By Kate Young, a BCBA and Clinical Director of Insight Early Learners
Throughout the day, we exercise our ability to regulate or control our emotions and behaviors. This process may happen quickly and subconsciously, or it may be a slow and deliberate reaction to a situation or our environment. Emotional regulation allows people to cope with circumstances that cause emotions of varying intensity like stress, anxiety or frustration. Even for the most well-adjusted person, dealing with daily stressors and unexpected events can be challenging.
Sometimes, people with autism have a more difficult time regulating their emotions. Every person with autism manages their sensory input differently, and their self-regulation skills vary. This is especially true of children. Most infants and young children cannot regulate their emotions on their own but need adults to help them regulate their emotions and behaviors and learn the skills to do so independently.
Regardless of neurological challenges, self-regulation is an advanced set of skills that can be taught and improved over time for all children. It helps them become more independent and resilient and contributes to their ability to manage stress and form healthy relationships. With practice and support, young children with autism can learn the skills they need to help them self-regulate. Additionally, early intervention can provide young children, and their caregivers, individualized and effective strategies to better develop self-regulation.
1. Identify and understand emotions
Children need to have an understanding of emotions. Knowing what emotions look and feel like will help children develop emotional self-awareness and allow them to better manage over-stimulation or under-stimulation in an environment. Using simple visuals like emotion flashcards can help children to identify basic emotions.
2. Teach and model coping strategies
Emotional regulation techniques are dynamic, based on many factors, and individualized. Some coping strategies can include taking deep breaths, counting, thinking of something positive when experiencing a challenging situation or negative emotions, or other mindfulness activities. One of the best ways to teach coping strategies for emotional regulation is to show children how to do it. Parents can model the activities next to children, such as deep breaths, without asking the child to participate. Their breathing may eventually mirror the parents. This would be an example of co-regulation. Young children may need different levels of co-regulation as they move toward their own emotional self-regulation.
3. Identify sensory triggers and provide calming activities
Many children with autism are more sensitive to their sensory environment. Identifying sensory triggers that cause overstimulation can lead to emotional awareness. Providing calming sensory activities, like fidget toys, pleasant sounds, noise-canceling headphones, and other calming activities, can help them to better focus on the emotions they are feeling.
4. Stay calm and patient
One of the most difficult asks of a parent is to remain calm and patient during challenging times with their children. However, children are perceptive and can tell when parents are stressed or upset, and this may affect the way children respond. So, it’s important to stay calm when teaching self-regulation skills to children.
5. Find a professional
Oftentimes, parents and caregivers don’t know where to begin. They should not have to be afraid to seek out a professional for guidance, like a care team or an early intervention program for young children. A professional can equip parents with the necessary information, tools, and strategies they need to see positive outcomes.
