Self-Regulation is a person’s ability to control the way that they feel and behave .Self-regulation helps us:

control our emotions

React to sensations in the body comfortably.

Face challenges

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Use healthy behaviors e.g. eat when we are hungry, Go to toilet.

use right amount of energy.

keep our attention.

self-regulation is linked with interoception system, which provides us information on what is happening in our body.

Difficulties with self-Regulation:

Difficulties with Self-Regulation
If a child may have the following:

• Under react, e.g. not notice their name being called, high pain threshold.
• Overreact, e.g. sound, touch, movement.
• Difficulty controlling their behavior and emotions, e.g. tantrums, anger, need for control,
  impulsive.
• Behaviors that happen a lot or last a long time.
• Poor attention, concentration and easily distracted.
• Poor sleep.
• Seek lots of movement or pressure input, e.g. constant spinning, running around, crashing into
  objects or people.
• Avoid movement, e.g. swings, slides, roundabouts.
• Difficulty interacting with others and maintaining friendships.
• Prefer to play alone or have difficulty knowing how to play with other children.
• Difficulty accepting a change in routine, activity or situation.
• Poor motor skills, e.g. posture, coordination, balance, fine motor skills, handwriting.
• Use too much force or move too fast.
• Write too light or too hard.
• Picky eater.
• Distressed during self-care tasks, e.g. brushing or washing hair, cutting nails, dressing, tying
  shoelaces, eating.
• Impulsive or risky behavior.
• Move quickly between activities instead of focusing.
  Sensory processing involves noting sensations as well as blocking out anything that is not needed.
  Once a person can do this, they can focus during activities. Self-regulation is linked to a child’s
  attention, how heightened they are, and how they react. When a child is regulated, they can cope
  with change, ignore anything that is not needed, stay focused, use the right amount of energy, and
  cope with what is expected of them. Helping a child regulate helps them:
• cope with demands.
• be more tolerant and flexible.
• participate in activities.
• learn.
• have better attention, focus and behavior.
• take part in activities.
  A number of ideas can be used to help a child move into the ‘right zone’. This may involve changing
  the environment (layout, making a quiet space) a task or using sensory diet. This will help a child feel calm, happy and focused