When you teach a class, you may encounter several behavioral problems, many of which have unique causes and manifestations.
Behavior
Self-regulation
When you teach a class, you may encounter several behavioral problems, many of which have unique causes and manifestations.
Key among them is self-regulation, the ability to manage our emotions and behavior in stressful situations, and this takes some time to develop as a child. Many children struggle with this and may act out as a result, so it’s important you know how to deal with this appropriately. It also helps if you understand how to limit the number of triggers a student is likely to encounter, as this reduces the chance of a self-regulation issue.
Education resources
What is self-regulation?
Self-regulation is a complex emotional skill that most of us take for granted every day and refers specifically to our ability to remain calm under pressure, with no significant changes to our emotions, movement, or general behavior. On top of this, self-regulation also allows us to focus on the task that might be causing distress, and it’s this aspect that then lets us work toward a solution. Children are already known for being impulsive; but if they also struggle with self-regulation, this could result in them reacting more strongly to negative stimuli, and make it more difficult to calm them down.
A problem with self-regulation often manifests as symptoms of distress, and it might help to notice if a student in your care is acting differently from normal. This may mean they’ve encountered a stressful situation, such as a difficult task, or tension with their peers and feel overwhelmed. In many cases, this is because of struggles with sensory processing or regulation, where too much information in one or more senses might make a pupil feel distressed. There are various possible causes and symptoms, and understanding these may help you look after children that struggle with self-regulation.
Who might struggle with self-regulation?
There are no exact criteria for who finds it difficult to self-regulate – this may point towards a diagnosed, or even undiagnosed, condition, or somebody could find it difficult. Adults can also struggle with self-regulation, and it might not be possible to help every child gain the same self-regulation skills as their peers. However, it is still possible to mitigate these moments and accommodate the child’s needs. Groups that might particularly struggle with self-regulation include:
Children with autism spectrum disorder
Autistic children often have difficulties with sensory processing, and it’s possible for this to emerge in the form of self-regulation problems. Some of their senses might be oversensitive, which means situations that many of us can easily navigate are typically more difficult for children that have autism spectrum disorder. For example, a busy classroom with bright lights and loud noises can cause them to feel discomfort – and even physical pain.
Children with ADHD
According to the CDC, nearly 10% of children in the US have ADHD. A core symptom of this is executive dysfunction, which manifests as an intense difficulty with regulating emotions and actions. ADHD also slows the development of the prefrontal cortex; a part of the brain responsible for determining social behavior and decision-making. Students with ADHD might also dwell on the negative consequences of impulsive actions, which lowers their self-esteem.
Anybody
Though autistic children and those with ADHD are at higher risk of developing self-regulation issues, nearly any child might have trouble regulating emotions and actions. Brains develop in markedly different ways from one person to the next, meaning some students in your class (no matter their age) may still have a month or even a year before they learn self-regulation. However, encouraging the child to react in different ways could still help with this.
Triggers to watch for
Various self-regulation triggers may upset a student who struggles with this skill – and it helps to understand these to minimize their presence in a classroom. Bright light and loud noises may easily overwhelm students who struggle with sensory processing for one reason or another, so try to limit the classroom volume, such as lowering your computer’s volume when showing a video. Make sure to keep an eye on the classroom’s light levels, and you might even consider permitting the use of fidget toys to manage stress for any pupils who may need them to relax during stressful situations.
General emotional events, such as confrontation with friends and even home difficulties, can cause self-regulation issues. These students also often prefer routines and structured plans; schools usually follow weekly or bi-weekly timetables, so a significant change to this format without prior warning could upset pupils who struggle to self-regulate. Other stressful events, such as low self-esteem or frustration at their performance in school, contribute further to how a child might behave. By looking out for signs of disproportionate stress and frustration among students, you can respond to these issues as and when they develop.
How to accommodate self-regulation issues
Suppose it’s not possible to shield a child from triggers. In that case, you can instead try to respond to self-regulation difficulties constructively, such as by directly teaching them self-regulation. While the extent to which you can do this depends on the child’s circumstances, regulating your emotions and actions is a skill that anybody could learn with enough practice. Here are several tips for developing a child’s self-regulation:
- Use the ‘5-4-3-2-1’ method to help children calm down once they’re agitated or overwhelmed; this lets them focus on fewer stimuli. Encourage the pupil to concentrate on 5 things they can see, 4 they can touch, 3 they can hear, 2 they can smell, and 1 thing which they can taste.
- Avoid punishing the child harshly for their response, as this does little to demonstrate how they should act in the future. Some discipline might still be appropriate, depending on the outburst’s severity, but harsh scolding may lead to feelings of shame that then frustrate them further.
- Make sure to stay calm for your mental health, and because children often ‘mirror’ adults, a calm demeanor can encourage them to slow down. By approaching these situations rationally, you can teach your students the importance of emotional resilience.
- Integrate self-regulation into your lessons, such as by teaching the pupils to identify their emotions and root causes, giving them insight into their own minds. You might even help students develop coping strategies, including the 5-4-3-2-1 method and breathing techniques.
Self-regulation is a strong skill that anybody can develop further, but some pupils might struggle with gaining it in the first place. By actively working to accommodate these issues and improve upon the self-regulation skills of your students, you can help them manage their emotions in stressful situations – though it still helps to limit these situations wherever possible. If you notice that one of your students is acting out-of-character, or seems to be responding disproportionately to stressful situations, they might be struggling with self-regulation.
