Self-Regulation in the Early Years
Self-Regulation in the Early Years
There are numerous interpretations of the term “self-regulation” in psychological literature. In particular, “self-regulation” is often confused with selfcontrol. But self-control is not self-regulation. But Dr. Stuart Shanker defines self-regulation as "the ability to manage your own energy states, emotions, behaviours, and attention in ways that are socially acceptable and help achieve positive goals such as maintaining good relationships, learning, and maintaining well-being. Shanker draws on research to show how self-regulation lays the foundation for a child's long-term physical, psychological, behavioural, and educational well-being."
"Prolonged and excessive stress (allostatic overload) can significantly affect “higher” functions such as language, social cognition, executive functions and, indeed, self-control. A child who is chronically hypo-or hyperaroused as a result of excessive stress more readily goes into fight-or-flight, or freezes."
Source: "Self-Regulation: The Early Years." by Dr. Stuart Shanker
Understanding Stress Behaviour Versus Misbehaviour
Source: "Understanding Stress Behaviours in Students"
Science is showing that there is a HUGE difference between misbehaviour and stress behaviour. Understanding this distinction is critical because if we treat them in the same way, it can aggravate students' ability to self-regulate.
"The key to stress behaviour is that the child is not fully aware of what she is doing, or why: she has limited capacity to act differently. Stress behaviour is caused by too high a stress–load. The big challenge in doing Self–Reg is figuring out why the child’s stress is so high."
Recognizing stress and stressors
Stressors come from five interconnected domains: biological, emotion, cognitive, social and pro-social.
Heightened stress in any or, as is generally the case, several (if not all), of these domains leads to negative downstream consequences. Identifying and reducing stressors is the first step towards easing a child’s stress levels and bringing her back to a calm and focused state, and ultimately improving her ability to self-regulate.
5 Primary domains of stress:
Biological—noises, crowds, too much visual stimulation, not enough exercise
Emotional—strong emotions, both positive (over–excited) & negative (anger, fear)
Cognitive—difficulty processing certain kinds of information
Social—difficulty picking up on social cues, or understanding the effect of his behaviour on others
Prosocial—difficulty coping with other peoples’ stress
Stressors can vary significantly. What is a stressor for one child may not be for another. Even for the same child, what may be a stressor in one moment may not be in another when the child is in a different physical or emotional state.
Some common stressors for children in the early years are:
• The child’s biology—for example, her sensory/motor system
• Poor sleep regime • Poor diet (high in processed foods)è
• Lack of physical activity
• Stressors in the environment—for example, too much noise, light or crowding.
Tips and Steps of Self-Reg:
There is no such thing as a “quick fix,” or one solution to help young children to self-regulate. Rather than thinking of self-regulation as a universal program, we need to reframe selfregulation as an educational process. Shanker Self-Reg® has five critical steps that educators, parents and other caregivers can take to understand and address self-regulation problems in children, whether it’s a chronic issue or something that’s happening “right now.”
1. Read the signs of stress and reframe the behaviour.
2. Recognize the stressors.
3. Reduce the stressors.
4. Reflect: Enhance stress awareness, as well an awareness of what it feels like to be calm.
5. Respond: Help the child learn to respond to stressors and return to calm by involving them in developing strategies (see below for resources that can be used with children).
Source: "Self-Regulation: The Early Years." by Dr. Stuart Shanker
Information for educators
The Behaviour Funnel
Basic Needs:
When a child's physical body isn't feeling well it can make learning and decision making more challenging.
Could the student's behaviour be because they are hungry? tired? ill?
What could help them feel better?
Connection:
Children can only learn when they are feeling safe, supported and that they belong. The brain is hard wired to seek connections and in fact cannot reason or problem solve rationally without them. Connection before direction
Sensory
We all have unique sensory preferences. There are certain stimuli we are more sensitive to and some we need to feel calm and regulated. Pay close attention to student's responses to see if there are any patterns or possible sensory triggers.
Skill Deficit
Many challenging behaviours occur because children lack the skills to do well, not the will. Social skills and coping strategies often need to be taught as much as (or more than) academics.
Desires
Some children can have a hard time moving on from their 'plan'. If they've decided upon something they may not be able to think about anything else until that plan has been carried out. Any attempts to stop that plan could result in challenging behaviour.
Avoidance
It is important to consider the reason that the child might be escaping or avoiding a situation. Be a detective to find the source of the child's stress.
The behaviour funnel is a quick checklist for when you are trying to assess and deal with behaviour in the moment. ABC data collection should still be used to appropriately document the behaviour and decide on a plan to proceed.
Adapted from Dayna Abraham’s ‘calm the chaos’ workshop
Resources that can be used with students
Copy of How am I feeling_.pdfCopy of SEL-Posters-Let-It-Go.pdf
Copy of Smell the Flower tool.pdf
MindMasters2 is a free series of mental health promotion resources developed by CHEO and the Child and Youth Health Network for Eastern Ontario. It is designed to help children master emotional regulation through relaxation, positive thinking and mindfulness based techniques.
Upstairs Brain and Downstairs Brain
Why do we lose control of our emotions?
Simple, easy-to-understand whiteboard animation to help early Elementary-aged children (and educators) gain an understanding of the way their brains work to recognize and manage their emotions. This is intended as a beginning resource to help children, parents, educators, and those who work with children to encourage mindfulness, empathy, and emotional regulation. The Hand/Brain Model included in the video is a concept by Dr. Dan Siegel. More information on "Flipping your Lid" and the Hand/Brain model can be found at www.dr dan siegel.com.
