Beyond the Meltdown: Play-Based and Brain-Smart Strategies for Understanding Behavior as Communication

Friday, June 12, 2026
9:30 a.m. - 12:30  p.m.

Zoom Webinar

Registration Fee: $50

OVERVIEW: Meltdowns, shutdowns, defiance, and explosive reactions can leave even experienced professionals feeling stuck or overwhelmed. What if these behaviors are not problems to control-but signals to understand?

In this engaging webinar, participants will learn how to shift from reacting to behavior to decoding what behavior is communicating. Through a brain-based and play-informed lens, this training explores how stress, trauma, sensory overload, and developmental differences impact children's ability to regulate their emotions and behavior.

Attendees will gain practical play-based and brain-smart strategies that help children move from overwhelm to regulation and connection. Designed for case managers, social workers, educators, and youth-serving professionals, this session offers concrete tools participants can immediately apply to support children, strengthen relationships, and respond to challenging behaviors with greater confidence and clarity.

OBJECTIVES: After attending this Zoom webinar, the participant will be able to:

• Explain how the brain and nervous system influence children's behavior, including the role of stress, trauma, and developmental differences in emotional regulation and behavioral responses,
• Identify common underlying needs and triggers that contribute to challenging behaviors, using a behavior-as-communication framework to better interpret children's emotional and behavioral cues,
• Demonstrate at least three play-based and regulation strategies that support co-regulation, emotional safety, and relationship-building with children experiencing distress or behavioral challenges.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
This continuing education Zoom webinar is designed for case managers, social workers, psychologists, therapists, counselors, and health care workers. The community is welcome to attend. 

CONTINUING EDUCATION:                                                              
Mental Health America of the Heartland is a pre-approved provider for social workers through the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board (BSRB) Provider Number 17-007. This continuing education provider is approved 3.0 hours for social workers and accepted for psychologists, professional counselors, masters prepared psychologists, marriage and family therapists and addiction counselors.

In order to receive continuing education credit and a certificate of attendance for this Zoom webinar, you will be required to participate in the Zoom webinar. You will receive a Zoom invitation via email within a week of webinar. Also you will need to take an online exam and complete an evaluation that will be sent in a separate email after the live Zoom webinar. You must pass the test by 70%. The Zoom webinar will not be available by recording and viewing at any other time.