Tools for cognitive, emotional, and sensory regulation in pediatrics

While mental health issues were prevalent in the pediatric population in the United States prior to COVID-19, their incidence significantly increased during and following the pandemic (Ghandour, et al., 2018; Theberath, et al., 2022). In a study conducted in 2022, anxiety, depression, loneliness, stress, tension, anger, fear, confusion, and worry were the most common mental health issues reported for children 4 to 19 years of age (Theberath, et al., 2022). Occupational therapy is often cited as the discipline that can help address these issues through sensory-based interventions and sensory integration, but the issues are more complex than “just sensory.” Occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) take a holistic, multifaceted approach. Helping children develop self-regulation can be a means of addressing behavioral and mental health needs. This article will define self-regulation as well as the associated components of cognitive, emotional, and sensory regulation; explore occupational therapy’s role in helping children develop self-regulation; and use a case example to illustrate the strategies in practice.