Families and Mental Health: The Use of Co-Regulation

Author Kathryn McNamara with her son TJ in front of a body of water.

Sensory integration, a challenge that many of our students experience, is the ability to organize and interpret information received through the body's sensory systems to produce purposeful and adaptive responses to the environment. 

In a classroom environment, the professionals at ASUA have many strategies to help our kids learn regulation. One strategy is the use of co-regulation, which is defined as the interactive, biological, and emotional process where one person’s calm nervous system helps soothe another’s, promoting regulation of emotions and behavior.

As the parent of a child that experiences dysregulation, I imagine myself as the serene pond into which a pebble is dropped. Ripples are made, but the pond absorbs them and they become part of the calm.

Co-regulation can be effective, but the implementation can be more challenging in a home environment.

Kathryn's son TJ enjoying time in a creek

A calm pond sounds lovely. But… Things happen. Family, school, work, life… The pebbles can become rocks. Then Boulders. An avalanche. It is now hailing. Waves are coming and the mud is kicked up. The plants surrounding the pond are shifted. The animals in the habitat are disrupted.

Co-regulation and mental health are intricately related, and we believe that supporting parents in strengthening their mental health is vital.

Strategies for assessing your mental health in preparation for co-regulation can include:

• Identify your sensory profile. Know your triggers and calming strategies.

• Take temperature checks of your mental, emotional, and physical load. Know when you are reaching your threshold for overstimulation.

• Identify and flesh out your support systems. Co-regulation may be between parent and child, but the pond is an ecosystem and requires nurture and care.

• Increase your self care. Even in small increments, valuing self is important.

In the effort to improve regulation strategies for our students, we will continue to encourage parents to take care of themselves. Co-regulation, while challenging in the home environment, is possible when we support each other.

Kathryn McNamara, LSW (she/her)

School & Community-based Social Worker