The BOUNCE Approach® for ELSAs
Beyond Emotional Literacy
Understanding the children who don't respond to emotional literacy alone
Every ELSA knows these children.
The child who says “I don’t know” – every single time, no matter how gently you ask.
The child who attends every session but never seems to move forward.
The child whose confidence builds and then collapses the moment they leave the room.
The child who can tell you exactly what a good friend does – and still eats alone every day.
The child who wants to come to school. And whose body won’t let them.
The child who leaves you wondering: what am I missing?
You are not missing skill. You are not missing care. You may be missing a framework that helps you understand what is happening underneath – and what some children need before emotional literacy can truly take root.
That is what the BOUNCE Approach® is for.
The BOUNCE Approach®
What is it?
The BOUNCE Approach® is a neurodivergent-affirming, trauma-informed framework that helps adults understand what may be influencing a child’s behaviour, regulation, relationships, and sense of self.
It does not replace ELSA. It sits underneath it.
ELSA asks: what emotional literacy skills does this child need? BOUNCE asks: what does this child’s nervous system need before those skills can take root?
Six foundations. One framework.
Body and Nervous System
Before a child can use emotional literacy support, their body needs to feel safe.
Openness to Trust and Attachment
Trust develops through repeated, consistent, attuned experience. The ELSA relationship is one of the most powerful interventions available.
Understanding Sensory Differences
Unmet sensory needs drive behaviour that looks like emotional difficulty. The environment matters as much as the session.
Navigating Emotions
Emotions begin in the body. Before a child can name a feeling, they need to notice the signal that produces it.
Communication Differences
Every child is always communicating. This pillar helps you understand how – and how to meet them in it.
Esteem, Identity and Self
For many children, durable confidence requires more than skills and affirmation. It requires an honest, compassionate understanding of who they are.
ELSA and BOUNCE
How they work together
| The seven ELSA areas | BOUNCE builds the foundations for… |
|---|---|
| Emotional literacy and awareness | Body-based awareness as the signal beneath the label |
| Self-esteem and resilience | Identity, belonging, and neurodivergent self-understanding |
| Emotional regulation | Nervous system regulation before coping strategies |
| Social skills | Communication differences and the sensory conditions for interaction |
| Friendship skills | Trust built through repeated experiences of safety |
| Loss, bereavement and change | Relational safety as the context for processing grief |
| Therapeutic strategies | Felt safety as the condition that allows those strategies to land |
The Learning Portal
Everything in one place
When you join the Learning Portal, you are not getting a theory. You are getting a complete toolkit – over 50 CPD-certified courses, interventions, assessments, and resources, organised around the six BOUNCE pillars and available whenever you need them.
B – BODY & NERVOUS SYSTEM
For the child whose body won’t settle
- Sensory Circuits
- Somatic Exercises
- Interoception Activities
- Body Scans
- Yoga
- Drumming for Regulation
- Sensory Story Massage
Before the mind can learn, the body needs to feel safe.
O – TRUST & ATTACHMENT
For the child who cannot trust
- Nurture-Informed Groups
- PACE
- Trauma-Informed Practice
- Sand-Based Interventions
- Play-Doh Feelings
- Tree of Life
- Drawing Feelings
Safety grows through repeated experiences of connection.
U – UNDERSTANDING SENSORY DIFFERENCES
For the child whose world feels overwhelming
- Sensory Difference Assessments
- The Tactile Defensiveness Project
- Resources for Autistic Students
- Fidget Tools and Sensory Diets
- Sensory Circuits
- Sensory Activity Packs
The environment is part of the intervention.
N – NAVIGATING EMOTIONS
For the child who cannot name what they feel
- The Optimal Zone
- A Parts Approach
- Metaphors of Emotion and Somatic Strategies
- LEGO® Feelings and Creative Arts
- Emotional Check-Ins
- Bounce Style Emotional Literacy Lesson Plans
Helping children move from sensation to emotion.
C – COMMUNICATION DIFFERENCES
For the child who struggles to connect
- LEGO®-Based Therapy
- Solution Circles
- Declarative Language
- Communication Packs
- Theory of Mind Intervention
- Supporting Autistic and ADHD Students
Every child is communicating. Our job is to understand how.
E – ESTEEM, IDENTITY & SELF
For the child who does not know who they are
- NeuroProfile Creation
- Self-Esteem Assessment
- Cognitive Distortions through LEGO® and Minecraft®
- Positive Identity Resources
- A Parts Approach – Strengths Work
- The Tree of Life
Building more than confidence – building identity.
MEASURE & EVIDENCE IMPACT
For the SENCO, EP, SLT and commissioners who need evidence
BOUNCE & SEMH Trackers
Stirling Children’s Wellbeing Scale
Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale
PANAS
Support Plan Templates
Student Passports
The evidence infrastructure that makes your impact visible to the people who need to see it.
Imagine having all of this in one place.
More than 50 CPD-certified courses, interventions, assessments, activities, templates, tools and downloads – organised through the six BOUNCE pillars and available whenever you need them.
Less searching. More confidence. Better support for the children who need it most.