A practical, pupil-friendly Emotional Regulation Toolkit designed to help students recognise the early signs of overwhelm, identify strategies that help them regulate and create their own personalised reset plan.

Ideal for SEND, ADHD, autism, SEMH, pastoral support and 1:1 work, this resource encourages students to understand what happens for them before things become too difficult to manage.

Rather than treating dysregulation as simply “bad behaviour”, the activities encourage curiosity, self-awareness and practical problem-solving.

What’s included?

1. When Things Feel Too Much – Early Warning Signs

Students explore:
Physical signs of overwhelm
Changes in thoughts and concentration
Behaviours that adults might notice
Their own individual warning signs
The signs they most want adults to recognise

1. My Regulation Toolkit
   Students choose strategies that may help them:
   Reset their body
   Clear their head
   Take an appropriate break
   Break tasks into manageable steps
   Ask for help
   Communicate when they are struggling
   Prepare to return to learning

Students then create their own personalised Reset Plan, identifying:

When I notice… → I can try… → An adult can help by… → I’ll know I’m ready to return when…

1. Teacher / TA Guide
   Includes:
   Guidance for introducing the resource
   A simple 5-step approach
   Suggested conversation starters
   Guidance for choosing and reviewing strategies
   Important SEND and safeguarding considerations
   Perfect for:

SEND • SEN • ADHD • Autism • SEMH • Emotional Regulation • Self-Regulation • Pupil Voice • Pastoral Support • SENCO • Teaching Assistants • Behaviour Support • Tutor Time • 1:1 Intervention • Secondary School

The worksheets can be completed independently or alongside a teacher, TA, SENCO, key worker, pastoral worker or other trusted adult.

Suitable for use during calm, planned sessions rather than in the middle of a difficult moment. The completed toolkit can then provide a useful starting point for conversations about what the student experiences and what support genuinely helps.

A low-prep, practical resource for helping students move from: “Everything feels too much.” to “I can recognise what’s happening and know what might help.”