Today’s episode argues that safety and regulation, which the author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, terms “softness” or “felt safety,” are absolute preconditions for language development, particularly for gestalt language processors (GLPs). Dr. Hoerricks contrasts this relational approach with the prevalent methods of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Verbal Behaviour (ABA-VB), which are critiqued for focusing on compliance, technique, and control rather than physiological well-being. Referencing the work of Mona Delahooke and Barry Prizant, she posits that behaviourist models impose epistemic violence by demanding speech before attunement and dismissing non-quantifiable elements like resonance and trust. Ultimately, she advocates for an ethical pedagogy rooted in listening and co-regulation that allows language to emerge naturally when the nervous system feels secure.
Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/softness-before-speech-on-safety
Let me know what you think.
