New Year’s Resolutions: Manage Impulsivity, Foster Self-Regulation and Emotional Control, and Develop Social Thinking Vocabulary

Candy, the Elf, returned to the North Pole and all the parties are over.  Now it is time to gear up for the New Year!

Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.-  Charles Swindoll

Most of us are able to recognize when we are becoming less “regulated” or less organized and do something about it to feel better and get ourselves in a better place.  Many of the students in the social skills groups  are not naturally aware of or independent in controlling their emotions, impulses, and actions.  These students need a systematic, cognitive behavior approach to teach self regulation and a safe place to practice.

Beginning in January, our Lunch Buddies groups will explore the lessons from a curriculum called The Zones of Regulation by Leah Kuypers (www.zonesofregulation.com).  Our goal is to develop strategies for responding to expected versus unexpected behaviors, in different social contexts, using visuals and coaching experiences.  Dr. Ross Greene (www.livesinthebalance.org) says “Kids do well if they can”.

In our visuals, coaching experiences, social scripts, and blog posts, we use the terms “expected behaviors” vs “unexpected behaviors”.  Michelle Garcia Winner answers the question “Why do we use the expected-unexpected social thinking vocabulary?” in her blog post at www.socialthinking.com/michelles-blog/5…social-thinking-vocabulary

Some of our 2nd grade Lunch Buddies, who are hyperlexic and performed very well in K and 1st grade, are now struggling with reading comprehension and perspective taking.  For this group we will select a piece of children’s literature such as The Wizard of Oz (www.speechroomnews.com) to show how characters have different points of view and one’s actions impact how other people think and feel.

2013 is going to be a year of growth for all of us!

Best Wishes,

Robin

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