How We Cut Restraints at School by 97 %: Safety Before Behaviour - Dr. Bethany Bilodeau

This episode's topics:

1. The “stance of safety” — Bethany’s signature body-language checklist that dropped restraint/seclusion rates by 97 %.

2. Caving — why shrinking space (hoodies, under-table forts) flips a child’s brain from panic to calm.

3. Screen-time transitions — turning games off without a fight using oxytocin, dopamine, and a 12-minute rule.

4. Parent-first de-escalation — Claudie’s one-minute smell-and-touch protocol that calms your limbic system before you help your child.

5. When defiance is actually fear — spotting five subtle “unsafe” cues long before meltdown.

Claudie Pomares (Mendability program director)

• Claudie explains why Bethany’s moves work inside the brain: limbic vs. prefrontal shifts, sensory gating, and the chemistry of oxytocin/dopamine.

• She walks parents through the smell-and-touch meltdown protocol, then layers gentle sensory-enrichment games that rebuild safety pathways over time.