Building Regulation Skills: Step 2

Last week in Tuesday Tips & Tricks, we focused on the first step in building regulation skills: helping students notice what is happening in their bodies. Many students cannot choose a regulation strategy if they do not first recognize their body signals. We talked about how body cues often show up before behavior changes, such as tight hands, fast breathing, covering ears, or becoming very quiet. By noticing and naming these cues, we help students build awareness of what their body is experiencing and when it may need support. This week we move to Step 2: Choosing a Regulation Strategy.

Many classrooms already have tools available for students, such as movement breaks, flexible seating, quiet spaces, or sensory items. But simply having these options in the room does not mean students know how or when to use them.

Just like any other skill we teach, students need guidance and practice to learn which strategies help their body feel safe, balanced, and ready to learn.

Once students begin noticing their body signals, the next step is helping them connect those signals to a strategy that might help their body return to balance.

One helpful approach is pairing body signals with a small number of strategy options. For example:

• If a student’s body feels wiggly or restless, movement might help.

• If the room feels too loud or overwhelming, a quieter space or headphones might help.

• If a student’s breathing is fast, slow breathing might help their body settle.

The goal is not to offer every possible option, but to start with a small number of strategies and help students learn when those tools might be useful.

You can model this in the moment by making the connection for students:

“Your body looks really wiggly. Do you think a movement break might help?”

“Your hands are covering your ears. Your body might need a quieter space.”

Over time, students learn to recognize their body cues and connect them with strategies that help them feel more balanced. The table below highlights common signals teachers may notice, along with examples of supports that can help students return to a state where they feel safe, regulated, and ready to engage in learning.

This table is available to print in the Resource section

Choosing a regulation strategy is only helpful if students know how to engage with it. Many strategies we suggest, like deep breathing, taking a break, or stretching, are not skills students automatically know how to do.

For example, if we tell a student to “take a deep breath,” they may not know what that looks like or how long to do it. Similarly, if we offer a break space, students may not know when it is appropriate to use it, how long they can stay, or what they are expected to do while they are there.

Like any classroom routine, regulation strategies should be explicitly taught and practiced when students are calm—not introduced for the first time during a meltdown.

This might look like:

• Practicing slow breathing together during morning meeting

• Teaching the routine for accessing the break space and returning to work

• Modeling how to stretch or move your body when it feels wiggly

• Showing students how to use sensory tool

Start small. Choose two or three strategies you want students to learn well and practice those consistently.

When strategies are practiced ahead of time, students are much more likely to use them when their body actually needs support.

Here are a few common traps many of us fall into when teaching regulation strategies:

1. Introducing strategies only when a student is already escalated. When a student’s body no longer feels safe or balanced, it is very hard for them to learn something new. Strategies work best when they have been practiced ahead of time.
2. Offering too many options. When students are overwhelmed, too many choices can make it harder to decide what to do. Start small and teach a few strategies well.
3. Assuming students already know how to use a strategy. Tools like deep breathing, movement breaks, or break spaces need to be taught just like any other classroom routine.

Teaching self-regulation is a gradual process. With modeling, practice, and consistent support, students begin to build a toolkit of strategies that help them return to a state where they feel safe, balanced, and ready to learn.

I am not an occupational therapist. The information shared in this newsletter is intended for educational purposes and to support reflection on classroom practices through a neuroaffirming lens. Regulation and sensory needs are highly individual, and specific strategies may not be appropriate for every student. Teachers are encouraged to collaborate with and consult their school-based occupational therapist or related service providers before implementing individualized or intensive sensory strategies.

Take instruction to the next level! Discover how to identify learning goals, match evidence-based practices, and tailor lessons that meet every student’s unique needs.

📅 April 6th, 2026 | 3:30 - 4:30 PM PM CST

In 2026, the Autism Society of Minnesota is making a thoughtful shift to a virtual, two–half-day format. This change helps us respond to rising event costs and budget challenges from 2025 while lowering the overall cost to our community. Going virtual allows us to keep this conference accessible to more people — no travel, no hotel costs, less time away from work or caregiving, and more flexibility for how and when you participate.

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This must-read newsletter is filled with exciting events, valuable opportunities, and expert insights for educators and professionals supporting autistic students.

Don’t miss out! Click the link below to access this incredible resource, and be sure to subscribe to receive the Minnesota Statewide ASD Newsletter in your inbox each quarter. Stay informed, inspired, and connected!

Check out the Reading Superpowers Themes First! Unit, which includes original songs, books, and activities that support students’ skill development and generalization with content that’s fun, accessible, and theme-based. These monthly units now include an expanded Social Studies suite, containing fun, theme-related activities that reinforce cultural engagement. Included in all Themes First! units are lessons, activities, and worksheets for group and independent work at a wide range of levels.

The next Themes First! release, April's Spring Animals is ready to prep!

💡Print all the activities you plan to use for the upcoming month as soon as they become available. Put printed activities in a "prep" area equipped with a laminator, file folders, Velcro, labels, and baggies. If you have a large laminator, laminate all the activities at once! When you or your team have a few minutes to spare, you can laminate, cut, and add Velcro as needed. It helps to organize activities in trays by "Needs to be Prepped" and "Finished." Don't forget to teach your team how to prep the activities and to model this new expectation. Check out the How to Prep a Month-Long Themes First! Unit below.

Building Neuroaffirming Classrooms Series

What is Neurodiversity?

"Hearing Autistic Voices"

Teaching Through Lived Experience

It Starts with Us: Shifting Mindsets

Honor All Communication

Build Trusting Relationships

Take a Strengths-Based Approach

Challenge Assumptions

Moving Forward

STAR Media Center Updates: Themes First

STAR Media Center Updates: Routine Essentials

Welcome Back! 9/2/2025

2023-2025 Tuesday Tips & Tricks

Feel free to reach out anytime with questions or concerns—I’m happy to help! You can contact me by email or phone, and I’m also available for quick Zoom chats on Fridays from 7:30–8:00 AM and 3:00–3:30 PM. If those times don’t work for your schedule, just send me an email, and we’ll find a time that works best for both of us.

Use the link below to ask questions about this week's Tuesday Tips 'N' Tricks and/or give suggestions on future topics.

Tuesday Tips & Tricks is funded with a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education using federal funding, CFDA 84.027A, Special Education – Grants to States. The contents of this newsletter does not necessarily represent the policy of the federal Department of Education, or the state Department of Education and you should not assume endorsement by the federal or state government.