| SKILL | WHAT TO DO Identifying and supporting need | ASKING FOR HELP Starting Assess, Plan, Do, Review | WHEN MORE HELP IS NEEDED Targeted support |
| Managing Feelings | Classroom/Early Years room: Whole group activities that encourage the identification of strengths, e.g. creating visual reminders of strengths through posters, certificates, stickers and other visuals, serve to remind children of all the things they are good at. These can be collected in a ‘Good to be Me’ or ‘All about Me’ book. Discuss and model feelings and emotions often: Use and label a wide vocabulary of feelings and emotion words. Create displays focused on developing emotional vocabulary. Use stories and therapeutic metaphors to teach about feelings and normalise a wide range of feelings. Ensure children have access to quieter spaces, movement breaks and use of sensory resources or sensory rooms. Whole school/Early Years setting: Warm and responsive interactions between adults and children are used to support them to regulate their emotions through co-regulation. This is the first stage of supporting children to develop the skills required for managing feelings independently (co-regulation leads to self-regulation). Create a calm, positive, and nurturing environment. Use strategies from Early Years Development Matters Framework for supporting self-regulation throughout the Early Years. Whole group approaches to teaching emotional regulation strategies, e.g. Yoga and Mindfulness. Training and support can be provided by Tameside Educational Psychology Service (EPS). Use of attachment aware practices and tuning into the child’s feelings and world (attunement). Attunement involves the adult initially recognising the emotion that the child is feeling. The adult then acknowledges this emotion by naming it and then empathises with the child about how they are feeling. Remaining attuned to the way a child is feeling promotes positive attachments. Use of emotional validation strategies when a child is upset, angry, or distressed (e.g. Emotion Coaching approach). | Offer small group support to develop skills related to emotional awareness and emotional regulation to support the development of emotional literacy skills, such as: Support to recognise, label and understand emotions in self and others (e.g. mirror play, discussion of emotions during stories or puppet play, use of feelings visuals or Bear Cards). Adult use of “I” message approach. An “I” message is a form of communication that focuses on the feelings or beliefs of the person speaking, rather than the personal qualities or behaviours of the child. Adults can use ‘I’ messages with children to try and diffuse a situation in a non-threatening way. For example, an adult might say, “I feel very scared and worried when you try to climb over that gate” instead of demanding, “Why are you climbing that gate?” Opportunities to practise self-calming techniques in a smaller group, such as Mindfulness, breathing activities or yoga. Use of Zones of Regulation or Colour Monsters to teach strategies for emotional and sensory self-management (4 years plus). Regular ‘Reset’ breaks are incorporated into the day to help children remain calm (e.g. access to quieter spaces, movement breaks and use of sensory resources or sensory rooms). Use of appropriate checklists and assessment tools. For example, the self-esteem developmental milestones within the Early Years Development Matters Framework. | Complete appropriate assessments to establish a greater understanding of individual children’s needs. For example, observe and record ‘impact on learning’ across a range of contexts across the day to understand whether a particular need is dependent on a certain context or situation, or what the child may be trying to communicate through their actions, so as to inform strategies as needed e.g. use of an ABC (Antecedent, Behaviour, Consequence) chart. Environmental audits are used to identify aspects of the environment that might lead to increased anxiety, arousal or sensory sensitivity, with monitoring of behavioural responses and adjustment to support plans and adult responses as needed. Work with a group of key staff to identify an individual profile of the child and gain an understanding of their individual triggers and observable behaviours, as well as specific escalating and de-escalating adult responses. An example of this might be the RAMP (Reducing Anxiety Management Plan). This should form part of a robust risk assessment which is regularly reviewed to support any behaviours associated with difficulties managing feelings (see Getting Risk Support section). Assign a key adult or team of adults to provide daily opportunities for the child to talk through success and achievements experienced that day and to develop their skills. Such as: Daily check-ins (may be helpful on arrival and/or part way through the day). Daily opportunities to spend time identifying and building strengths with an adult, on a one-to-one basis e.g. make a positivity jar. Access to teaching and support to develop self-calming techniques such as breathing, visualisation or repetitive, soothing or calming activities (colouring, play dough, Theraputty). Ensure access to these activities at all times through the use of a ‘calm box’. Use of gentle praise when self-calming strategies are attempted, even if unsuccessful (e.g. “I like that you used your deep breaths”). Provide access to specialist therapeutic interventions if needed (e.g. play therapy, art therapy, interest-based activities that facilitate discussion and skill rehearsal). Explicit verbalisations of safety (e.g. “You’re safe”). Provide access to safe spaces if needed (e.g. a pop-up tent, quieter area of the setting, and use of a sensory room). Ensure reasonable adjustments to behaviour policies and procedures, for example, flexibility of behaviour systems to account for a child’s individual needs. Robust risk assessments are in place and regularly reviewed to support any behaviours associated with reduced emotional regulation and communication skills or self-harming behaviours. |