Teaching self-regulation to children and adolescents: Theories and techniques (December 2024)

Online workshop

December 5 & 6, 2024  

12:30 to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

What time is this for me?

Occupational therapy professionals can offer input into the design of internal and external environments to support, develop, and motivate children and adolescents’ self-regulation skills. Shanker (2017) stated “the ability to self-regulate — to strategically modulate one’s emotional reactions or states to be more effective at coping and engaging with the environment — is a critical aspect of human development”. While many children can develop self-regulatory skills on their own, either by trial and error or by observing others (Bandura, n.d.), others have significant difficulties in developing these skills. By examining principles of Polyvagal theory (Porges, 2022), the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (Perry, 2019), and sensory-enhanced movement (Stoller, 2019), occupational therapy professionals can facilitate children and adolescents’ learning of self-regulation skills, which then facilitates their participation in occupations.

This experiential workshop will expand occupational therapy professionals’ knowledge of theories and techniques that can have a positive impact on teaching self-regulation to children and adolescents. Participants will learn how the relationship and application of Polyvagal theory, the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, interoception, and sensory-enhanced movement contribute to the development of self-regulation skills. A variety of experiential learning activities and resources will be used to support participants in learning and practicing evidence-based techniques to teach self-regulation to children and adolescents.

Preliminary workshop agenda

Day 1

Day 2

Learning objectives:

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

1. Understand and apply relevant principles of Polyvagal theory to the development of self-regulation skills.

2. Understand and apply relevant principles of the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics to the development of self-regulation skills.

3. Understand and apply relevant principles of interoception to the development of self-regulation skills.

4. Understand and apply relevant principles of sensory-enhanced movement to the development of self-regulation skills.

5. Utilize a variety of evidence-based techniques for teaching self-regulation to children and adolescents.

Target audience:

Occupational therapist clinicians, occupational therapist assistants, students in occupational therapy programs, students in OTA/PTA programs, speech-language pathologists, social workers, and teachers/educators who wish to improve their ability to effectively teach self-regulation to children and adolescents. The tools and interventions discussed are meant to be delivered in a multi-tiered, Response to Intervention (RTI) model.

Please note: Each participant is responsible to ensure they apply the information within the context of their licensure, provincial/territorial legislations, institution regulations, scope of practice, etc. To fully participate in the workshop, participants will need to be in a space where they can move, be active, and participate in discussions that require privacy and focused attention. Activewear clothing and shoes are recommended. A chair and/or yoga mat will be helpful to participate in workshop activities.

Areas of practice

Autism/Neurodiversity, Chronic Pain, Cognition, Developmental Disability, Health Promotion & Wellness, Mental Health, Occupational Therapist Assistant, Parental Health, Pediatrics, Sensory Integration & Processing, Universal Design

Client age group

Children (5-12 years old), Adolescents (13-19 years old)

Workshop level

 Intermediate (3-5 years of experience in this specific practice area)

Please note: Participants with more or less than this stated level of experience are welcome to attend the workshop. The workshop content will be geared towards those with 3-5 years of experience.

Presenter

Alex Thompson, Reg. OT (BC)

Alex Thompson is the executive director and founder of Power for All, a charity that has been offering nature-based occupational therapy services to clients of all ages and abilities in the Fraser Valley, BC for the last 15 years. Alex has a background and a variety of credentials in the areas of early years and school age education, outdoor recreation, adventure therapy, mental health, trauma, self-regulation, yoga, fitness, and occupational therapy. She shares her passion and knowledge for an accessible world by teaching at the University of the Fraser Valley in the Child, Youth, and Family Studies department. She is a speaker at conferences and offers training at various local Parks and Recreation departments, private and public-school districts, community, and early years organizations. She has also worked in Inuit communities and abroad in a variety of countries as a pediatric school therapy consultant. She is a published author and researcher in the Journal of Disability and Rehabilitation. In her spare time, she loves being in nature, seeking community and volunteering to social justice, environmental and sport causes.

Registration fees

Registration deadline: December 5, 2024 at 12:29 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Please note that CAOT does not offer group registration fees. Pending sufficient space, CAOT offers late registration for workshops at the regular rate plus a $50 administration fee. *It may be more cost effective to become a CAOT Member or Associate rather than pay the non-member rate. See “Can a non-member register for a Workshop?” in our Professional Development FAQs to know which membership category you are eligible for. 

Included in your registration fee:

Online workshop, access to the recording for a period of 14 days following the workshop, electronic copy of presentation slide handouts, opportunity to network and make connections with other occupational therapists interested in this topic, electronic certificate of attendance.

Cancellation/refund policy

All cancellation/refund requests must be sent in writing to education@caot.ca. All cancellation requests received by November 20, 2024 will be given a full refund minus a $50.00 administrative fee. No refunds will be given after November 20, 2024. Substitutions and transfers requests received by November 20, 2024 are permitted and are subject to a $50.00 administrative fee.

If you are exceptionally unable to complete the workshop, please reach out to education@caot.ca by 25 days following the end of the workshop for extended access to the recording (up to one month after the end of the workshop) or a one-time transfer to another offering of the same workshop if currently open for registration.  CAOT reserves the right to modify the workshop title, description, registration dates and information on the workshop webpage. CAOT will notify participants on or before October 25, 2024 if there is insufficient registration by that date and reserves the right to cancel a Workshop due to insufficient registration up until November 8, 2024. CAOT reserves the right to modify the offering, interrupt Workshops, change the timing of a Workshop, cancel a Workshop or change the technology for the Workshop due to the presenter no longer being able to present the Workshop, severe weather, power failure, building closures or other special circumstances that are beyond the control of CAOT by notifying participants as soon as possible. If the Workshop is cancelled by CAOT, registrants will receive a full refund of the registration fee. CAOT will not be responsible for other costs or expenses incurred by registrants as a result of any such changes.

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The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) is committed to accessibility as expressed in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). We provide an electronic copy of the handouts approximately one week ahead of time in multiple slide layouts, auto-generated closed captioning through Zoom (excluding breakout rooms), as well as access to the recording for two weeks following the workshop. If you require additional special arrangements for accessibility, please contact education@caot.ca or 1-800-434-2268.    

Please note that workshop is offered in English.