Support Self-Regulation Skills
Tags
Skills
Support Self-Regulation Skills
All students, particularly those with ADHD, prone to impulsivity, or struggle with behavior
-
Self-regulation is highly correlated with life success but is a skill that is developed over time and naturally comes easier for some than others -
Adults need to model good self-regulation and do their best to support children when they struggle -- and all children will struggle with it at times. There are four general strategies to help students resist negative behaviors:
-
Distraction. Simply find something else to focus your thoughts on other than the subject causing the unwanted behavior.
-
Deflection. Take the unwanted situation and find the bright side of it. For example, you just lost the match. Perhaps that means that you get to play in the consolation round which you have a high probability of winning.
-
Plan Ahead. Prepare in advance for challenging situations and know exactly what you will say or do. If we lose, I will walk over, shake hands, and then go to the car if I'm very upset.
-
Resistance. While not a long-term solution and not always possible, some students might need to simply stay away from situations that they are simply not ready to manage. A child who cannot control his behavior after a bad loss, might need to refrain from intensely competitive situations until he is more mature. Resistance is a last resort, as it is far better over the long-term to develop effective coping strategies.