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The Role of Adults
The Role of Adults
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By providing Co-regulation, adults are supporting learners:
By providing Co-regulation, adults are supporting learners:
- To be Regulated and Ready to Learn
- To develop their own self-regulation skills and capacities
As already mentioned, the first step is always to consider the self-regulatory capacity of adults and ensure that an appropriate range of supports are in place at the level of the whole school, an organisation, teams and individuals.
" Human beings are social creatures, and our individual neurobiology and body physiology are influenced by those around us......"helping" adults cannot teach children to regulate their emotions and behaviours unless they themselves are in an emotionally calm and reasonably well-regulated state"
" Human beings are social creatures, and our individual neurobiology and body physiology are influenced by those around us......"helping" adults cannot teach children to regulate their emotions and behaviours unless they themselves are in an emotionally calm and reasonably well-regulated state"
Dr. Bruce Perry
Dr. Bruce Perry
Adults in education settings can also play an important role by working in close partnership with parents and carers. By establishing strong and supportive relationships with families at the earliest opportunity, education staff can work together with families to identify and meet regulation needs. This can involve modelling and coaching in self-regulation skills to support the home context and expand impact. You can also direct parents/carers to the dedicated parents/carers part of this site.
How to Co-Regulate
How to Co-Regulate
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The Harvard Centre on the developing child identifies the three key ways in which we can improve outcomes for children and young people who struggle with regulation skills, by supporting CO-REGULATION:
The Harvard Centre on the developing child identifies the three key ways in which we can improve outcomes for children and young people who struggle with regulation skills, by supporting CO-REGULATION:
1) Provide warm, responsive (nurturing) relationships
1) Provide warm, responsive (nurturing) relationships
2) Reduce stress to ensure it is at a tolerable level
2) Reduce stress to ensure it is at a tolerable level
3) Build the core skills of emotional literacy and executive functioning
3) Build the core skills of emotional literacy and executive functioning
What Co-Regulation Support do Children Need?
What Co-Regulation Support do Children Need?
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Co-Regulation in Pre-School Settings
Co-Regulation in Pre-School Settings
During this period of development children experience rapid growth in areas of the brain associated with self-regulation, making this the perfect time for adults to teach and coach core skills including emotion identifying, problem-solving, perspective-taking and calming strategies.
Children will need considerable repetition, prompting and practice in using new skills.
Adult modelling of these skills is important as children will watch carefully in order to learn how to behave.
Co-regulation at this stage also involves teaching about clear rules and expectations and providing natural consequences in a firm but calm manner. This could include helping to put toys away after a period of dysregulation.
Adults are responsible for providing a physically and emotionally safe environment through the provision of structure, predictability and routine and warm, responsive relationships.
Co-Regulation In Primary School
Co-Regulation In Primary School
At this stage children gain more control over their attention, emotions and behaviour. They have a growing ability to manage their impulses and become increasingly aware of their cognitive processes. At the same time, behavioural expectations and social interactions become increasingly complex.
This is a relatively stable period providing adults the opportunity to continue to teach and coach children in using self-regulatory skills. Ongoing co-regulation support helps the continued development of skills.
Adults continue to be responsible for providing a physically and emotionally safe environment through the provision of structure, predictability and routine and warm, responsive relationships. Within the context of these safe relationships, children are able to implement and practise new skills.
Co-Regulation In Secondary School
Co-Regulation In Secondary School
At this stage of development the brain undergoes another major change, bringing both benefits and challenges for self-regulation. The brain systems that process emotion and rewards are more developed than the cognitive control systems for good decision-making and planning. Teens are therefore biased in their choices towards decisions that offer short-term reward rather than long-term benefit and their emotions heavily influence their decisions. This is a crucial time, therefore, for adults to provide support and co-regulation.
Maintaining a warm and accepting relationship with adolescents is more important than ever. Whilst adolescents do need opportunities for independent decision-making, they have an equal need for adults to monitor their actions, protect them from dangerous situations and support responsible choices.
The Sequence of Engagement
The Sequence of Engagement
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Where additional support is required, there can be a tendency for intervention to be top down, that is, cognitively based (e.g. talking and listening, reflecting, problem-solving). Whilst there is a place for this type of support, Dr. Bruce Perry's work (Neuro-sequential model in education) suggests that for those impacted by early trauma, effective intervention needs to be bottom up (e.g. sensory-motor activities ). It is helpful to keep this hierarchy in mind when making decisions about the type of intervention that will be impactful for an individual.
In any situation where a child/ young person is outside their 'window of tolerance', this sequence also applies: the priority must be to support the child/young person to return to calm and connection. Engagement needs to be state-dependent. Remember that if a child/ young person has become very heightened then it can take a long time for them to completely calm again. 'Managing Distressed and Challenging Behaviour' training provides more information about the arousal curve. Further information about how to calm the nervous system is provided below (in particular, see 'REGULATE AND CALM THE NERVOUS SYSTEM').
Further Approaches to support Co-Regulation
Further Approaches to support Co-Regulation
Where Additional or Targeted support is required, a Wellbeing Assessment will inform a clear understanding of the needs of the individual child or young person. This will help to inform a good fit between the learner's developmental needs and the support measures put into place.
Click through on the buttons below to read more about a range of processes, interventions and approaches that you may wish to consider.
LINKS TO FURTHER RESOURCES
LINKS TO FURTHER RESOURCES
WEBSITES
WEBSITES
Activated Learning - a website written by teachers, for teachers, providing practical examples of how to support the development of Executive Functioning in the classroom.
Activated Learning - a website written by teachers, for teachers, providing practical examples of how to support the development of Executive Functioning in the classroom.
Beacon House Resources - Beacon House is an organisation providing specialist therapeutic support to children and adults impacted by Trauma and loss, including those who may be Care Experienced. Their website provides a comprehensive and extensive range of materials to support understanding and intervention in this area.
Beacon House Resources - Beacon House is an organisation providing specialist therapeutic support to children and adults impacted by Trauma and loss, including those who may be Care Experienced. Their website provides a comprehensive and extensive range of materials to support understanding and intervention in this area.
Caregiver Co-regulation Across Development: A Practice Brief.
Caregiver Co-regulation Across Development: A Practice Brief.
Rosanbalm, K.D., & Murray, D.W. (2017). Caregiver Co-regulation Across Development: A Practice Brief. OPRE Brief #2017-80. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, US. Department of Health and Human Services.
Rosanbalm, K.D., & Murray, D.W. (2017). Caregiver Co-regulation Across Development: A Practice Brief. OPRE Brief #2017-80. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, US. Department of Health and Human Services.
Co-Regulation From Birth Through Young Adulthood: A Practice Brief (unc.edu)
Happy Healthy You - A complete PSHE course designed for 1st and 2nd levels covering health, relationships, safety and social issues. Encourages the development of resilience, responsibility and wellbeing.
Happy Healthy You - A complete PSHE course designed for 1st and 2nd levels covering health, relationships, safety and social issues. Encourages the development of resilience, responsibility and wellbeing.
Scottish Curriculum | Happy Healthy You – Collins
National Trauma Training Programme - a set of online training courses on trauma. nesd1334-national-trauma-training-programme-online-resources_0908.pdf (transformingpsychologicaltrauma.scot)
National Trauma Training Programme - a set of online training courses on trauma. nesd1334-national-trauma-training-programme-online-resources_0908.pdf (transformingpsychologicaltrauma.scot)
Oxford Brain Story - a collection of videos designed to support an understanding of brain development and functioning. Designed for both parents and professionals.
Oxford Brain Story - a collection of videos designed to support an understanding of brain development and functioning. Designed for both parents and professionals.
Safe Hands Thinking Minds: Relational and Developmental Trauma in Children
Safe Hands Thinking Minds: Relational and Developmental Trauma in Children
http://www.safehandsthinkingminds.co.uk/
Sowing Seeds: Trauma Informed Practice for Anyone Working with Children and Young people - a video providing information and illustration of the ways in which trauma can impact the development of children and young people.
Sowing Seeds: Trauma Informed Practice for Anyone Working with Children and Young people - a video providing information and illustration of the ways in which trauma can impact the development of children and young people.
BOOKS
BOOKS
Bomber, Louise Michelle (2020) Know Me To Teach Me. Worth Publishing Ltd.
Bomber, Louise Michelle (2020) Know Me To Teach Me. Worth Publishing Ltd.
Geddes, H (2006) Attachment in the classroom: the links between children's early experience , emotional well-being and performance at school. London: Worth
Geddes, H (2006) Attachment in the classroom: the links between children's early experience , emotional well-being and performance at school. London: Worth
Perry B. D. MD, PhD and Szalavitz, M (2021) The Boy Who Was Raised As a Dog (Revised and Updated Edition). New York: Basic Books
Perry B. D. MD, PhD and Szalavitz, M (2021) The Boy Who Was Raised As a Dog (Revised and Updated Edition). New York: Basic Books
Perry B. D. MD, PhD and Winfrey, O (2021) What Happened to You? UK: Bluebird
Perry B. D. MD, PhD and Winfrey, O (2021) What Happened to You? UK: Bluebird
Siegel D. J. (2011) Mindsight: the new science of personal transformation. New York: Bantam Books Trade Paperbacks.
Siegel D. J. (2011) Mindsight: the new science of personal transformation. New York: Bantam Books Trade Paperbacks.
Siegel D. J. (2015) Brainstorm. Scribe Publications
Siegel D. J. (2015) Brainstorm. Scribe Publications
Treisman, Dr. K (2017) A Therapeutic Treasure Box for Working with Children and Adolescents with Developmental Trauma. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Treisman, Dr. K (2017) A Therapeutic Treasure Box for Working with Children and Adolescents with Developmental Trauma. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Zandt, Dr. F and Barrett, Dr. S. (2017) Creative Ways to Help Children Manage Big Feelings: A Therapist's Guide to Working with Preschool and Primary Children. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Zandt, Dr. F and Barrett, Dr. S. (2017) Creative Ways to Help Children Manage Big Feelings: A Therapist's Guide to Working with Preschool and Primary Children. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
OTHER RESOURCES
OTHER RESOURCES
Treisman, Dr. K (2018) A Therapeutic Treasure Deck of Grounding, Coping and Regulating Cards Coping Cards. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Treisman, Dr. K (2018) A Therapeutic Treasure Deck of Grounding, Coping and Regulating Cards Coping Cards. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
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