Specialist SEND teacher, Rachel Berry, and Director of External Partnerships, Cate Marsden, from Woodbridge Trust, share some effective ways to help children regulate their emotions. 

Parents and teachers know how intensely autistic children and young people can experience emotions. 

Strong feelings such as frustration or anger can be overwhelming. Children may sometimes need help to regain control and feel safe. 

But, as recent research has shown, with consistent support and guidance, children can often learn the skills and strategies that work best to regulate their feelings. 

Our team of SEND specialists from Woodbridge Trust in Bolton have exchanged many great ideas with teachers and teaching assistants for activities to help children with complex needs manage strong emotions. 

Here are four effective techniques we regularly turn to when children’s emotions run high. 

1.    Spot and address masking 

Children with social and emotional needs often develop sophisticated masking strategies to cope with challenging classroom or social situations. This can include staying quiet, copying others’ behaviour or hiding signs of anxiety and frustration, which can make it harder to spot when a child is struggling to manage their emotions. 

Research shows that students who lack a sense of belonging at school tend to mask more, increasing their anxiety and highlighting the need to recognise these hidden signs.

Having one consistent adult, such as a teacher or teaching assistant, as a point of contact makes it easier to identify masking and understand the root cause of challenging or withdrawn behaviour. By recognising and addressing masking, children can be supported to develop healthier coping strategies and feel more secure.

2.    Encourage positive emotional wellbeing

At times when emotions run high or a busy, noisy classroom becomes overwhelming, wellbeing techniques can be useful to help children return to feeling calm and safe. 

Sensory circuits is a fun approach often used by teachers where three separate tasks are set for children to complete in order. The first is a high-energy activity, such as three sets of ten star jumps. Next, they are asked to do something that requires them to focus, which might be walking along a wavy line or a balancing beam. Finally, they’ll do a relaxing activity such as listening to some calming music or a walk in the forest. The activities can also be turned into a board game the children play, landing on different activities as they go to add to the enjoyment.

The different energy levels needed to complete the three tasks in order reset children’s emotions and can help them develop key skills to manage intense emotions independently.

3.    Visualise emotions

Children can use emotion cards that display different facial expressions to communicate how they are feeling, particularly if they are non-speaking or have limited vocabulary. These visual resources offer a practical and positive way to express emotions without relying solely on words.

If a child’s favourite toy has broken, for example, or they feel upset because they weren’t invited to join a game, they may struggle to identify or express that they are sad or angry. But encouraging them to point to the relevant image on an emotion card allows them to share how they are feeling and opens up the opportunity for discussions and support. 

Some children may also benefit from using an emotion chart with a 5-point scale, paired with strategies they can use to manage strong feelings. This approach helps children recognise when their emotions are making them feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed and gives them a clear set of actions they can take to regulate their emotions in a way that works for them.

4.    Develop independent emotional regulation

When children get frustrated about having to rely on adults to make sense of the school day or they become anxious about what they’re being asked to do, visual prompts can be an effective way to help them navigate their daily routines. 

You can include visual prompts in timetables; for example, using imagery such as a stack of books to represent story time or a plate of food for lunch break. Visual timetables have been shown to encourage pupils to become more independent learners. They can also support the development of key skills such as sequencing and time awareness. 

Using symbols consistently in timetables and teaching aids can reduce the risk of a teacher’s verbal prompts being missed by a child who may have hearing impairment or speech and language needs. 

Schools can design their own resources online using colourful Widgit Symbols to give children with a range of needs a quick and easy way to see what activities or learning breaks are coming up next and fully engage in learning. 

Building emotional resilience

Supporting autistic children to recognise and share emotions can make a significant difference to their lives.

When children have different ways to express how they’re feeling and can use strategies to stay calm in their own way, they gain the confidence to build positive relationships with peers and develop a deeper sense of control over their own emotional wellbeing. This gives them the tools to cope with challenging situations, engage in learning and approach each day with confidence and resilience.