., a 12 hour work day, only to complete unfinished school work, chores, eat, bathe, and prepare for sleep. Some adolescents return home as late as 11:00 p.m. or later after working several evening hours, to the same responsibilities. The pressured pace has often not changed significantly throughout the day, as everyone rushes to the next activity to be completed.
Children and youth frequently return to homes with little supervision, parentified child-adult roles, adult responsibilities, and persistent family discord. With the current pressures of school-based planning, nationwide testing, and increasing student numbers in our classrooms there is little opportunity to have moments of calmness and focus. The danger in this practice is that we raise children and youth without the functional capacity for self-regulation, time-management, or the ability to control frustration tolerance, let alone having skills to increase their own task-orientation without outside assistance.
The tempo of our daily schedules and responsibilities hasalso had a negative impact on sleep cycles. The United Stateshas the one of the highest rates of sleepdisturbance/irregular sleep patterns in children under the age of 17, and many theories are focusing on the negative impact of over-structured and over-scheduled lifestyles on the ability to initiate and maintain sleep throughout the night. Without healthy sleep cycles, many students are listless, overwrought, and have great difficulty maintaining the pace of their required daily routines. This is yet another hurdle to hold children and youth back from productive achievement.
Data regarding the impact of thesetypes of schedules on brain function has found significantly heightened sensitivity of the autonomic nervous system, responsible for survival and arousal states;the limbic system, responsible for emotional regulation and expression; and the pre-frontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for higher level cognitive associations, meaningfulness, and executive functioning (McCown, D.A., 2005; Beauchine, T.P., 2001; Boccia, M.L. & Roberts, J.E., 2000). Our brains essentially are being overworked and in order for us to becapable of processing new information we allrequire brain “down time.” We also require cognitive relief to assist with assimilation ofcurrent and past learned information; as well as regulating both behaviors and emotion in a socially and emotionally effective fashion. As we continue to follow over-structured and time-pressured daily routines, the potential for inaccurate hard-wiring of the brain increases exponentially.
As adultsmany of us are capable of identifying when our day has been overwhelming, but children know no differently than what they are living in the moment. Adults are generally more capable of “taking that break,” stepping away, or preserving ourselves in the most difficult of situations. Adults have a more well-developed ability to self-regulate and ask for assistance from others when we feel over-stimulated or stressed, but there are many who don’t because of outside pressures. Children do not always possess the natural capacity for self-awareness, self-regulation, and the use of effective coping skills. They must be taught these skills and offered the opportunity to practice in real-life settings. Without this opportunity, rates of childhood depression, anxiety, and behavioral problems increase significantly (LaCourse, et.al., 2006; Costello, E.J., 2003; Sternburg, R.J., 2000; Cole, et.al., 1996). The impact on brain function is profound, resulting in poor right and left hemisphere communication, limited capacity for emotional regulation, and poor processing and attentional abilities.
For over 1000 years, Eastern culture has emphasized the importance of self-regulation and meditation for healthy human functioning. Unfortunately, Western culture has often rejected the need for unstructured time and relaxation, and has placed a definitive emphasis on the skills of multi-tasking and exceeding productivity expectations. The concept that self-regulation is necessary for all humans is often met with great fear and trepidation by those who are unfamiliar with the ease of using these skills as part of a daily routine. The irony is that if we do not take time to regulate our inner-systems we actually become less productive (Southern, D. & Tomlinson M., 2005; Fischer, S.C., et.al., 2003; Siklos, S. & Kerns, K.A., 2003) and frequently experience more physical and mental illness related concerns (Harris, K.R., 2004; Johnston-Brooks, C.H., et.al. 1998; Rutter, M., 1981). In fact, many of us actually use self-regulation tools without even realizing it. Think if the last time you took a deep breath and blew it out, albeit sarcastically, when you had an interaction with a difficult colleague or parent. You have self-regulated your mind and body without even thinking of the steps it took to complete the behavior.
By incorporatingdiaphragmatic breathing and other self-regulation skills into our daily routine, it is possible to actually decrease internal autonomic and limbic system sensitivity and increase potential for broader association cortex functioning. What does this mean? Essentially, by regularly using self-regulation skills in our daily schedulewe develop brains that are more efficiently able to identify cause and effect connections; logically process interpersonal interactions; have greater potential for healthy socialization; delineate the difference between fantasy and reality states; better manage a variety of and intensities of emotions, both positive and negative; and focus for longer periods of time with better processing and assimilation of new information.
I have been a mental health professional and expert in treating child/adolescent behavioral disorders, autistic spectrum issues, mal-attachment, child abuse, and familial discord for several years. As a behavioral specialist and consultant for Head Start, and over 25 elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools, I have to state strongly that the interventions that have proven to have the greatest positive impact have always been those that prevent escalation and task-disorientation, rather than those that simply respond to negative behavioral problems. I have personally been utilizing a model of self-regulation with my clients for over 10 years, and the results in and out of the therapeutic setting are staggering. What I have personally seen happening with clients, their families, and schools are shorter treatment timelines, less financial burden to the Boards of Education (i.e. classroom aides and interventions costs), and longer-term skills development for children and youth across the lifespan.
Specifically, the Breath Rudiment Track (BRT) that you are being introduced to has made powerful changes around the country. This track has been used in over 40 states, and many teachers, clinicians, and family members have begun to utilize this instrument as a quick classroom, counseling, and home tool. The BRT itself was created to be a brief self-regulation activity that took little effort to access, with powerful results. The BRT is less than 4 minutes in duration and is meant to be used in many settings. The music used in the track is electronically based, which is more appealing to children and youth currently, and follows very specific guidelines set aside for neuro-impact and guided imagery. You may note that you hear different sounds in each ear when listening to the BRT through a headset, and this is quite deliberate. This type of auditory engagementimproves left and right hemisphere interactions. One can actually achieve greater focus and improvement in dual hemisphere connections and communicationthrough this simple technique (Goldbeck, L. & Schmid, K., 2003; Kerns, K.A., 1999; Hampstead, W.J., 1979). This approach can be especially effective for children and youth with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and high levels of anxiety, who actually benefit more from using this track with headphones in place. That being said, all students benefit from listening to the BRT by CD player, iPod, MP3 player, or DVD player in the classroom.
With the BRT, the pacing of the breath activity is also very intentionally set. For some well-practiced diaphragmatic breathers the oral script may feel somewhat rushed, but for those just starting to practice self-regulation this pacing is especially important for developing diaphragm awareness and endurance with breathing. Also, when children practice breathing activities it is important to remember that their diaphragms are smaller and require less time for full-breath completion. The sound of the auditory breath in the background of the music is set to match a full adolescent/adult breath, and can help children develop the skill of deep breathing throughout their adult lives as well. Many often subconsciously begin to focus on the breath sound rather than the scripted directive, and adults note this phenomenon too.
The intent of the current study is to assist with the incorporation of self-regulation quickly and easily into the academic setting. With very little alteration in the classroom’s daily schedule, tremendous positive impact can be seen with large numbers of students and teachers alike. The earlier we teach these types of skills to our youth populations, the more likely we are to have functional adult populations. Helping as many students as possible increase healthy brain functioning, make effective academic gains, and assert positive self-control and socialization is the primary goal for all of us, regardless of your role in their lives. Let’s make the first 4 minutes of the school day set the precedent for a lifetime of healthy living.