BOUNCE Approach®Sensory IntegrationCPD CertifiedOn-DemandND-Affirming
Running SEMH Sensory Circuits
A practical framework for designing movement-based regulation circuits that help children with SEMH needs reach a calm, connected, and ready-to-learn state.
For children with SEMH needs, emotional dysregulation is rarely just a behaviour — it is almost always a sensory story. The child who cannot sit still, the one who shuts down completely, the one who seeks constant physical input: each is communicating a nervous system need that words cannot easily express. Regulation circuits offer a structured, movement-based response that works with the body rather than against it.
Rooted in The BOUNCE Approach® and informed by the Sensory Circuits model developed by Jane Horwood, this training gives educators and support professionals a clear framework for understanding sensory processing differences and designing circuit-based routines across three stages: alerting (activating the nervous system), organising (bridging activation and calm), and calming (guiding children into a regulated, receptive state).
Designed for educators, teaching assistants, learning mentors, and SENCO staff — no specialist equipment or occupational therapy background required. These circuits are built to work in real school environments using resources you already have.
Also included
Three bonus resources to deepen your practice.
📊 Regulation Snapshot Access
A structured snapshot to look beneath behaviour and identify where the regulatory barrier sits — so you can respond to what is actually happening in the nervous system.
📈 Progress Overview Access
Track entry to exit progress and evidence what has changed across the review period — giving you a clear picture of impact over time.
🧠 Introduction to the BOUNCE Approach® Webinar
Understand the nervous system foundations behind regulation, emotional expression, and connection — so you can apply them with confidence in your sessions.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Seven practical objectives to help you understand sensory processing, identify regulation needs, and confidently run movement-based circuits with children in school settings.
1
Understand sensory processing and its relationship to emotional dysregulation
Explore how sensory input affects the nervous system and a child’s ability to regulate their emotions — and why understanding this connection is the starting point for effective, compassionate support.
2
Explore how sensory differences impact a child’s emotional states
Gain a clearer picture of how individual sensory profiles shape the way children experience and respond to the world around them — and how these differences show up in the classroom, corridor, and playground.
3
Understand how children become hyper or hypo — and what they need to feel safe
Learn to recognise the physical and behavioural signs of hyperarousal, hypoarousal, and sensory-seeking — and understand what each state is communicating about a child’s nervous system need in that moment.
4
Understand the key features of a regulation circuit
Explore the three-stage structure of a regulation circuit — Alerting, Organising, and Calming — and understand why sequencing matters for nervous system regulation and readiness to learn.
5
Adapt circuits based on individual SEMH profiles and sensory needs
Learn how to use flexible circuit shapes — triangle, square, pentagon — to tailor routines for children with different baselines, trauma histories, neurodivergent profiles, and fluctuating regulation needs.
6
Introduce independent sensory movement cards for child-led regulation
Explore how simple, equipment-free movement cards empower children to self-identify their regulation needs and take action independently — embedding sensory support into daily school life without requiring adult-led sessions every time.
7
Run effective circuits using the resources already available in your school
Leave with the confidence to set up and run regulation circuits in your own setting — using everyday equipment, available spaces, and a practical, no-fuss approach that works for real schools and real children.
