How the BOUNCE Approach® Works with Thrive, GL Assessment, and ELSA

Many schools already use assessment tools such as Thrive, the GL Assessment Emotional Literacy tracker, or have ELSA practitioners (Emotional Literacy Support Assistants) in place to help children develop social and emotional skills. These approaches are incredibly valuable for identifying need and providing relational support.

But in practice, we noticed a common challenge: children — especially those who had experienced trauma or were neurodivergent — were often stuck. They remained in the “Being” strand in Thrive or showed repeated difficulties with self-regulation in GL Assessment. Even with ELSA support, some children struggled to make lasting progress.

That’s why we created the BOUNCE Approach®.

Why BOUNCE Was Developed

Thrive, GL Assessment, and ELSA all play an essential role in highlighting need and supporting children. But what we saw was that many children needed an additional layer of support — something body-based and regulation-focused — before other strategies could fully take effect.

Children who have lived through trauma, or who process the world differently, often need help to:

• Build interoception (understanding signals inside their body).
• Strengthen attachment and trust in themselves and others.
• Learn about their unique nervous system in an affirming way.

The BOUNCE Approach® was developed to meet these needs. It provides short, structured, neurodivergent-affirming activities that focus on self-awareness and regulation. It isn’t about “fixing a problem,” but about helping children understand themselves and build the confidence to thrive.

Linking Assessment with Action

• Thrive identifies developmental needs and offers activity suggestions for each strand. Where BOUNCE adds value is in providing specialist regulation, sensory, and interoception activities that help children move forward when they are “stuck” in areas like safety or self-regulation.
• GL Assessment Emotional Literacy measures areas such as self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. It highlights where support is needed, while BOUNCE gives the how.
• ELSA practitioners offer targeted, relational sessions based on referrals. BOUNCE complements this by providing a ready-to-use bank of structured activities that are trauma-informed, sensory-aware, and reduce the planning burden for ELSAs.

And if a setting doesn’t use Thrive or GL, the BOUNCE Assessment Tracker provides a simple way to identify, measure, and review progress within the BOUNCE framework itself.

A Practical Example

• Thrive shows a child is still in “Being.”
• GL highlights ongoing difficulties with self-regulation.
• An ELSA practitioner notices the child withdrawing from peers and struggling to trust adults.
• The BOUNCE tracker pinpoints Body & Nervous System and Openness to Connection as key areas of need.
• Using BOUNCE, the practitioner introduces grounding activities, co-regulation games, and trust-building exercises. Over time, this creates the foundation for other emotional literacy work to succeed.

Here, the assessment shows where the need is, and BOUNCE provides the what next.

Why This Matters

• Supportive of existing tools: BOUNCE enhances Thrive, GL, and ELSA practice rather than replacing them.
• Addresses unmet needs: Adds nervous system, interoception, and sensory regulation activities where children often get “stuck.”
• Neurodivergent-affirming: Helps children understand themselves rather than trying to “fix” them.
• Practical for staff: Provides ready-made, repeatable activities that save planning time.
• Measurable: Progress can be tracked through Thrive, GL, or the BOUNCE tracker.

Bringing It Together

Think of Thrive, GL Assessment, and ELSA as the identifiers and frameworks – they highlight needs and provide relational support.
Think of BOUNCE as the practical toolkit – it provides the missing step-by-step interventions that help children regulate, connect, and build self-awareness.

Together, they create a powerful cycle:

1. Assess need (Thrive / GL / ELSA referral / BOUNCE tracker).
2. Plan intervention (BOUNCE pillars).
3. Deliver short, structured sessions (ELSA or staff-led).
4. Review progress (Thrive / GL / BOUNCE tracker).

By embedding BOUNCE alongside existing systems, children who were once stuck can begin to move forward — developing safety, trust, emotional literacy, and resilience that support both their learning and wellbeing.

Interventions

Alongside lessons, we also have interventions – to support children that are not making progress, these can be seen below.

For Thrive Practitioners

Being (feeling safe, secure, and settled)

• Interoception in the Classroom – noticing internal body signals.
• Sensory Circuits – structured sensory-motor regulation.
• Grounding Techniques – 5-4-3-2-1 senses, breathing, and movement grounding.
• Somatic Techniques – body-based regulation (stretching, shaking, posture resets).
• Play-Doh Emotional Regulation – tactile sessions for calming and expression.
• Sensory Story Massage – combining touch, rhythm, and narrative for regulation.
• Multi-Sensory Regulation Toolkits – personalised kits with calming/energising supports.

Doing (exploring and developing confidence)

• Sand Tray Work – exploring relationships and boundaries through play/story.
• LEGO Therapy – co-operative building for turn-taking, listening, and teamwork.
• Restorative Circles – guided group discussions for respectful communication.
• Solution Circles – collaborative group problem-solving.
• Tree of Life – sharing identity stories to strengthen community and belonging.

Thinking (problem-solving and understanding consequences)

• Drawing Feelings – visual exploration of emotions.
• LEGO Feelings – linking emotions to Lego builds.
• Mindfulness – noticing present-moment body states and feelings.
• Parts Approach (IFS-inspired) – using “A part of me feels…” to safely name multiple feelings.
• Comic Strip Conversations (Carol Gray) – visualising situations, emotions, and perspectives.
• Social Stories – understanding different viewpoints.

Power & Identity (sense of self and individuality)

• Tree of Life – mapping strengths, values, and identity.
• Creative & Expressive Arts – building pride through art, music, drama.
• Drawing Feelings – showing persistence and growth through art.
• LEGO Feelings – recognising and celebrating emotions in builds.
• Solution Circles – celebrating contributions and persistence.

Skills & Structure (self-discipline and cooperation)

• Sensory Circuits – routines to build focus and persistence.
• Structured Cooperative Games – teamwork with clear roles.
• Solution Circles – practising turn-taking and problem-solving.
• LEGO Therapy – cooperative builds to develop shared structure.

Interdependence (healthy relationships)

• Theory of Mind (ToM) Interventions – perspective-taking skills.
• Solution Circles – collaborative listening and problem-solving.
• Restorative Circles – structured peer communication.
• Sand Tray Work – safe exploration of social experiences.
• Tree of Life – identity exploration in groups or pairs.

GL Assessment Strands

Self-Awareness

• Interoception in the Classroom
• Drawing Feelings
• Mindfulness
• Parts Approach (IFS-inspired)
• Tree of Life

Self-Regulation

• Sensory Circuits
• Play-Doh Emotional Regulation
• Grounding Techniques
• Somatic Techniques
• Multi-Sensory Regulation Toolkits
• Sensory Story Massage

Motivation

• LEGO Feelings
• Drawing Feelings
• Creative & Expressive Arts
• Solution Circles
• Tree of Life

Empathy

• Theory of Mind (ToM) Interventions
• Comic Strip Conversations
• Social Stories
• Solution Circles
• Parts Approach

Social Skills

• Sand Tray Work
• LEGO Therapy
• Restorative Circles
• Solution Circles
• Tree of Life

BOUNCE Programme

B — Body and Nervous System

(Supporting self-awareness + self-regulation of body states)

• Interoception in the Classroom – noticing internal body signals.
• Sensory Circuits – structured sensory-motor regulation.
• Grounding Techniques – 5-4-3-2-1 senses, breathing, and movement grounding.
• Somatic Techniques – body-based regulation (stretching, shaking, posture resets).
• Play-Doh Emotional Regulation – tactile sessions for calming and expression.
• Sensory Story Massage – combining touch, rhythm, and narrative for regulation.
• Multi-Sensory Regulation Toolkits – personalised kits with calming/energising supports.

O — Openness to Connection and Attachment

(Building trust, attachment, and safe connections)

• Sand Tray Work – exploring relationships and boundaries through play/story.
• LEGO Therapy – co-operative building for turn-taking, listening, and teamwork.
• Restorative Circles – guided group discussions for respectful communication.
• Solution Circles – collaborative group problem-solving.
• Tree of Life – sharing identity stories to strengthen community and belonging.

U — Understanding Sensory Differences

(Noticing sensory preferences and differences)

• Interoception in the Classroom – mapping inner body clues.
• Multi-Sensory Regulation Toolkits – personalised calming/alerting supports.
• Sensory Circuits – structured sensory routines to meet regulation needs.
• Sensory Story Massage – combining sensory input with narrative.
• Grounding Techniques – using senses to settle or focus.

N — Navigating Emotions

(Recognising, naming, and balancing feelings)

• Drawing Feelings – visual exploration of emotions.
• LEGO Feelings – linking emotions to Lego builds.
• Mindfulness – noticing present-moment body states and feelings.
• Parts Approach (IFS-inspired) – using “a part of me feels…” to safely name multiple feelings.
• Comic Strip Conversations (Carol Gray) – visualising situations, emotions, and perspectives.
• Social Stories – understanding different viewpoints.

C — Connection to Self and Others

(Developing empathy, perspective-taking, and relationships)

• Theory of Mind (ToM) Interventions – perspective-taking skills.
• Solution Circles – collaborative listening and problem-solving.
• Restorative Circles – structured peer communication.
• Sand Tray Work – safe exploration of social experiences.
• Tree of Life – identity exploration in groups or pairs.

E — Esteem and Identity

(Building strengths, motivation, and pride)

• Tree of Life – mapping strengths, values, and identity.
• Creative & Expressive Arts – building pride through art, music, drama.
• Drawing Feelings – showing persistence and growth through art.
• LEGO Feelings – recognising and celebrating emotions in builds.
• Solution Circles – celebrating contributions and persistence.

Next Steps

Our School Membership gives your staff full access to the BOUNCE Approach® resources, assessment tracker, and ready-to-use session plans — all designed to complement Thrive, GL, and ELSA practice.

Give your team the tools they need to help children regulate, connect, and thrive.

Click here to learn more