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About the Provider
Name: Autum Romano
Disciplines/credentials: Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), Certified Neuromuscular Therapist (CNMT), Reiki Master (RM), Craniosacral Therapist (CST), Life Coach specializing in Nervous System Health, Certified Trauma Informed Care Provider
Modalities: Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP), Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)
Client Background
Name: Garth (pseudonym)
Age and Gender: 5 year-old boy
Program Delivered: Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP)
Garth experienced numerous events in his early childhood that led to high levels of anxiety. When he was three, his family moved to an area where outdoor threats – such as bears – were present. He had also started sleeping independently, away from his sister. As a result, Garth had difficulty handling further differences in his routine. This made school challenging. He also suffered from a few head injuries that may have contributed to his anxiety. When presented with change, loud noises, or too many people, Garth was prone to becoming impulsive and having violent outbursts. Afterwards, he would feel extreme shame.
Garth was supported by a strong family network, as well as teachers and provider Autum Romano. School interventions and play therapy were already in place before beginning Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP).
Implementation of Sonocea® Enhanced Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP)
Garth and his mom listened together using headphones with a splitter prior to bed. Sometimes they would do a calming activity of Garth’s choice alongside RRP, such as browsing Lego building books.
Response
Autum described Garth’s response to the RRP as “miraculous.” He stopped having aggressive episodes in the month that he completed listening. Garth’s mother noted that he became much more flexible when it came to change as well, indicating that he was “happier, more easily able to deal with challenges in transitions and the demands of school.” His mother also shared Autum’s excitement about his progress, stating that “the transformation in Garth has been profound. He is no longer trapped in fight-or-flight mode in response to every stressor. Instead of reacting impulsively, Garth now takes the time to pause and think before responding. Before starting RRP, he would retreat into himself, trying to go unnoticed. Now, he confidently approaches peers to say hello or wave—behaviors that were unheard of before RRP.”
Prior to beginning RRP, Garth’s parents were concerned about his transition from preschool to kindergarten. He had an entirely new structure to adjust to, which was the key area he struggled with. However, Garth’s progress with RRP helped him succeed. His teacher even awarded him with a behavior certificate in the first month of school, sharing that “I awarded Garth a good behavior certificate because he consistently demonstrates leadership in the classroom. He reliably follows expectations and is able to redirect his behavior when needed. He’s also a kind friend to everyone. Other students often seek him out to play during recess and free time. Garth is a joy to have in the classroom.” This demonstrated remarkable improvement from before, highlighting Garth’s improvement in handling change and interacting with his peers.
Discussion
Autum attributes Garth’s “dramatic progress” with RRP “to a bottom-up approach, where the focus was on using the body to calm the mind instead of using the mind to calm the body and its behaviors. The Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP), proved to be more effective than previous interventions because it targeted the core of Garth’s dysregulation—his autonomic nervous system—allowing his body to feel safe enough to engage in learning and social interactions in ways that traditional interventions did not.”
Garth experienced more benefits from RRP than SSP. He did not exhibit any positive changes when engaging with SSP and was also less inclined to complete the listening sessions. He reported feeling much calmer after RRP sessions and was actively excited to listen. Garth “genuinely enjoyed RRP and even looked forward to it. He would request to listen again the next day, saying how much he liked the experience.”
“SSP may not work as well in clients that are stuck in sympathetic nervous system responses with the parasympathetic system on board,” Autum suggested. “RRP may need to be utilized first.”
For clients like Garth, using RRP can get them to a state of calm and relaxation that then allows SSP to be more successful.
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