One of the biggest mistakes I notice we make quite often is that we don’t pay enough attention when a child is dysregulated. Instead of pushing the child to do more in this state, and instead of putting more demands on the child, we need to slow down.

When we notice that the child is dysregulated, our focus should be shifted towards helping the child to regulate. Only when children are regulated can they can learn.

Imagine yourself being dysregulated.  In this state of overwhelm, upset, anger, sadness, frustration, overexcitement or tiredness, could you process, hear, and learn as you would normally? Likely, the answer is ‘no’. The same applies to children with needs.

In order to learn, kids need to be regulated and it’s on us to teach them self-regulation tools. The best moment to teach them self-regulation tools and strategies is actually when they are regulated. When they are not, we need to guide them and help them to first manage their emotions, thoughts, and actions.