The BUSS® Model - Building Underdeveloped Sensorimotor Systems in children who have experienced Developmental Trauma.

Overview

The brain and central nervous system of a newborn baby is still at an early stage of development and babies need an attuned adult and lots of nurture and movement experiences to allow them to grow into their bodies on a physical and an emotional level. When babies and young children are in neglectful and/or abusive environments they miss out on both aspects of this – the loving, attuned adult and the chance to grow into their bodies. This is significant because good bodily regulation and sensory integration gives the developing child a solid platform to negotiate the many developmental tasks of childhood: making relationships, understanding and managing their feelings, playing and learning.

A lot of work with children who have experienced abuse and neglect focuses on relational and psychological therapies, for example DDP, Theraplay, or individual therapies. These can be enhanced by an intervention like BUSS®, which brings together an understanding of the impact of trauma on the child, the importance of loving relationships and an inherent need to move in order to develop good bodily regulation. The focus of the model is to support families in using games and activities that will allow them to build underdeveloped parts of a child’s foundation systems.

There is lots more information about the BUSS® Model on our website, here: https://www.bussmodel.org/

What we will do...

The three most important elements of the BUSS® Model are playfulness, movement, and relationships. We’re keen to make sure this is reflected in our day together. As well as giving you information, we’d like you to be actively involved too. You will have the chance to discuss what you’re learning about, hear from families and practitioners who are using the model, as well as trying out some of the games and activities that we might use with families.

The morning session will offer participants an overview of the foundation sensorimotor systems: vestibular, proprioceptive and tactile. Looking at early development through the lens of sensory integration and attachment theories, the session will describe how babies are born ready to grow into their bodies through the loving relationships that they need to enable movement and psychological development. We’ll think about the impact of neglect and abuse on this process, and the information that can be gleaned about the state of development of these foundation systems in school age children by noticing how they are moving.

The rest of the day will consider the importance of this information, also looking at how the BUSS® Model has been used in a variety of settings. We’ll use breakout rooms for small group discussion and activities throughout the day and hear from adoptive parents about their experience of using the model with their children. 

Course Facilitators

Sarah Lloyd is a Specialist Occupational Therapist and Author of the BUSS® Model. Sarah has published 2 books: Improving Sensory Processing in Traumatised Children (2016) and Building Sensorimotor Systems in Children with Developmental Trauma (2020).

Sarah will lead the day and you’ll meet members of the BUSS® team on this webinar. We’re a combination of BUSS® Practitioners and Parent Mentors who are experts in BUSS® through their experience of using the model with their children and supporting other parents and carers through the BUSS® programme.

You can read more about them all as part of our BUSS® team here.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will:

• Become familiar with sensory integration theory, how babies and young children grow into themselves on a bodily level, and how this forms the foundation of the pyramid of development.

• Learn about the vestibular, proprioceptive and tactile systems, the role they play in bodily regulation and movement and why the relational context is key to their development.

• Hear ideas about how to begin to notice movement and the clues this gives about the functioning of a child's foundation sensorimotor systems.

• Gain an understanding of the BUSS® model, how this model is different from sensory integration therapy and the ways in which an underdeveloped system differs from a sensory processing disorder.

• Hear from adoptive parents about their lived experience of BUSS®.
  

• Be given information about further training in BUSS®.

Who is this course for?

This course is suitable for all professionals working with children who have experienced developmental trauma from health, education and social care, as well as adoptive parents, special guardians and foster carers.

Reviews

Parents who have attended the one-day training talk about how “hopeful and empowered” they feel.

Therapists and fostering and adoption practitioners have reported finding the training “inspiring, informative and relevant across the spectrum of children who are looked after”.

Feedback from education staff who have come on this training have talked about how “helpful” it was and how much it has “changed and enhanced their practice”.

The Children’s Commissioner in Leeds, where Sarah is working, wrote: “In just a short period of time Sarah has had a tremendous impact in Leeds in developing and testing out the BUSS model. It is one of the best decisions I have made to support her secondment. The BUSS model and impact this is having is recognised by our strategic boards where she has presented her findings.”

You can read more about feedback from training, and BUSS® generally, here.

Fees and Booking information

The cost of the webinar is £70 (plus VAT). This will include a copy of Sarah Lloyd's first book "Improving Sensory Processing in Traumatised Children" (2016). This will be posted to all UK based participants prior to the day.

Please note, for any bookings made after Monday 13th January 2025, we will post a book to you, but this cannot be guaranteed to arrive before the day of the webinar.

Places are limited to ensure that we have time for discussion and practical sessions.

If you have any questions please get in touch with us at info@bussmodel.org