This self-regulation skill must be learned and practiced in a safe environment. School can be challenging for children who come to school with difficulty self-regulating their emotions, with sig- nificant emotional reactions causing struggles with friendships and classroom activities. This can quickly snowball into disrup- tive behaviors and a continued lack of self-regulation skills, as the school environment may not feel like a safe space to practice and hone the ability to self-regulate. One of the areas that can affect emotional regulation in school is a student’s difficulty with executive functioning skills. Executive functioning is how an individual gets themselves together to do the things they need to do. This includes skills developing skills such as organization, time management, attention, and memo- ry. When students feel overwhelmed, disorganized, struggling to focus, or “running late,” it becomes harder for them to regulate their emotional reaction to school situations. Struggles in these areas often result in frustration from peers and teachers, academ- ic struggles, and decreased time to self-regulate. This can lead to more emotional interactions and situations that naturally cause increased emotional reactions, such as confrontations, negative responses from friends, and feelings of being overwhelmed. When a student is dysregulated, their emotions make it hard to recognize their environment is safe. They are constantly alert for a threat or something that will cause a heightened emotion- al response. This can increase anxiety, depression, or avoidance, and make students feel uncomfortable in their surroundings. Dysregulated emotions make it hard for students to respond appropriately to environmental and social cues. Small difficulties may feel huge, and students may act according to how they feel instead of the reality of the situation. To the people around the student, these reactions do not appropriately match the situation and will often appear as disruptive behaviors. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND EMOTIONAL REGULATION Assistive technology includes tools and supports that help an individual with a disability access their environment. If an item or tool is necessary for a student to maintain emotional regula- tion, it may be considered assistive technology. Tools supporting emotional regulation are often readily available in a school set- ting. However, assistive technology or access to the tools may be denied due to the perceived lack of need. It is important to recognize that tools for emotional regulation exist within the school setting and the environments each of us experience daily. Adults use tools to help self-regulate emotions every day. These tools are so ingrained into daily routines that they are accepted as standard practice and may be overlooked as being assistive technology tools. Tools for supporting executive functioning, such as lists, tim- ers, and fidgets, are often used to help individuals feel more com- fortable with the tasks they need to complete. They are used by adults both in home environments and within the workplace.
Techniques such as doodling on paper while on the phone, pac- ing, and listening to music are often used to help remain regulat- ed while waiting or when nervous. Recognizing the importance of self-regulation tools and how they are already being used out- side of the school setting can help educators identify tools that may be appropriate for their classrooms and which may be nec- essary for students to manage their emotions better. Assistive technology can help students who do not yet have the skills to independently self-regulate their emotions, find ways to identify them, process a level that is appropriate for the situa- tion, and regain an expected level of emotional regulation. This can improve student success in the classroom and with interper- sonal relationships. LOW TECH VS. HIGH TECH TOOLS When considering assistive technology for emotional regula- tions, it is important to consider that there are multiple types of tools that may best meet each student’s needs. One important consideration is determining if the student would benefit from a low-tech or high-tech tool. Historically, low-tech solutions were readily available for students who needed a tool to regulate their emotions. For example, doodling on paper was a common technique for students feeling anxious or impatient during class. However, with the increased use of technology in the classroom, in some situations, paper or a pencil to doodle with may not be readily available to a student. Consequently, when we are con- sidering what tools may work best for a student who is struggling with emotional regulation, we need to look at both high and low- tech solutions, becuase the low-tech solutions that may naturally have been used by students in the past, may not be readily avail- able in today’s classroom. Conversely, while we may have considered many high-tech solutions unattainable in the past due to cost constraints, tools such as apps and extensions are now readily available to students who spend a good portion of their day already interacting with computers, Chromebooks, or tablets. It is important to note that in some instances, high-tech solutions may be overwhelming and, in some cases, overstimulating for a student who is already struggling with managing emotions. However, high-tech solu- tions may be the best option for students who enjoy technology and have access to it throughout their day. When looking for assistive technology to help students regu- late their emotions, looking for features that match each student and their needs will provide you with both high and low-tech tools most appropriate for each student. Consider the features of each tool, including the built-in features of high-tech tools such as timers, durability, sensory input, and volume. Being aware of the tools that students are already using and the features of both low and high-tech solutions will help you find the best options for helping students regulate their emotions.
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