1. Self-Reg First Looks: An intro into Self-Reg and Early Years Education
Brenda Smith-Chant, Trent University
Life Bridge Early Childhood Professionals, September 2017

2. Self-Regulation System to manage energy resources Calories
Physical movements
Attention & Perception
Motivation
Goal attainment
Over 447 different definitions of ‘self-regulation’

3. Important!
How does the system know where and how to use energy resources?
ENERGY NEED = STRESS
Stress causes tension that tells the body where to expend energy—aka self-regulation

4. Our stress system
Very primitive system
Evolved to protect from harm, deal with lions/tigers/bears, times of low/high food, cold/heat, etc.
Part of a very early brain system…

6. Neuroception
“Reptilian brain” responds to “alarm signals” from mammalian (limbic system)
Hierarchy of stress response:
Social Engagement (really)
Fight-or-flight
Freeze

7. 04-212
Sound
Vision
Smell
Touch
Proprioception
Taste
Neal Halfon

8. What is Self-Regulation?
How effectively and efficiently a person deals with stress and then recovers
Brain responds to stress with processes that consume energy
Followed by restorative processes to recover from energy expenditure
Last bullet not clear – do you mean “A problem in self-regulation, starting early in a child’s life, is a central factor in the development of each disorder.”

10. Under prolonged stress
Allostatic Load Conditions
Body cues to prepare for prolonged negative conditions

11. Allostatic Load Conditions
sudden transitions between energy states
prolonged over-activation of SNS and/or PNS
inappropriate activation of SNS or PNS (i.e., in situations not warranting a heightened stress response)
diminished ability to return to baseline after activation of the stress response

12. Effects of Allostatic Load
Disrupts learning (hippocampus; HPA pathway)
Person becomes chronically hypoaroused or hyperaroused
Finds it difficult to stay focused and alert
Poor interception/exteroception
Tendency to see things as more threatening/negative
Heightened impulsivity or numbing

13. Self-reg strategy
REFRAME BEHAVIOUR: Distinguish between misbehavior and stressed behaviour
IDENTIFY STRESSORS: Consider stressors can occur in all 5 domains (bio, emotional, cognitive, social, prosocial)
REDUCE STRESSORS: Calming
REFLECT: Look for impact, adjustment, share
RESPOND: Acknowledge

14. Stressors at Life Bridge
Biological
Visual, auditory, tactile, smell, taste
Sleep, eating, environmental
Identify, share

15. Stressors at Life Bridge
Emotional Stressors
Strong positive or negative emotions
Identify, share

16. Stressors at Life Bridge
Cognitive
Demands to plan, think, strategic thinking
Identify, share

17. Stressors at Life Bridge
Social
Co-regulation stressors
Impact of the need to regulate others or use others to regulate self
Identify, share

18. Stressors at Life Bridge
Prosocial
Empathy, social pressures
Identify, share

19. Self-Reg
The MEHRIT Centre ( )
Materials
Online courses

20. Self-Reg Certificate