Helping Children Feel Calm and Regulated

Whitney Ence, PhD, BCBA-D, Associate Clinical Professor, UCSF

What: Below is a list of strategies aimed at helping children manage “stay at home” orders. These are meant to be a menu of ideas that may be helpful.

When: Try one idea at a time. Modify these based on the developmental level and age of your child (e.g., differences in how much language is used and use of visuals/pictures).

1. Support understanding of COVID-19. Describe the virus and current situation in concrete language and terms. Be ready to answer questions.

2. Offer opportunities for expression and label what is happening. Children may have a hard time expressing emotions. Fear, frustration and worry may be expressed through an increase in behavior challenges

3. Prioritize coping and coping skills. These may include a calming space, a calming box of tools, deep breathing, meditation, exercise, listening to music, or watching a preferred video. Have set times to practice these strategies by building them into the schedule.

4. Maintain routines and build new routines with a support of a visual schedule. Routines are important, particularly for younger children and children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

5. Foster connections (from a distance). Some kids may need help with building opportunities for daily social contact with friends, family, and teachers.

6. Focus on what we can control. Limit social media, alarming conversations, and news related to COVID-19. Maintain sleep and eating routines. Try to get outside safely each day.

Effectiveness: Each of the specific strategies above is related to a broad base of research related to evidenced-based techniques related to childhood development, effectiveness of visual supports, importance of coping strategies for anxiety management and emotion regulation.

Dr. Ence is Associate Clinical Professor, UCSF Center for Autism Spectrum Disorder and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Sources: https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/supporting-...

Hannesdottir, D.K. & Ollendick, T.H. (2007) The Role of Emotion Regulation in the treatment of child anxiety disorder. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 10, 275 – 293.

Sam, A & AFIRM Team (2015). Visual supports. Chapel Hill, NC: National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder, FPG Child Development Center, University of North Carolina