Title: Enhancing Self-Regulation Skills in Students: Strategies for School-Based Implementation
Date: 2025-08-19
Author/Creator: Ruff, Jenna Anne
Abstract: Background: There is a growing demand for student mental health and behaviors to be addressed in schools. The convergence of psychology, occupational therapy, behavioral, and educational views builds a framework of top practices to support student academic success and performance. Evidence- based practices currently highlight proactive strategies utilizing the hierarchy of needs, building trust, safety, and relationships, modeling expected behaviors, and ensuring basic needs are met. With a lack of carryover of current findings, educators report not possessing the training to properly address the behaviors and student needs. Yet research indicates that training of staff directly impacts students' overall success at school. Purpose: This doctoral capstone project aimed to create and implement reusable training and educational materials to enhance school staff knowledge on self-regulation and behavior management. Methods: A needs assessment was completed along with direct observation and interviews with educators and experts in the field. These findings led to the formation of reusable training materials, including narrated presentations, visual aids, and tangible handouts for practical accessibility. Contents are grounded in the creation of psychological and physical safety in the school environment, building interoceptive awareness for self-regulation, and approaching sensory modulation from a trauma- informed lens. A post-training focus group gathered qualitative data and feedback to evaluate the training’s effectiveness and future applicability. Implications: Training of staff to integrate therapeutic concepts like co-regulation and therapeutic use of self can improve student regulation and performance. Providing staff with reputable strategies rooted in leading ideas from various professions and grounded in interoception fosters an outlook backed by evidence to support the development of self-regulation skills across learning environments.
Department/School: Occupational Science/Occupational Therapy
Degree Name: Doctor of Occupational Therapy
