Struggling teen brains

On the subject of Parenting a struggling teen – Thinking beyond the crisis 

 Dr.  F. Reamer argues parents to look beyond the quick fix. He rightly says that these kids have skill deficits particularly  in the area of ' executive functions '.

'Thus, an important task with struggling teens is to place them in protected, supervised settings that can contain their inappropriate, impulsive, destructive, and counterproductive behaviors, keeping them safe during this critical period of brain development. As the brain matures, many struggling teens show evidence of improved judgment, better impulse control, more stable moods, and more appropriate behavior.  '

My question to Dr Reamer – why do we have to wait for the teen's brain to mature , why should we not act according to neuro-science and brain plasticity that CPS – the collaborative problem solving approach promotes brain development ,helps teens acquire ' executive functions ' and addresses their pile of unsolved problems in a realistic and durable way.

The high rates of recidivism in Juvenile Detention system prove that unless teens essential needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness are addressed by using collaborative problem solving , teens brains won't mature and be skilled over time.

CPS in Maine's Juvenile Detention System

Rod Bouffard, Superintendent at Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland, Maine, speaks about his experiences in implementing CPS in his facility.

Scroll down to the video clip

http://www.livesinthebalance.org/annual-conference