Emotion Regulation Program
Good emotion management and control of emotions enable children to successfully overcome challenges and stress, and help them to build healthy relationships.
Factors that influence a child's emotions include: sensory modulation, impulse control, frustration tolerance, perseverance, problem solving, emotional understanding, empathy, etc. To address the child's emotional problems, the occupational therapist will first assess and deal with the sensory modulation issues affecting the child's emotions and provide appropriate therapeutic activities and at-home play to improve their sensory modulation according to their individual needs.
In addition, KickStart introduces the Emotional Regulation Therapy Program, developed by an American occupational therapist who specializes in self-regulation and social-emotional learning in children. Through cognitive-behavioral interventions and self-regulatory sensory strategies, KickStart helps children to recognize their emotions and acquire self-control and problem-solving skills to help them deal with emotional problems. The therapy scheme employs a cognitive behavioral approach to help children recognize that they have different states, which are divided into four “zones” and presented in four different colors. The protocol will also help them to learn how to adopt strategies to change their state, giving them the opportunity to explore ways to calm themselves, cognitive strategies and how to use sensory support, and offering them a toolbox to modify their state and providing them insights into how to self-regulate. The program will teach the child the following skills:
- How to read other people's expressions and identify a wider range of emotions
- How others perceive and react to your behavior
- Understanding what can make your adjustment poor
- When and how to use strategies and problem solving techniques
This treatment protocol is designed for children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette's, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, selective silence, and anxiety disorders. And when a child starts using the program, parents and teachers often find that the program can help other children, even themselves. According to overseas studies, children with mood disorders, ADHD, high-functioning autism and Asperger's have shown significant improvements in emotional control, social skills, and problem solving following the intervention of this therapy protocol, and many schools overseas have incorporated this protocol into their curriculum.
