Regulation is foundational to overall development. Children’s regulation can impact behaviours that they may present with, and these behaviours may be used as a way to communicate with those around them.

Sometimes behaviours can communicate that a child feels dysregulated. By observing a child’s behaviour and talking to their family (especially if the child is non-verbal and cannot communicate using words) we can understand what they are trying to communicate and why they may feel dysregulated. As family understanding about regulation develops, families are more able to notice the signs that their child may be dysregulated or regulated.

The video below outlines:

  • What is regulation?
  • How regulation develops
  • Why regulation is important
  • What regulation looks like
  • What dysregulation looks like
  • Strategies to support regulation

Safe and secure attachment is the basis for all regulation. For a child to feel regulated, the parents need to feel regulated and also support their child to feel safe and secure.
For more information about attachment, please go to the Circle of Security website.

Resources for Parents and Caregivers

Some useful links and resources to help parents and caregivers gain a better understanding of their child’s behaviours are listed below. We provide these links in good faith, and do not endorse or receive payment for sharing them. Please note that there are costs associated with these resources. Please speak to your NDIS Plan Manager, if relevant, about whether you may be able to claim reimbursement through your child’s NDIS Plan.

Books:

Online Courses and Information:

Challenging behaviours are a scream for help. It is up to us to interpret those behaviours and help individuals make sense of them and their feelings and become regulated so they find peace and wellbeing within themselves.

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