Emotions

Having met the child’s attachment needs and addressed sensory overwhelm, we now focus on meeting the child’s emotional needs. At this level, we use the emotional scale to empower the child with knowledge about moving from activated states to a calmer, more balanced state.

THE CHILD’S PROFILE

• I am unable to recognise when I am moving/activated up/down the emotional scale (calm to fizzy)
• I struggle to co-regulate my activated emotions with a trusted adult to move down the scale
• I have outbursts of anger at small events (fight)
• I avoid, run off, and/or hide when I feel overwhelmed (flight)
• I am too emotionally overwhelmed to take on new learning (freeze)
• I please others, even if it causes me to feel emotionally distressed (fawn)