ASD Parent Support Group

Regulation

November 5, 2013

Regulation-the balance between External regulation (co-

regulation) and Internal regulation (self-regulation)

External Regulation-

is provided by someone else co-regulation (caregiver, teacher, peer)

Internal Regulation-

is when the child controls his/her reactions to the environment self-regulation

Regulation-the balance between physical regulation and

emotional regulation

Physical Regulation-

Supporting all sensory areas in order to help the body be alert and ready to learn

Emotional Regulation-

Supporting emotional awareness and coping skills in order to remain calm, focused and ready to learn

What is self-regulation

the ability to manage one’s emotions and behaviors, inhibit negative responses and delay gratification

For children, this means being aware of their feelings and physical needs and, when necessary, adjusting their responses and actions, in order to cope with varying circumstances

The Marshmallow Test

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX_oy9614HQ&list=PL0A0789847B09A27F&index=1

Physical Regulation-How Does your Engine Run?

Theresa Woodworth

and Amy Kelly

Emotional Regulation-Therapeutic Crisis Intervention

In order to best help our child, we must know our own emotions and be able to keep them in check.

Four Questions of Self Awareness

1. How am I feeling?

2. What does the child feel, need and want?

3. How is the environment influencing the situation?

4. How do I best respond?

Emotional Regulation-Therapeutic Crisis Intervention

1. Validate how the child is feeling-this is true for all children regardless of their expressive communication skills.

“I can see that you feel _____________.”

“I know it’s _______________ when you have to …”

2. Use this strategy for positive and negative feelings

You are giving the child the word(s) to identify how his/her body is feeling

Validating how the child feels helps them to feel understood and reduces the intensity of their emotions

ACTIVITY

Emotional Regulation-Therapeutic Crisis Intervention

Active Listening

Listening (“reading”) the child’s verbal and non-verbal communication that tells us how the child feels.

It can be viewed as a continuum of behaviors and words ranging from silent and passive to active reflections of what the child is feeling.

All behavior has meaning. It is our job to be the detectives and figure out the meaning.

Emotional Regulation-Therapeutic Crisis Intervention

Nonverbal Techniques

Silence

Soft facial expressions

Eye contact

Verbal Techniques

Tone of voice

Encouragements

Open ended questions

Creating a situation where the child feels that you want to understand how he feels and why

Emotional Regulation-Therapeutic Crisis Intervention

Connecting feelings to body and behavior

Sometimes children with autism are the last to know how they feel. -Tony Attwood

“When you have a fluttering in your stomach and your forehead is sweaty, you are feeling nervous.”

“When you feel ___________ you do ____________.”

Understanding this connection is the root of the reflective process and promotes change.