More about self-regulation

Highlights & critical information

What can learning self-regulation do?

Children with stronger self-regulation skills:

are better at planning and setting goals. They're less impulsive.

Example – John thinks ahead to what he wants to do with his Lego. He decides he wants to build a rocket ship and takes out the pieces he needs.

use more strategies to help themselves learn.

Example – Neha tells herself to ignore the noise the other children are making so she can concentrate and get her work done.

check their work to look for errors.

Example – Lucas is printing his name and he sees that he's running out of space on one line. He decides to erase his name and start again a little farther over on the page.

manage their time better.

Example – Sarah checks the clock and sees she has just 10 minutes to finish her story. She speeds up so she can get it done in time.

believe in themselves as learners.

Example – Kai is struggling with a book he was supposed to read. He's frustrated. He stops, takes a breath and quietly says to himself, “I can do it. Keep going.”

are more intrinsically motivated. That is, they're motivated by a sense of pleasure, curiosity or challenge rather than rewards or praise.

Example – Heather enjoys solving and completing crossword puzzles just for the challenge.

have more determination and persistence. They keep on trying. They also have a clearer idea about how much effort needs to go into learning.

Example – Becky has a vision of the perfect pebble. She goes to the beach and sees miles of pebbles. Instead of being overwhelmed, she decides where to start and how to go on so she has the best chance to find her perfect stone.

Photo by Kiana Bosman on Unsplash

Research also shows that children with stronger self-regulation have better mental health. They have less anxiety and stress. They learn to manage their excitement and impulses. That way, they stay calm and focused when needed.

"Self-regulation is ... a key ingredient between infancy and childhood. Throughout the lifespan it continues to serve the function of voluntary regulation of emotions, thoughts and actions."

Posner & Rothbart (2009) p.105

With stronger self-regulation, behavior, thoughts and emotions don't rule the child. They become more self-directed, planful and adaptable. Children begin to understand the relationship between effort and achievement - "If I work really hard, I'll get better at doing this."

How to spot a child with weak self-regulation?

A child with weak self-regulation will:

act ‘in the moment’ and not focus on the future impact of their behavior
have difficulty with controlling hands, feet, voice volume and body space
struggle to start a task, often don’t finish
get caught up in non-essential parts of activities or ideas
complete tasks out of order or miss steps
have poor sense of time
lose things …. repeatedly

Print and use this checklist to help you figure out which children could use some help with self-regulation.

Self-Regulation is NOT

Learning self-regulation does NOT

stifle who the person is - they won't become robots!!
just stop behavior and focus on controlling impulses
just teach the child to wait more patiently
let children become 'laws unto themselves' (no tiny tyrants)
focus on making children more 'compliant' and obedient

Video/Audio

Watch this video from Center on Developing Child at Harvard University for an excellent summary of executive functions and self-regulation.

Common learning strengths in people with autism

Visual

Musical/Rhythmic

Body/Movement

Autism is a different way of experiencing and understanding the world. Each person has challenges. But each person also has learning preferences and strengths.

Common learning strengths in people with autism

Visual

Musical/Rhythmic

Body/Movement

Autism is a different way of experiencing and understanding the world. Each person has challenges. But each person also has learning preferences and strengths.

Introduction to Self-Regulation