Building Self-Regulation and Emotional Awareness

EMPOWERING STUDENTS THROUGH OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

The Zones of Regulation program is co-taught by the Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology departments during SPOT group. Developed by Leah Kuypers, OTR/L, the Zones of Regulation fosters self-regulation and emotional self-awareness.

It uses visuals to help students understand their “body” sensations, “heart” feelings, and “brain” responses. The lessons help students recognize their current zones and identify tools to match their energy to the environment or expectation. Through this program, students gain a sophisticated emotional vocabulary, insight into what might make them feel “frustrated,” “activated,” or “sleepy,” for example, and coping
strategies to process their emotions. By June, a kindergartener shared, “I’m in the yellow zone for my birthday party! If I feel overwhelmed... I can take a deep breath.”

Occupational Therapists are also piloting the Interoception Curriculum, developed by Kelly Mahler, OTR/L, in several classrooms. This framework dives deeper into one of the lesser-known—but very important—senses: interoception. Interoception, or our awareness of our body’s internal state, helps us recognize and interpret sensations such as hunger, thirst, and temperature, as well as the physical responses paired with emotions (such as a rapidly beating heart that can accompany fear).

Interoceptive awareness is a crucial component in recognizing state changes, regulating emotion, and communicating needs. It’s hard to voice what’s wrong or ask for help when we don’t know what’s going on inside our bodies and how those sensations make us feel. SPOT groups have explored interoception through body-based mindfulness activities. Lessons are designed to teach students to tune into specific sensations. Students become “Body Scientists” and investigate what it feels like to touch a tub of ice water, drink carbonated water, blow a pinwheel, or put cucumber slices on their eyes! They have enthusiastically embraced this curriculum. We’ve been impressed by the language they’ve gained in describing their physical responses to the experiments. We’ve also noticed friendships nourished through these playful, investigative, sensory experiences.

The Interoception Curriculum bolsters students’ ability to notice body signals, connect body signals to emotions, and identify “just-right” strategies to promote comfort within the body. We are excited to further expand the Interoception Curriculum at Parkside.

The Occupational Therapy department also incorporates practical and effective executive functioning strategies into our sessions. In small groups and individual sessions, we work on task organization and project initiation through Sarah Ward’s Get Ready, Do, Done framework. We also teach children to use an analog clock so they can visualize and manage time. As they successfully plan their time and break down big projects into manageable steps, children learn that there is no limit to what they can accomplish!