Zones of Emotional Regulation

This is the ability to be actively engaged and be able to adapt to different situations. The child’s ability to regulate emotional arousal so they are more able to attend to, process and filter environmental and sensory information is the focus of this section. In SCERTS emotional regulation is addressed in two areas; Mutual-Regulation and Self-Regulation.

When our children are emotionally and sensory regulated they are more likely to be ready for learning and;

• Attend to the most relevant information in an activity or setting
• Remain socially engaged with others
• Process verbal and non-verbal information
• Initiate interactions using appropriate communication strategies
• Respond to others in reciprocal interaction
• Actively participate in everyday activities
• Understand Levels of emotional regulation strategies

An individual’s ability to regulate their emotions is placed into three key stages;

Behavioural Level:

Children use simple motor actions or sensory-motor strategies to regulate their arousal level, remain alert, and/or self-soothe. These can include behaviours such as rocking or spinning an object and having a hand massage.

Language Level:

Children use words or symbols to regulate their arousal level, such as using an individual timetable or saying “It’s ok”.  At this stage, children are learning about a wide range of emotions and how to deal with emotions appropriately.

Metacognitive Level (Knowing about knowing):

Child is able to think about, plan, and talk about ways of helping themselves regulate.