Monarch's NEOEA Webinar Out of the Box Emotional Regulation for Autistic Students in Grades K 12 202

Key wellness, self-regulation, and productivity strategies (from the webinar)

1) Rethink “traditional” emotion teaching (make it neurodiversity-affirming)

Traditional approaches were described as often:

• Focusing on outward facial expressions (which may not match how autistic students perceive or communicate emotions)
• Making assumptions like “smiling = happy” or “crying = sad”
• Relying heavily on emotion labels/words that may not “connect” to students’ internal experiences
• Using zone visuals in a way that can unintentionally imply only one emotion/state is “good” (e.g., “green zone” as the target)
• Ignoring internal body experience and neurodivergent communication preferences

2) Use strength-based practice (balance skill-building with environment supports)

A core philosophy emphasized:

• Change the environment/teaching approach/activity so regulation is possible—not just “teach the child to comply”
• Maintain attention to students’ strengths, interests, and self-worth
• Support autonomy, competence, and relatedness (through safe, self-determined motivation)

3) Teach regulation through the nervous system: regulation comes first

Key definitions and takeaway:

• Regulation = managing internal emotional/physical state to stay calm and engaged
• Regulation relies on sensory input and nervous system balance:
  • Parasympathetic (“rest and digest”)
  • Sympathetic (“fight or flight”)
• If the nervous system is disregulated, “higher-level thinking” is harder to access

4) Prioritize co-regulation (adults must model being regulated)

Co-regulation was framed as:

• Attuned, responsive interaction that helps the student reach regulation together
• The adult must be calm first (not matching the student’s dysregulation)
• Build regulation-supportive conditions:
  • Warm, responsive relationships
  • Predictable, safe, sensory-attuned environments
  • Adequate “just right” sensory input
• Teach self-regulation developmentally (students may need more support early; skill grows across time)

5) Build adult “micro-coping” tools to stay available

Practical self-regulation ideas shared for work:

• Quick tools to “reset” during tougher days:
  • Chewing gum
  • Fidgets on hand
  • Cold water readily available
  • Comfortable clothing (reduce irritation that undermines emotional control)
• Common sensory/motor strategies:
  • Hair twirling/clicking a pen
  • Nail/cuticle picking
  • Foot tapping/fidgeting legs

6) Teach self-regulation as a skill with coaching + practice

Instead of expecting instant success:

• Model regulation strategies
• Provide instruction, practice, and prompts
• Use reinforcement for steps along the way
• Use scaffolding approaches such as:
  • Scaffolding
  • Backwards chaining

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Two “out of the box” teaching approaches

A) Interoceptive Curriculum (build body-based emotion understanding)

Focus: improve interoceptive awareness (noticing internal cues) so students can answer:

• “How do I feel?”
• “What action do I need?”

Curriculum structure (as described):

• Body lessons: evoke and label concrete signals in body parts (e.g., fast heart, messy hands)
• Emotion lessons: connect body signals to affective + homeostatic emotions
• Action lessons: decide what to do to keep/restore comfort in the body

Additional strategies emphasized:

• Use body sensation check-ins (e.g., “How do you know you’re hungry?”)
• Don’t dismiss bodily needs—treat them as meaningful information
• Incorporate mindfulness-like practices (e.g., breathing, noticing heart rate)
• Ensure materials are modified to fit each student’s communication mode (AAC, visuals, etc.)

Case-study adaptations mentioned:

• Backwards chaining from chosen emotion words to body-signal labels
• Enlarging visuals to match AAC device grids
• Using “natural times” in classrooms to generalize (bathroom/washing hands/sensory water experiences)
• Turning communication into preferred formats:
  • guessing games linking body signals → emotion
  • honoring nontraditional descriptors/special interests

B) Autism Level Up “Energy Meter” framework (regulation without emotion labels)

Focus: help students reflect on arousal state vs. activity energy expectations.

• Designed to be emotion-label free
• Useful when students struggle with emotion identification/expression
• Helps identify a mismatch between:
  • how energetic/aroused the student feels
  • what the situation/activity requires

How it’s used:

• Interactively with a co-regulation partner
• Personalized with:
  • student interests/characters
  • preferred language references
• Tool includes context-specific “energy expectations” (e.g., presentation vs. concert vs. bedtime)

Practical customization examples:

• Students select character/color pairings for energy levels
• Energy tool supports “tool use”:
  • use “just right” strategies to maintain energy when matched
• For broader adult understanding:
  • “what others observe/hear/see” vs. “what the student feels”
• Reminder embedded in approach:
  • Every energy level has a place; there isn’t one permanent “correct” state

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Key wellness/pro-social takeaway

A major concluding message:

• Coping tools are personalized.
• Don’t force strategies to fit staff preferences (e.g., “calming music” may not work for everyone).
• Ask/observe what makes the student’s body feel better (often via sensory preferences and special interests), such as:
  • screen time, drawing/coloring
  • discussing special interests
  • sensory choices that increase buy-in

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Presenters or sources

• Lauren (Teams/technical support mentioned at the start; listed as helping sort people)
• Abby (main presenter; Director of Occupational Therapy, Monarch Center for Autism)
• Kelly Mer (creator of the Interoceptive Curriculum referenced as the base model)
• Autism Level Up (framework referenced; founded by Amy Laurent and Jack Fit)