Improving Emotional Regulation, Sensory Processing, and Social Engagement with Pediatric Clients

Children need to learn about the different parts of their nervous system and how they work together to regulate their emotions and behavior. 

This course will give you the tools you need to understand how the nervous system works and the tools to help reset your clients' nervous system using sensory strategies and other polyvagal techniques, including breathing, mindfulness, and movement. 

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AOTA Approved and Awards CEUs

About This Course

This Distance Learning - Independent Professional Development Activity Awards 6.0 Contact Hours (.6 CEU) at an Intermediate Educational Level for pediatric Occupational Therapy Practitioners, Speech Language Pathologists,  Physical Therapists, Educators, or other Professionals working with children.

 

Are you a pediatric therapist or professional working with children who are struggling with anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and frequent meltdowns?

 

Are they constantly on high alert, unable to relax or connect with others?

 

Have you tried strategies but are not sure what to do to help them?  

These symptoms can be a sign of a dysregulated nervous system, which can interfere with their ability to learn, play, and interact with others...

LEARN MORE
 

Help your Clients Develop the Tools They Need to Thrive in all Areas of their Lives

This course is designed specifically for therapists and professionals working clients with nervous system dysfunction.  You will learn practical techniques, strategies and exercises that you can use in your clinical practice to support your clients in resetting their vagus nerve and improving their nervous system regulation. You’ll learn how to:

  • How to assess your clients' nervous system functioning 
  • Strategies to teach your clients how to calm their nervous system and reduce symptoms of anxiety, withdraw, agitation, and chronic stress
  • How to create personalized treatment plans and home programs that incorporate polyvagal theory principles 

The Piece That Was Missing...

I had been using sensory processing strategies for over 25 years to help children improve their sensory awareness and sensory integration skills. 

I knew how to use sensory strategies to help with regulation. But I knew there was a piece that I was missing, a piece that would help the children who didn't have sensory processing difficulties but could not emotionally regulate...

I knew that the sensory strategies worked, but the emotional regulation piece was not being addressed in therapy most of the time...

Parents would come in and tell me how therapists said that they could not help them or their child because there were no underlying sensory deficits.

However, the emotional regulation difficulties were impacting their ability to participate in daily living routines. Or if the child could regulate in therapy, they could not carry it over. And then, I was introduced to the polyvagal theory and limbic system rewiring.

This is the relationship between Sensory Processing, Emotional Regulation, and Social Engagement.

And the pieces of the puzzle came together......

Understand the Development of the Sensory System

  • Sensory processing impacts emotional regulation
  • External factors impact the development of the sensory system and contribute to sensory processing difficulties
  • Sensory processing deficits relate to one of more sensory system
     
Developing a strong educational foundation is the key to effective treatment.   Understanding the root causes can guide your treatment and improve outcomes.  We cover it all, starting in utero, where it all begins....
In This Course You Will Learn

How to effectively use therapy interventions, including polyvagal theory, to improve sensory processing and promote emotional regulation in children

  1. Identify the definition of sensory processing and the eight sensory systems.

  2. Develop one home program activity that includes co-regulation and emotional regulation strategies presented in the course.

  3. Differentiate between sensory seeking and sensory avoiding behaviors and identify one intervention for each. 

  4. Identify the role of attachment in a child’s emotional regulation and identify one appropriate strategy to improve emotional regulation in relation to attachment.

  5. Identify how diet and nutrition impact gut health and how gut health impacts behavior and emotional regulation.

  6. Identify the three nervous system states based on Polyvagal Theory and analyze how each can be incorporated into a therapeutic intervention to improve sensory processing, emotional regulation, and social skills. 

  7. Analyze the vagus nerve definition and develop one treatment plan with three strategies that target sensory processing via the vague nerve to improve emotional regulation. 

  8. Develop one Polyvagal strategy that regulates the nervous system to be implemented into existing treatment plans to improve trauma and emotional response. 

  9. Identify appropriate assessment tools to analyze a child’s sensory processing skills and ability to self-regulate.

  10. Analyze the most significant differences between nervous system rewiring techniques; Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Tapping, Guided Imagery, and Deep Breathing, and develop one treatment plan that includes at least one of the above techniques that will target the client’s emotional regulation. 

Start on the Path to Brain Rewiring! 

Gain a better understanding of the underlying neurophysiology of emotional dysregulation, sensory processing difficulties, and social engagement challenges, and how these can be addressed using evidence-based interventions.  Make an impact in the lives of your clients today!

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What's Included In The Course...

MODULE 1

Sensory Processing and Emotional Regulation

in this course, you will learn an overview of the sensory systems and how they relate to emotional regulation including:

  • The development of the sensory systems
  • Sensory processing and sensory discrimination
  • Sensory processing deficits related to each sensory system

You’ll finish this module with a foundational understanding of a regulated versus dysregulated sensory system.

MODULE 2

Factors Contributing to Emotional Regulation and Sensory Processing Development

 

In this module, we will be reviewing key factors related to emotional regulation including:

  • Factors that contribute to abnormal sensory processing development
  • An overview of emotional regulation, co-regulation, and self regulation 
  • The impact of sensory processing and emotional regulation difficulties  on attachment
  • The impact of sensory processing and emotional regulation difficulties on milestone achievement 

You’ll finish this module with an understanding on how emotional regulation and sensory processing difficulties can impact a child's overall development.

MODULE 3

The Nervous System 

This module explains Polyvagal Theory and how it relates to sensory processing.  This module reviews:  

  • Overview of polyvagal theory
  • The autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system branches)
  • Fight or Flight Responses when the body is in stress state 
  • Identifying Alert states related to sensory processing and polyvagal theory
  • Activation of the vagus nerve to assist in regulation

You’ll finish this module with an understanding of identifying nervous system regulation.

MODULE 4

Assessment and Evaluation 

This module reviews some of the assessments that can be used to evaluate sensory processing and emotional regulation including: 

  • Functional Assessment and Case History
  • The Sensory Profile 
  • Sensory Processing Measure
  • Temperament and Abnormal Behavior Scale (TABS)
  • Preschool Self-Regulation Assessment (PSRA)
  • Body Perception Questionnaire (BPQ)
  • Brain Body Center Sensory Scales (BBCSS) 

  • Neuroception of Psychological Safety Scale (NPSS) 

You’ll finish this module with a better understanding of how to effectively assess sensory processing and emotional regulation. 

MODULE 4

Therapeutic Interventions 

This module reviews many of the therapeutic interventions to assist in regulating the nervous system including:  

  • Sensory strategies – sensory integration
  • Diet and Nutrition
  • Mindfulness
  • Breathing
  • Co-regulation
  • Polyvagal Theory/Vagus Exercises
  • Brain Rewiring
  • Tapping
  • Accupressure
  • Neuromodulation
  • Biofeedback

You’ll finish this module with tools that you can immediately start to integrate into your therapy practices. 

This Course Is For You If...

  • You are an occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech language pathologist, or other healthcare professional or educator who works with individuals with sensory processing disorders and emotional regulation difficulties
  • You want to improve you knowledge and skills in promoting emotional regulation and behavior management in children and teens
  • You want to gain a deeper understanding of the nervous system and how implementing strategies such as polyvagal theory can help regulate the nervous system, resulting in improved regulation
  • You are looking for an immediate level course to advance your skills and knowledge base   
YES, I WANT IN!
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Kathleen Yopp, MOT, OTR/L

Kathleen is a pediatric occupational therapist and business owner with 25 years of experience in working with children with emotional and sensory processing difficulties. 

She has her Safe and Sound Protocol certification, which is based on Dr. Stephen Porges's Polyvagal Theory. Kathleen takes a holistic approach to therapy, incorporating the whole body and addressing the underlying root cause. She believes in every child’s future and that children are the hands that change the world. 

Kathleen loves helping children learn about their sensory and emotional needs and empowering families and caregivers by giving them the tools they need to be successful.   

Kathleen's goal is to teach others about nervous system dysregulation's impact on self-esteem, relationships, daily activities, and the family unit.  By equipping families with the tools and strategies they need, she believes they can be successful in helping their children manage their emotions. 

Kathleen Yopp, MOT, OTR/L

Speaker, Author, AOTA Approved Provider # 0000001046

Financial - Author of this PD Activity and receives royalty payments for this PD Activity and is an employee at Helping Hands Therapy Services PLLC. Non-Financial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exists/None.

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Improving Emotional Regulation, Sensory Processing, and Social Engagement with Pediatric Clients

Polyvagal Course

$397

On-Demand Access

  • Immediate access to the course to start learning
  • Access to course content for 12 months
  • Free downloads for home program activities  
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More Testimonials

Katelyn M., Occupational Therapist
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"This course solidified the education that I have and advanced this knowledge through exploring multiple facets to apply this knowledge. I have recommended this course to my employees to assist with their own regulation as well as taught these techniques to my clients. This course touches on topics not talked about elsewhere which is a true game changer for application."

 

Shelby S., Occupational Therapist 
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"This course helped me understand the role of the vagus nerve in everyday life situations. I am a pediatric occupational therapist, but this course really solidified what I can do to help my young children when they are working through their emotions every day, instead of just watching them and feeling overwhelmed and defeated.

Kathleen was able to take various broad subject matters that have taken me years to learn and refine them in a manner to help parents understand how sensory processing affects emotions and behaviors. More importantly, I now feel empowered to take action to support my children in a loving manner, providing them will tools that will help them their entire lives. This course will be a game-changer for all who take it."

 

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