Welcome back to our series on Self-Regulation where we are taking a closer look at how we define self-regulation, ways that self-regulation skills can help students in pursuit of their goals, and how to teach self-regulation in the classroom. 

In Part 1 we looked at some of the things that self-regulation is and isn’t. In Part 2 we are taking a closer look at some examples of self-regulation in education. Self-regulation’s role in education is unique because it is both a skill we practice and a skill we rely on to help us succeed in other areas of education. 

We will share some examples of ways we can teach self-regulation in Part 4, but here we will dive into some of the ways it can manifest in an education space. 

If your students are seeking out or making use of these tools they are already recognizing a need for self-regulation and seeking out potential solutions!

Sometimes decompression spaces get the connotation of a punishment, but a voluntary space where an overwhelmed student knows they can go to cool down is a fantastic example of how some students might seek out self-regulation when they are experiencing sensory overload and/or their emotions are running high. 

There are lots of different names for decompression spaces, but if your classroom has one you are already offering a valuable self-regulation tool!

Fidget toys are more recently starting to get traction, but it wasn’t long ago that students might be asked to sit still even if they were full of energy they needed to get out somehow. 

For some students, a fidget toy actually helps them concentrate more, as it directs their excess energy to a mindless task so they can focus on what is in front of them. 

Fidget toys are a prime example of a way that students can self-regulate with minimal assistance in certain situations provided they have access to the right tools.

Accommodations serve a wide variety of purposes for students who use them and one of those purposes is ease of self-regulation! 

For students who might find themselves overwhelmed by specific types of sensory inputs, accommodations are some of the most valuable self-regulation tools available because they often directly address the problematic sensory input. 

Whether it’s shades for certain types of lighting, headphones for extra noisy spaces, or a special safe food, just by using certain accommodations students are actively self-regulating based on their perceived needs.

While some people are seemingly able to focus on a task for an endless amount of time, for many of us, especially in places like school where we don’t get to choose all the topics we learn, concentrating for too long on one topic or task can be a highly draining experience. 

Built-in breaks are a time when students can self-regulate however they feel is appropriate to feel recharged and refocused.

For our last example, we want to share an example of a tool that may sometimes be necessary in those high-stress moments, and that also relies on students to engage in self-regulation to be successful. 

Whereas we might hope a student might recognize when they are in a high-stress situation and seek self-regulation, it can be helpful to identify the situation and offer help in self-regulation to help cool down the situation at hand. 

While de-escalation will not always succeed in challenging situations, it is a great way to invite the type of self-regulation that will help make similar situations in the future easier for the individual in question to manage.

Speaking of those challenging situations, with Part 2 wrapping up we look forward to Part 3 in which we will broach the topic of self-regulation as a proactive approach to “challenging” behavior. 

So far we have made clear that resolving perceived bad behavior should not be the sole goal of self-regulation but is also an important component of it as those types of behaviors can often be harmful to the student or others. 

How can we maintain a vested interest in a positive outcome related to a specific hurtful behavior while keeping the ultimate goal of improved self-regulation in all the ways it will benefit the student first and foremost at front of mind. 

In the meantime, if you want us to cover another topic related to self-regulation more closely, drop us a line at hello@autismgrownup.com and we will see you next Monday!