This activity was created for the early childhood level for children who are just learning about self-regulation. I included several pictures of faces depicting basic feelings (mad, sad, happy, scared, frustrated, and worried). There are also several sensory/calming choices to prompt students using visuals. This free resource is perfect for early childhood special education teachers, preschool teachers, speech/language pathologists, occupational therapists, school counselors, social workers, and parents. It is a very easy strategy for paraprofessionals to use in classrooms too. If you like this activity, check out my other similar matching activities for special education in preschool! ⭐️ Preschool Self Regulation Activities ⭐️ Autism & Toilet Training ⭐️ One Step Directions ⭐️ Common Toddler Vocabulary ⭐️ Preschool Language Concepts ⭐️ Animated Expressive and Receptive Verbs Boom Cards™ © Autism Little Learners 2020 Connect with me on: Autism Little Learners Website Facebook Pinterest Instagram
Looking for emotional regulation social stories and self-regulation worksheets for preschool or special education students, including those with autism?
Sensory tools to ease transitions and help students learn to self regulate in the classroom. Encourage focus and minimize disruption with sensory-based activities.
Emotional self-regulation is a necessary executive functioning skill that all kids need to develop. Some will require direct instruction.
Trauma is a major health crises effecting children. Trauma informed practices in the classroom are a necessity to help all students thrive.
Establishing a goodbye ritual in an early childhood special education classroom
Do you get frustrated with your students in the classroom who are impulsive, distracted, or disorganized? Perhaps your students lack planning skills, give up easily, dislike transitions, have trouble with their peers, or do not follow the classroom routine? These are all aspects of self-regulation and it can take a huge toll socially and academically when students struggle with these skills. If your students struggle to control their emotions, thinking, behavior and motor actions in different situations, the Student Self-Regulation Rubrics will help you to pinpoint areas of need and monitor progress to help students with their self-regulation skills. Did you know that children with stronger self-regulation skills generally demonstrate greater overall success in school both academically and socially (Day & Connor, 2017)? These skills are critical for success at school. The Student Self-Regulation Rubrics PDF and WORD document is 18 pages and will be delivered electronically immediately following payment. You can edit the Word document. How it Works: Immediately download the Self-Regulation Rubrics PDF or WORD version. Learn how and when to use the rubrics. Determine the area(s) of need and monitor progress to help your students succeed with self-regulation skills! Table of Contents General Information on Rubrics Suggested Uses for Rubrics Areas of Executive Function that Help Students to Self-Regulate Determine the Area of Need How to Use the Rubrics to Determine the Area of Need Set a SMART Goal for Self-Regulation How to Use the Rubrics to Monitor Progress Metacognition (Thinking About Thinking) Planning/Organizing Initiating Sustaining Inhibition Flexibility Emotional Control Overall Self-Regulation References Teachers, related service providers, support staff, and parents will benefit from this easy to use tool, Self-Regulation Rubrics, to determine areas of need and monitor progress to help your students succeed with self-regulation skills! Additional resources to support self-regulation skills: Executive Functioning Strategies for Students Self-Assessments and Checklists for Good Work Habits Self Regulation Skills Curriculum – Move Work Breathe Too Slow, Just Right or Too Fast – Visual Supports for Self-Regulation The Student Self-Regulation Rubrics are part of the Rubrics and Checklists for Pediatric Occupational and Physical Therapy References: Day, S. L., & Connor, C. M. (2017). Examining the relations between self-regulation and achievement in third-grade students. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 42(2), 97-109. Read more about self regulation here.
These self regulation crafts support emotional regulation and behavioral regulation needs in kids. These crafts are fun ways to help kids!
The safe place has always been a tough sell for the students who need it the most. As the saying goes, what we need the most we resist the most. In some cases, students are unaware that they need it, while in other situations when we suggest it, they have a hard time getting there and/or taking our advice. To support these students, I suggest offering them the choice of a cool down towel. A cool down towel can be made with any beach or bath towel, so you can adapt it to the students' special interests, or favorite colors and then incorporate choice. For example my staff use the phrase, "your body is not calm and quiet let's take a break." Then we offer them a cool down towel by sharing the basket towels with them . . . Or by saying something like "would you like the Toy Story towel or the Star towel?" This gives them some choice so they don't have to give all their power away in a moment when they are already feeling powerless. Notice that the basket has the phrase we say right on it so all staff can use the same language consistently. We say it in a calm, caring and non-threatening manner out of respect for the student and to support them in not escalating further. If needed, we state the choices over and over again in the same calm tone using the parroting technique that we learned through Conscious Discipline. Next we designate a place for them to sit on their calm down towel or offer them two choices we are okay with, "would you like to cool down in in the library center or by the window?" Again giving choices, but in a way that we can insure the safety of the whole class. The two choices or designated spot will be a place where other students are not present in that moment and places the child can get to pretty easily as we know in a moment of upset if we ask them to go across the room to a specific place they may hit or throw anything in their path or simply resist the transition all together. Think about a time when you were upset, angry or sad, did you go to a place that was designated for you or did you go to the place that felt good in that moment... your car, the hallway, the bathroom or a quiet place in the room were no one was. It is important to take cues from the student and observe for what might feel best for them in that moment as they may not be able to make those decisions on in their own. For example, I had a little guy a few years back that would always crawl into a corner beside the art easel. This space was a way from his peers and felt safe to him so that is where his cool down towel went. Once a student has found their space in the moment of upset, they can use the expectations that have been ironed on the towel to support them in using the towel appropriately. If you are interested in making your own cool down towels click here to get the images. All you have to do is print them on fabric paper and iron them on your beach and/or bath towels! NOTE: It is not as much about the space, whether it be a cool down towel, a Safe Place or break area, as it is about teaching students how to use the space. Just like any other space in the classroom, you must have expectations that both students and staff know and you must teach those when the student is a calm state. In some situations, you may model their use by using one yourself, or share a video model of how to use them. I also iron on an aided language board to the cool down towel: Just like any other center, students need a way to communicate their wants and needs. For example, by using the communication board on the towel, students can communicate: "I'm not ready" "I need a hug" or "I need help." This is especially important for students who are non-verbal or have limited language, however in a moment of upset, we know that all children are less likely to use their words or use them appropriately because they can't access them in that moment. Think about the last time you were really, really angry, did you use your words appropriately, or did you scream and curse? By offering children the words visually, they can express their needs in an appropriate way. Remember: ALL BEHAVIOR IS COMMUNICATION! When a child doesn't have the words to say "I feel angry" or "I need help!" They may communicate those messages by throwing things, tearing down posters in the safe place, or screaming at the top of their lungs. Yep! You guessed it, our safe place also has an aided language board and expectations posted: I think the most powerful words we have to offer children in the moment of rage and upset are "I AM NOT READY!" I have written two posts prior about this very concept however I do want to mention here that every student's Cycle of Escalation is different and sometimes a student who appears very calm is not yet calm enough to return to classroom activities. If we ask them to rejoin the group from their cool down towel and they are not ready but have no way to communicate "I am not ready," we can restart the cycle making the child more angry and frustrated than before. To learn more about the Cycle of Escalation, I suggest Colvin and Scott's book Managing the Cycle of Acting Out Behavior in the Classroom. I want to stress one more point, before I sign off, a student who is upset, whether they are using a Safe Place, break area or cool down towel, needs OUR HELP! We must stay with them through the process and support them with self-regulation. When a student is upset, they may be developmentally at the level of a baby or infant, and where do babies and infants go when they need help to self-regulating, they go to the lap or chest of someone who cares greatly for them, someone who is going to make it feel all better! Now that being said this may look different depending on the age of the child and the situation but in a lot of situations students are looking to us to be calm so they can gain their own calmness. In the words of Dr. Becky Bailey, this is called downloading calm. For more information on how to do this I recommend you check out Dr. Becky Bailey's work at consciousdiscipline.com. Her work has laid the foundation for me, my staff and my students, to be more successful. Until Next Time, Best Wishes, Lindy
These feelings activities include visual aids to help kids check in with their emotions on a daily basis. The activities can be made into file folders.
These feelings activities include visual aids to help kids check in with their emotions on a daily basis. The activities can be made into file folders.
A blog for early childhood development teacher or parents that contains tips & lessons for students with autism and other developmental delays.
Sped Independent Work Area
Learn how to teach children self-control the right way with this collection of fun yet powerful self-regulation strategies and activities for kids!
Not all children who are referred to and evaluated by our team meet the criteria for special education services. These children were referred because they are struggling with some aspect of development and their parents are often searching for resources and support. I collect parent friendly resources on a variety of child development topics to offer these parents. Because we evaluate infants, toddlers and preschoolers, self regulation skills are frequently a topic of discussion and concern. When I found Breathe Think Do With Sesame, in the app store, I knew that I had found a resource to add to my Self Regulation resource list. I plan to share this app with parents, our Occupational Therapy team and Early Childhood Special Educators. This app is a great addition to our social emotional skills toolbox. Currently the app is free. The app serves two purposes. It educates parents and caregivers about self regulation skills and it provides opportunities for children to practice the skills in a structured but engaging way. The Parent section provides tips and strategies for several challenging issues such as separation, persistence and aggression. This section begins with an explanation of why self regulation skills are important and provides a script of what parents can say to children who are experiencing difficulties in this area. Finally, a specific strategy in each area is given. In the aggression section, the strategy provided is tracing a child’s hand and helping him think of 5 gentle things he can do with his hands so he can think of that next time he is upset. Some of the sections include video clips. A theme throughout the tips and strategies section is the framework of breathing, planning and doing. In the settings, the app has a personalization option. Children are prompted to say phrases that will be repeated throughout the activities such as “think of a plan”. The language can be changed from English to Spanish in the Settings area. The child section has 5 activities and features a monster. Each activity starts with animation showing the monster struggling with a challenging issue. The issues are getting on his shoes, separating from his mother, a tower of blocks that falls, waiting to use the slide on the playground, and being fearful of the dark at bedtime. After the introduction the screen changes to the monster surrounded by red and looking anxious, upset and/or mad. The narrator encourages the child to tap the screen to help the monster take 3 breaths through his nose and out his mouth. The background color changes from red to blue as the narrator talks about the monster getting calmer. Next, the narrator prompts the child to pop bubbles to make the monster think of a plan. The monster thinks of 3 options for a plan. The child gets to choose which plan the monster will use and watch the result. Self regulation vocabulary, such as calm, frustrated, relaxed, and anxious are used throughout the activities. This app is one of many resources Sesame Street offers in the Little Children, Big Challenges toolkit. I have bookmarked several resources from the toolkit to share with parents. Do you have any other apps you recommend for teaching and/or practicing self regulation skills?
Learn how to teach children self-control the right way with this collection of fun yet powerful self-regulation strategies and activities for kids!
15 self-regulation and self-control books and videos for the classroom to teach kids to calm down, self-regulate, and manage their behavior.
Created on the iPad with Pages Self regulation skills has been a hot topic among the Kinderchat network on Twitter. I have learned so much from these connected educators as they discuss this topic. They have been sharing resources and ideas for supporting the development of these skills in young learners. These educators are aware of how complicated the concept of self regulation is and how important it is in a child’s development. Studies are finding strong connections between a child’s ability to self regulate and later academic success. Self regulation skills also play a critical role in a young learner’s social success. There are some children who need more support than others in developing and demonstrating self regulation skills. There is great variation in self regulation skills at the preschool level. Factors such as temperament, social history, social stressors, prematurity, and medications can affect a young learners ability to develop self regulation skills. Some children need specialized instruction especially in regulating activity level and emotions. The 5 point scale is a tool that is valuable in teaching self regulation skills. Kari Dunn Buron is the teacher who can be credited with the concept of using this simple, but effective tool. Her website explains the concept and provides several examples. I highly recommend her book, The Incredible 5 Point Scale. Think of the scale as a thermometer that provides a visual for levels of a behavior or feeling, applying a number and color to each level. The numbers and colors not only provide a visual but also a common language that can be used to discuss and guide the behavior. The scale can be used to teach skills such as the regulation of voice volume, activity level, and emotions, especially anger and excitement. The voice volume scale pictured above, can be used as a universal tool in a preschool classroom. Children who need specialized instruction might benefit from repeated practice moving from a 4 voice to a 2 voice. In our program, it is not unusual to see the special education assistants in a class wearing a small version of the chart on a lanyard. This mobile version can be used in the library or other places outside of the classroom. When using the scale for managing activity level, the specialized instruction might involve teaching the child how a 5 and 3 looks and feels. The next step in the instruction would be to identify calming strategies to assist in moving from a 5 to a 3. We typically use Boardmaker to create paper versions of the scale. The iPad along with apps such as Skitch and Doodle Buddy allow a teacher to take a picture of the paper copy and draw over the top of it. The student can circle the number he or she is at and identify where he or she needs to be. Teachers can store the scales on the iPad and have them readily available when needed. Another option is to create a template of the numbers and colors using the application, Pages, on a computer or on the iPad. The template below was created by inserting the square shape, filling it with a color and typing in the corresponding number. This template can be customized with pictures from the camera roll on the iPad. Once a photo is added, the mask option and resizing tool will help you get it to the correct size so that it can be aligned with the corresponding number. In this example, I used the same Boardmaker icons but you could pull real photos from your camera roll. When the scale is finished, a screenshot of the scale can be stored on the iPad and viewed when needed. I am on the lookout for apps that use the 5 point scale. I recently discovered the free app, the Autism 5 - Point Scale EP. This app has great potential but doesn't quite meet our program's needs. The app opens to a main screen with the numbers and colors, along with drawings of a face expressing varied emotions. When you select a number, it moves to a screen with that number and face. On the second screen, the app allows you to customize it with your own picture, text and even audio but when you go back to the main screen, the customization isn’t there. It also does not allow you to save scales for different purposes. I am interested in hearing if others are using the 5 point scale or other visuals for teaching self regulation. Matt Gomez wrote a post about using the app, Too Loud, to help regulate voice volume. What visuals have you created? Are you using any technology to support the use of these visuals? Please share your thoughts and experiences.
his blog post by contributor author Regina Parsons-Allen describes occupational therapy activity kits that can be used to address a variety of occupational therapy goals using themed OT kits, saving time and planning for therapy. Another Look at Occupational Therapy Themed Tool Kits This is part two of the blog post regarding themed occupational therapy ... Read more
Learn how to teach children self-control the right way with this collection of fun yet powerful self-regulation strategies and activities for kids!
Preschool behavior management tips and tricks for preschool teachers, How to document challenging preschool behaviors with Free behavior observation log.
A blog for Preschool, Special Education and Autism for Behavior Management, Classroom ideas and Resources
Developing a First Then Visual Schedule for Early Childhood Special Needs Students
21+ tips to help you deal with common challenging behaviors and autism, including hair pulling, scratching, picky eating, sleep disruption, and aggression.
Tips of Large Group Success in a Pre-K Calssroom
Learn how to teach children self-control the right way with this collection of fun yet powerful self-regulation strategies and activities for kids!
Arrival and Classroom Jobs in an Early Childhood Classroom
21+ tips to help you deal with common challenging behaviors and autism, including hair pulling, scratching, picky eating, sleep disruption, and aggression.
Finally understand why your child has trouble with appetite, eating too much, toileting, or big emotions. It's all related to interoception...
Are you looking to supplement your current social emotional learning (SEL) curriculum to improve student's understanding and follow through with self regulation skills and strategies? Often knowing their interoception signals is the missing piece to knowing when and how to self regulate. Interoception is known as the "8th sense" and covers our inner senses, including bowel, bladder and stomach signals, heart, lungs, brain, and muscles. This sense helps us know that our muscles are shaking and we might be feeling nervous, for example. This set of worksheets, in addition to the curriculum, will help students build their understanding of how their body sensations connect with their emotions and how and when to use strategies for self regulation. INCLUDES: 5 day interoception curriculum with daily homework and "in-class" worksheets "My Body" booklet "My Feelings" worksheets Whole Body workbook Interoception activities focused on heart and lungs Free Introductory Teachers guide to teaching interoception Sensory Diet Planning activity Assessment and Strategies for Self Regulation Please preview each activity to see what is included Purchase the bundle without the 5-day curriculum HERE If you work with teens, check out this interactive PowerPoint lesson plus workbook! Help young kids determine sensory preferences for personalized sensory diets with this resource
When something is off with the vestibular system it often presents itself as behavioral issues. These vestibular input activities support sensory needs and improves behavior
Life on Planet Earth has challenges. Darkness. Difficulties. Set-backs. Heart ache. Grief. Unfairness. The unthinkable happens. If you ha...
Improving Communication Skills for Non-Verbal Children Through the Use of Aided Language Boards
A blog for early childhood development teacher or parents that contains tips & lessons for students with autism and other developmental delays.
Problem solving is challenging for young students (and many adults too)! To support my little friends, I teach them problem solving strategies that they can use when they encounter a problem. We want our students to become independent thinkers who can solve problems, control their emotions, express empathy, and help others.
These feelings activities include visual aids to help kids check in with their emotions on a daily basis. The activities can be made into file folders.
