Co-regulation

Image Source: https://self-reg.ca/co-regulation-graphic/

Co-Regulation with Students " At-Risk"-- Calming TogetherCo-regulation with Kids "At-Risk"-Calming Together Highlights and thoughts from an article by Howard I. Bath:Calming together: The pathway to self-control Neuroscience shows that humans develop their abilities for emotional self-regulation through connections with reliable caregivers who soothe and model in a process called “co-regulation.” Since many troubled young people have not experienced a reliable, comforting presence, they have difficulty regulating their emotions and impulses.

The Power of Co-Regulation and Interoception | Kelly Mahler BlogCo-Regulation It is often an overlooked 'tool' that we can use with our clients to help them participate, engage and ultimately thrive.

Children’s Social and Emotional Development Starts with Co-RegulationBefore children learn how to make a friend or resolve a conflict, they first need to develop the capacity to self-regulate their emotions. This is a critical skill to support social and emotional development. Here, Gerard Costa, PhD, the founding director of the Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health at Montclair State University, explains why pediatric health professionals need to engage families in conversations about self-regulation, and he offers a resource for inspiring those conversations.

Help children handle emotional distress with co-regulationBefore children can self-regulate, co-regulation helps build up their soothing strategies.

Co-regulation is when we can offer our calming presence to help a child feel safe and calm again (Delahooke, 2019). To be a "therapeutic agent" in this "process of mutual support," as Dr. Mona Delahooke calls it, we must be on the green pathway ourselves. The following worksheet can be used to assess yourself before choosing to act in response to a child in distress.

Survey for Adults: What Pathway Am I On

Awareness and self care are the firs steps to getting back to the green pathway so we can be co-regulators for our students. "Emotions are transmitted from one person to the next, and through neuroception we pick up on them" (Delahooke, 2019). This is why it is important to be self-aware as adults, because our emotional states cannot be hidden. Here are some things to think about as you consider your own triggers to build a greater sense of self-awareness in order to stay calm in moments your students are in distress:

Reflect and write down the factors in your history or current situation that may challenge your ability to stay in the green pathway.
Consider and write down your own personal triggers that can lead you onto a red pathway when you are managing a child's behavior.
Think of an write down some positive supports you can create for yourself to counter those such reactions.

"We can't truly help children with their behavioral challenges without first helping ourselves to be present, self-aware, and calm" (Delahooke, 2019). Please do not beat yourself up if you have been on the red or blue pathways when working with our students. Working on awareness, coming up with a self-care routine, and creating a plan with personalized self-regulation tools to guide you back to the green pathway in those moments is the best way to support yourself and your students. Head on over to the Educator Nervous System pages for some ideas and tools if you need; take care of yourself! <3

Source: Delahooke, M. (2019). Beyond behaviors: Using brain science and compassion to understand and solve children's behavioral challenges. PESI Publishing & Media.

De-Escalation Strategies for Children Behaviorally Activated on the Red Pathway: Tips and Tricks

Validating Your Child’s Feelings: the How’s and Why’sValidating kids' emotions can help them feel seen, heard, and understood. Here are 6 ways to get started.

Co-Regulation - Safety Cues

co reg discipline.pdf

Credit: Dr. Lori Desautels, Revelations in Education

Co-Regulation- Practices from the Field (Cohort 7).pdf

Cohort 7 of the 2022-2023 Applied Educational Neuroscience certification program at Butler University created this resource of coregulation strategies and practices, compiled and designed by the fabulous Courtney Boyle!