We ask students to regulate themselves all day long.
Sit and listen. Wait your turn. Ignore the noise in the hallway. Move from math to English. Handle a change in plans. Remember what you need. Manage frustration. Ask for help. Stop one activity and start another.
That is a lot of work for the brain.
For students with FASD, regulation can be especially challenging. Differences in areas such as executive functioning, sensory processing, working memory, impulse control and emotional regulation can affect how a student responds to what is happening around them. A student may know what they are supposed to do and still have difficulty doing it in the moment.
This is why it is helpful to think about self-regulation as a skill that develops with support and practice, rather than simply expecting a student to have more self-control.
Look Beyond the Behaviour
A student who puts their head down, leaves the classroom, talks constantly, shuts down, becomes argumentative or refuses to start a task may be communicating that something has become too much.
Instead of starting with, “How do I get this student to stop?” try asking, “What might their brain or body be telling us right now?”
They may be overwhelmed by noise. They may not understand the task. They may need movement. They may be anxious about a transition. They may have forgotten the instructions. They may be hungry, tired or simply at the end of what they can manage that day.
Understanding what is underneath the behaviour gives us more options for responding.
Regulation Doesn’t Always Mean “Calm”
A regulated student isn’t necessarily a quiet student.
Some students regulate through movement. Others need music, something to fidget with, a quieter space or a few minutes away from demands. An older student may need to put on headphones, walk the hallway, get a drink or check in with a trusted adult.
The goal isn’t to make every student calm and still. The goal is to help students recognize what their brain and body need and gradually build strategies that work for them.
We also can’t expect students to learn regulation entirely on their own.
Adults can help by remaining calm, reducing language when a student is overwhelmed, offering predictable choices and modelling what regulation looks like. Sometimes the most helpful response is simply, “You look like you need a minute. Let’s figure out what would help.”
Over time, repeated experiences of being supported can help students recognize their own signals and develop strategies they can use more independently.
Build Strategies Before They Are Needed
The middle of a difficult moment is rarely the best time to teach a brand-new regulation strategy.
Practice when things are going well.
Help students identify what they notice when they are becoming overwhelmed. Create a few realistic options they can use at school. Build breaks into the day before a student reaches their limit. Normalize asking for help.
Strategies can include movement, breathing, music, sensory tools, quieter spaces, positive self-talk, drawing, stretching, taking a short break or connecting with a trusted adult.
For older students, it can also mean learning to say, “I need a few minutes,” “Can you explain that another way?” or “I’m getting overwhelmed.”
Support First. Independence Can Follow.
Self-regulation is not something students either have or don’t have. It develops over time, and development will look different for every student. For students with FASD, success may depend on having the right supports available consistently, not on being expected to simply “try harder.”
When education staff and FASD instructional coaches create predictable environments, notice what may be happening underneath behaviour and help students discover strategies that work for their individual brains, we aren’t removing expectations.
