Self-Regulation
What is Self-Regulation?
Self-regulation is a skill like any other skill. A child either has or needs to learn it.
Self-regulation requires adequate sensory processing skills and executive functions. Kids who have inadequate self-regulation skills may display sensory processing challenges such as sensory hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity.
Other symptoms commonly associated with self-regulation are low frustration tolerance, challenges with switching between mental sets (mental rigidity), or underdeveloped problem-solving skills.
Signs of Self-Regulation challenges
Children with self-regulation challenges often behave in a manner that negatively affects themselves and the people around them. Their parents may feel guilty that they find difficulty coping with such behaviours or that they are not able to help their child prevent them.
Many times those "explosive"* children have a difficult time with transitions. Even a transition from watching TV to joining the family at the dinner table can set them off.
Children who have self-regulation challenges may overreact to a situation and get physically or verbally aggressive several times a day. For others, this may occur only a few times a week. Some will display the challenging behaviour only at home, others only at school and some may exhibit such behaviours in any setting.
* "The Explosive Child", Dr. Ross W. Green.
Why do these children have Self-Regulation difficulties?
Occasionally, it takes a long time to learn to cope with frustration, develop mental flexibility and solve problems and be more socially adaptable. However, if we help those kids learn those skills at an early age, there is a good chance that their behaviour will improve much faster before it becomes a hard-wired habit.
So... what's the approach?
The Zones of Regulation (Kupers, 2011) is a systematic and concrete cognitive-behavioural approach that teaches children how to regulate their feelings, energy, alertness levels and sensory needs in order to meet the demands of the situation around them and be socially successful. Children get to explore a variety of self-regulation tools and strategies to manage their different Zones in order to meet their daily goals, e.g., managing big feelings, doing classwork, playing with friends, participating in activities, etc.
