Learn evidence-based strategies and tools to support self-regulation in children, empowering them to thrive in school environments through occupational therapy insights and practical techniques.
Course Objectives:
The learner will identify the connection between emotions, the fight-flight-freeze response, and self-regulation challenges.
The learner will identify evidence-based tools, such as deep breathing and heavy work activities, to help children regulate their emotional and behavioral responses in the school environment.
The learner will describe the role of self-regulation in a child’s ability to participate in school activities.
Course Description
One thing that we’re seeing more than ever is a need for self regulation skills in kids. This is a need at home, at school, and in therapy sessions. Because of that, we decided to support you with an info series on all things regulation and how specific strategies like heavy work (and other activities) helps to support these needs.
I came across this article on AOTA about a poster session on how to support educators with OT self-regulation resources for kindergarten to eighth-grade students.
This section really stood out to me:
“Currently, most teachers are not educated on how to offer individualized self-regulation tools to their students and have poor understanding of how a dysregulated child may have little control over their behavior. Instead, educators are expected to deliver a generalized approach to classroom management which often proves ineffective. Therefore, there is a need for a collaborative approach to develop a self-regulation tool for children and educators to utilize in the classroom. Children should feel empowered to take control of their feelings through self-regulation and create an environment that will allow them to be successful through participation in school.”
Because of this need, we created a short course all about self regulation.
The information in this course is relevant to the profession of occupational therapy because as school-based OT, we support students that struggle with the emotional regulation needed for participation in the school environment. These skills fall within the scope of practice of occupational therapy because without the ability to regulate one’s emotions and resulting behaviors, learning, social interactions, and participation in the school day is impacted. Self-regulation effects functional occupations including, but not limited to: using attention for learning in the classroom, playing with peers at recess, completing classroom assignments, participating in meals in the school cafeteria, and many other aspects of occupation in the school environment.
Choose the option that works best for you: purchase our Level 2 Membership for full access to this course and all membership benefits, or purchase the standalone course for individual access.
Use this printable Self-Regulation Workbook along with this course for actionable tools to support implementation of this course materials into your occupational therapy practice:
