Emotional regulation can be one of the most challenging areas for children with disabilities, especially when meltdowns and big emotions come into play. As a parent, it’s tough to watch your child struggle to understand and manage how they feel. That’s where emotional regulation – occupational therapy at Beelieve Paediatric Therapy can help. With our small but dedicated team, consisting of an occupational therapist and an allied health assistant (AHA), we get to know each family well, allowing us to provide personalised strategies that truly fit your child’s needs. Together, we work with children to help them navigate emotions, manage frustrations, and gain more control over their reactions. In this blog, we’ll explore how these strategies can make a real difference in your child’s daily life.
What We Do
As paediatric occupational therapists, our focus is on helping your child develop the skills they need to thrive in everyday life. When it comes to emotional regulation, we use a variety of evidence-based approaches to support your child in better understanding and managing their emotions. This could include sensory regulation techniques, emotional awareness activities, and developing coping strategies that fit your child's unique needs. We work closely with your family, providing guidance on practical solutions that can be easily used at home, in school, or within the community. By addressing the sensory, cognitive, and emotional factors contributing to your child’s challenges, we aim to help them build confidence in navigating their feelings and reduce the intensity and frequency of meltdowns.
What is Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapy is a client-centred healthcare profession aimed at promoting health and well-being through meaningful engagement in daily activities. For children, this often involves addressing challenges related to motor skills, sensory processing, cognitive abilities, and emotional regulation to help them participate fully in school, home, and community environments.
What We Treat
Paediatric occupational therapists are trained to address a diverse range of challenges that children may face, including motor difficulties, dyspraxia, physical disabilities, ADHD, anxiety, sensory processing disorder, and more. We are trained and qualified to support children in learning skills that will support them in normal day-to-day tasks - whatever the challenge that might be inhibiting them is, and regardless of whether they have a formal diagnosis or not.
Through individualised assessment and intervention, we work collaboratively with children and their families to develop targeted strategies for overcoming obstacles and achieving goals.
Understanding Emotional Regulation: How Occupational Therapy Can Help
Emotional regulation refers to the ability to identify, manage and respond to emotions in a healthy and adaptive manner. For children, developing effective emotional regulation skills is essential for navigating social interactions, managing stress, and coping with everyday challenges. Paediatric occupational therapy plays a vital role in supporting children in this area, offering a range of strategies and interventions to help build and strengthen emotional regulation skills.
1. Identifying and Understanding Emotions
One of the first steps in developing emotional regulation is learning to identify and understand different emotions. At Beelieve Paediatric Therapy, we focus on developing children’s interoceptive awareness, helping them identify and understand their body cues associated with different emotions. By teaching kids to recognise what each emotion feels like physically, we support them in understanding their emotional experiences better. Additionally, we use visual aids, like video modelling, charades and playing detective in the community.
2. Coping Strategies and Self-Regulation Techniques
Occupational Therapists teach self-regulation to children by frequently modeling co-regulation techniques, guiding them through emotional moments. This process helps them expand their "window of tolerance," where they can manage emotions without feeling overwhelmed. Using the Zones of Regulation, we teach children to recognise their emotional states by identifying whether they’re in the blue, green, yellow, or red zone. Importantly, no zone is "wrong." The goal is for the child to identify where they are so they can begin to regulate back to the green zone, where they feel calm and ready to learn or participate.
At times, it’s necessary to meet children where they are emotionally, matching their energy level to validate their feelings before guiding them back to calm. This "yoyoing" approach helps them feel understood, which is key to de-escalation. If we stay entirely calm without validating their heightened emotions, it can sometimes make them feel dismissed, escalating the situation further. By meeting them in their state and then gradually helping them move toward regulation, we show them that their feelings are valid while also teaching them how to return to a place of calm.
3. Social Skills and Emotional Expression
Social skills play a crucial role in emotional regulation, as children learn to navigate social interactions and communicate their feelings effectively. Occupational therapists work with children to develop social-emotional skills such as active listening, empathy, assertiveness, and conflict resolution. Through role-playing, group activities, and supported peer interactions, children learn how to express their emotions in a constructive and respectful manner.
4. Creating a Supportive Environment
Occupational therapists collaborate closely with parents, caregivers, and educators to create a supportive environment that promotes emotional regulation. Supporting a child’s emotional regulation involves creating a supportive and safe environment, where regular and frequent modeling and support for co-regulation are essential. Consistent routines and clear expectations help children understand what to expect, making it easier for them to manage their emotions. Positive reinforcement encourages and acknowledges their efforts to regulate, while having a regulated parent serves as a crucial model for emotional control. As Karen Young emphasises, a child’s brain first asks, "Am I safe?" and "Am I loved?" and only when the answer to these is “yes” will it then be ready to ask “What can I learn?” By ensuring these foundational needs are met, children are better able to regulate their emotions and engage in learning, knowing they are secure and valued.
5. Building Resilience and Coping Skills
Ultimately, the goal of occupational therapy is to help children build resilience, independence and develop adaptive coping skills that enable them to navigate life's ups and downs. Through a combination of therapeutic activities, skill-building exercises, and ongoing support, therapists empower children to face challenges with courage, creativity, and confidence. By fostering a sense of agency and self-efficacy, occupational therapy lays the foundation for lifelong emotional well-being and success.
What We Do During Sessions
During therapy sessions, paediatric occupational therapists employ a variety of evidence-based techniques to support children's development across multiple domains. From social and play skills to sensory processing, handwriting, gross and fine motor skills, visual attention, self-care, and eating, each session is carefully structured to address the specific needs and goals of the child. We also provide support to parents and care givers, so that children are able to feel supported to practice their skills.
Emotional Regulation - Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists employ a variety of activities and interventions to encourage emotional regulation in children. We like to provide specific suggestions to support our clients with their individual needs in a way that is practical and sustainable - activities are tailored to the unique needs and interests of each child and may include:
Breathing Exercises: Teaching children deep breathing techniques to help calm their bodies and minds during times of stress or heightened emotions.
Sensory-Based Activities: Engaging children in sensory experiences like tactile play, sensory bins, and sensory walks to help regulate their arousal levels and promote relaxation.
Emotion Identification: Using games, activities, and worksheets to help children identify and label their emotions, fostering emotional awareness and vocabulary.
Emotion Regulation Tools: Introducing children to tools such as visual schedules, emotion charts, and calm-down kits to help them recognize and manage their emotions independently.
Social Skills Training: Social skill development plays a crucial role in emotional regulation, as it helps children navigate interactions, communicate effectively, and manage their responses to social situations. By learning skills such as sharing, turn-taking, and empathy, children can better understand and regulate their emotions in various social contexts. At Beelieve Paediatric Therapy, we support social skill development through both 1:1 interventions and group programs. Our personalised sessions target individual needs, while our group programs provide opportunities for children to practice these skills with peers, fostering both emotional regulation and social competence in a collaborative environment.
Play Therapy: Incorporating play into emotional regulation strategies offers children a natural and enjoyable way to manage their emotions. Play provides a safe space for children to express and explore their feelings, practice problem-solving, and develop coping skills in a low-pressure environment. Through imaginative play, role-playing, and engaging activities, children can learn to navigate their emotions, build resilience, and understand their emotional responses better. This playful approach not only makes emotional regulation more accessible but also helps children integrate these skills into their everyday lives.
Movement: Movement is a powerful tool for emotional regulation, as physical activity can help children release built-up energy and calm their nervous systems. Engaging in activities like jumping, swinging, or running not only improves mood but also helps children manage stress and anxiety. At Beelieve Paediatric Therapy, we offer group programs specifically designed to incorporate movement as a core component. These programs provide children with structured opportunities to use physical activity for emotional regulation while also fostering social interaction and cooperation with peers.
By incorporating these activities into therapy sessions, occupational therapists help children develop the skills and strategies they need to regulate their emotions, cope with stress, and navigate social interactions with confidence and resilience.
Where Do Paediatric Occupational Therapists Work
Paediatric occupational therapists may work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, schools, early intervention programs, community centres and visiting client’s in their homes. Many therapists also offer telehealth services, providing virtual therapy sessions to children and families in the comfort of their own homes.
At Beelieve Paediatric Therapy, we run an exclusively mobile practice with additional telehealth support, bringing our services directly to our clients in their own familiar, safe environments.
Emotional Regulation - Occupational Therapy on the Road
A mobile occupational therapist specialising in emotional regulation offers a unique advantage in providing therapy tailored to the individual needs of each child. By bringing therapy directly to the child's familiar environment, whether it's their home, school, or community setting, a mobile therapist can create a comfortable and safe space where the child feels most at ease.
Mobile occupational therapists have the ability to help with emotional regulation in ways that are perhaps untraditional and outside the box - this is where our power is, because we aren’t restricted by 4 walls of an office!
Familiar Environment: Working in the child's familiar environment allows the therapist to observe and address emotional triggers and challenges that may arise in real-life situations. By understanding the context in which emotional dysregulation occurs, the therapist can develop targeted strategies to support the child in managing their emotions effectively.
Individualised Interventions: A mobile occupational therapist can tailor interventions to suit the child's unique needs and preferences. Whether it's implementing sensory-based activities, incorporating movement, or teaching coping strategies, the therapist can adapt therapy sessions to align with the child's interests and strengths.
Family Involvement: Involving family members in therapy sessions enables them to better support their child's emotional regulation skills outside of therapy sessions. The therapist can provide education, guidance, and practical strategies for parents and caregivers to implement at home, fostering a collaborative approach to promoting emotional well-being.
Community Integration: A mobile therapist can facilitate community-based activities and outings to help children generalise their emotional regulation skills to different environments and social contexts. By practicing coping strategies in real-world settings, children gain confidence and competence in managing their emotions across various situations.
Flexibility and Convenience: Mobile therapy offers flexibility in scheduling appointments and eliminates the need for families to travel to a clinic or office. This convenience ensures that therapy fits seamlessly into the child's routine without disrupting their daily activities or commitments.
Holistic Approach: A mobile occupational therapist takes a holistic approach to emotional regulation, addressing not only the child's individual needs but also considering the broader environmental and social factors that may impact their emotional well-being. By collaborating with other professionals and community resources, the therapist can provide comprehensive support to promote positive emotional development.
Paediatric occupational therapists play a crucial role in supporting children's emotional regulation and overall development. Through compassionate care, evidence-based interventions, and collaborative partnerships with families, we strive to empower children to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives.
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