Co-Regulation

Blog #2: Co-Regulation

“What is Co-Regulation and how/why is it important for Emotional Regulation and Self-Regulation?”

What is Co-Regulation?

Co-Regulation refers to the social relationships and the way we can adjust to interaction with another in order to maintain a regulated state. To reach a regulated state with co-regulation, a mutual adjustment/agreement of actions and intentions need to be met by all individuals.

Why is it Important?

Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation are important because it improves our ability to adjust to the appropriate information in our environments, while tuning out irrelevant information, have self-control and also provides the ability to form relationships.

Some children find it difficult to both self-regulate and co-regulate often due to: sensory motor difficulties in either calming or energizing their bodies.

Due to uncertainty in social situations it is common to see a child withdraw or try to take full control of the interaction. Children who find it difficult to co-regulate may:

-show attempts to gain control of an activity

-not allow turn taking

-show selfish behavior

-fluctuate energy levels

If a child is having difficulty with co-regulation and you sense it may be due to sensory motor difficulties in either calming or energizing their body an Occupational Therapy assessment may benefit them.

Learning is the “Reward”

Learning by it’s very essence is “Joyful”, who can’t forget the powerful feeling that comes from Self-Mastery of a new skill or task. It’s inherently motivating to Master something new, to connect to yourself in a passionate and exciting way. I personally have been a life long learner and always enjoy the freshness new learning brings, but what is it exactly that makes our brain light up with Majical Sparks!!!?

There is a biological basis for the process of learning and the rewards it brings and it’s known as “Dopamine”, it is the Chemical that is released by the brain when we are Rewarded. For many learners, learning about new things is an Adventure!!!

So let’s talk a little more about Dopamine….In our brains, dopamine functions as a Neurotransmitter to send signals to the other nerve cells – it’s a component of Reward-Motivated Behaviour. Additionally, perseverance has been linked to the production of Dopamine, when a goal has been achieved. How does the Dopamine reward system work? Your Internal “Reward System is a collection of brain structures that regulate your behavior making you feel good when you achieve a goal, and this includes everything necessary for survival as a species…. 1) eating, 2) mating, 3) sleeping, 4) physical perserverance are all rewarded by a flood of neurochemicals that makes us feel good!!!

So the next time you embark in something new, enjoy the excitement and refreshment that new learning brings to the mind!!!

Samara Francia

Roots of healthy development

A tree is a great symbol to represent healthy development. A dear colleague shared this with me during one of our many talks on the topic of Sensory Integration! I feel it really gets to the heart of the matter....without strong roots in the ability to integrate Tactile, Vestibular and Proprioceptive input, higher levels skills cannot be revealed (refer to the trees leaves).

Welcome!

Welcome to the Baby Hawks and Family Occupational Therapy Services blog, containing thoughts and perspectives by Samara Francia.