Rewiring

the Brain
Roadmap for
Emotional Regulation

© Integrated Learning Strategies LLC 2023

Welcome to the Rewiring the Brain Roadmap!

You may be here because you have a child or student who seems to have some gaps in their
learning and emotional development that could possibly be related to some disconnections in
the brain.

OR

Maybe you have a child or students with some extreme emotional behaviors. No matter what
you try, tantrums and meltdowns seem to last for long periods of time and it’s hard to get them
to calm down. They seem emotionally unstable and it’s WAY past age-appropriate behavior.

Believe it or not, we see kids struggling with emotional grounding and self-regulation all the
time. It is more common than you would think…and getting worse.

With more screen time at home and in schools, kids are getting less multi-sensory experiences
that are leading to more delays in emotional development and building connections in the
brain needed for higher learning concepts. When we first began seeing kids in 1994, many of
these emotional problems weren’t nearly as bad as they are today.

As emotional development and self-regulation started getting worse, our focus switched to
supporting kids who needed stronger neural development. We had to BRIDGE the gap
between the right side and the left side of the brain to get kids from the emotional side of their
brain to the logical side of the brain.

How did we do it? You can find out more about some of
the same tools and resources we used at the end of this
packet.

This roadmap gives you the first steps toward helping kids
achieve better emotional regulation.

If you have any questions, be sure to ask inside our free

Facebook group here.

Let’s get those brains hardwired for learning!

Alene Villaneda
Creator of the Rewiring the Brain Handbooks

© Integrated Learning Strategies LLC 2023 REWIRING THE BRAIN ROADMAP

 8-Step Roadmap for better Emotional Regulation
#1: IDENTIFY TRIGGERS
Was there something that triggered the
emotion? Was it because of sensory
overload? Are they tired? Hungry? Wants
control over their own choices? Try to find
the root trigger that caused the emotion.
#2: LABEL THE EMOTION
Help the child label their emotion so they
recognize what they are feeling and can
describe that same emotion in the future.
“I can see you are feeling mad.” “It looks
like you are feeling some anxiety.”
#3: BE A LISTENER
Let them do the talking and be the
listener, even if you feel like lecturing.
Help them to feel heard and
understood. It’s important to get the
child to a place where they can
communicate using their words. This
process nurtures their emotional
intelligence.
#4: IDENTIFY METHOD OF EXPRESSION
Each child expresses their emotions
differently when in a heightened state.
Determine what their method of
expression is when they feel big emotions
(hitting, stomping feet, falling to the floor,
throwing items, hiding, kicking, etc.).
Knowing their method of expression
allows you to help the child find a safe
place to express those emotions.
#5: ALLOW TIME TO PROCESS
Kids need time to process emotions just
like adults. Give the child a few minutes
before approaching them about the
tantrum or meltdown. Even if you want to
diffuse the behavior quickly, provide the
child with some processing time before
using a calm down strategy so they can
work through some of their feelings.
© Integrated Learning Strategies LLC 2023
#6: DETERMINE PREFERRED CALMING METHOD
There are always calming strategies that work better
than others depending on the child. Some kids
need a lovey, while others enjoy a story. Find the
best method for that child’s individual needs
(reading, meditation, breathing, listening to music,
sensory swing, etc.). Talk to the child about their
emotions after they are calm and thinking more
logically.
#7: PRACTICE & REPEAT
When you have identified a calming method that
works best for the child, practice the method when
the child is not in an emotional state. Repeat the
calm down method several times so the child
understands and knows the routine before a
meltdown happens. This allows the child to self-
regulate faster and the brain to calm down
automatically.
#8: REFERENCE CALM DOWN METHOD
When the child is emotional, remind them of their
calm down strategy. For example, “Let’s do our
breathing exercise and then read a story.” If they have
practiced, they should already know the routine and
what steps to take to calm down. This process will
lead to automated self-regulation when needed.
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REWIRING THE BRAIN ROADMAP
 Emotional Behaviors Checklist
Check the boxes that best describe your child or students' emotional responses. The
purpose is to see if a child is struggling with multiple types of behaviors or if their emotional
behavior is concentrated under one specific emotional type.

#1 - The Mover
These kids are focused on giving their body what it needs (movement). They are often
impulsive, fidget, can’t sit still for long periods of time and have a hard time completing
tasks.

Interrups or intrudes on Lacks attention and focus

conversations
Can't complete simple tasks
Trouble waiting their turn
Avoids tasks that require
Impulsive mental effort

Fidgets Trouble playing quietly

Moves to learn (in constant Loses items or tasks like

motion) homework and toys

#2 - The Withdrawer
Kids who often withdraw themselves from social situations may also struggle with
anxiety and fear. They may purposefully go out of their way to avoid social situations
and they often don’t like to be touched.

Lacks pleasure in social activities Runs away in social

situations
Doesn't like to be touched or give
hugs and kisses Avoids big crowds

Shows signs of depression Gets frustrated easily

Excessive fear and anxiety Experiences power

struggles
Sensory defensiveness
Sensitive emotions
and slow-to-warm-up

© Integrated Learning Strategies LLC 2023 REWIRING THE BRAIN ROADMAP

 #3 - Fight or Flighters
These types of kids have one extreme trigger or the other. When they are in an emotional
state, they either run and hide or they become aggressive and fight back. Kids with fight or
flight responses are rarely emotionally grounded.

Flight Fight
Often freezes or panics when Hands clasped in fists ready to
threatened (loud noise, dog punch
barking, door slamming)
Clawing at the air
Goes into survival mode
Denies responsibility for
Runs and hides misbehavior and blames others

Heightened state of awareness Kicking, pushing or screaming

Running without concern for Disruptive, argumentative,

their own safety frequently loses temper

#4 - The Moody Extremist

Many people would say these types of kids are immature. But that may not be the case.
Sure, kids after the age of six or seven should be able to regulate their emotions better, but
there are many that still have meltdowns, tantrums, inappropriate crying, or poor coping
skills. These types of kids usually experience some kind of environmental “trigger” to offset
their emotional state.

Sensory overload Delayed physical coordination

Inappropriate crying Trouble with emotional self-

regulation
Tantrums and Meltdowns (not
age-appropriate) Struggles to adapt to new
concepts in school
Poor coping skills
Unwilling to try new things
Needs help with tasks their
peers do independently Lies often or is defensive "I
never did that"

© Integrated Learning Strategies LLC 2023 REWIRING THE BRAIN ROADMAP

 CHECK IT OUT…
If you want more tools and resources to help your child and students CREATE
neural connections in the brain toward better emotional grounding, we have
something new for you.

To BRIDGE the gaps in the brain for better learning development, we have a
new Rewiring the Brain email course that is completely free! It’s a 5-day course
entirely through email that gives you tips, tricks and resources we have used to
rewire the brain for higher learning and self-regulation.

You can get started with the free email course here and you can also find more
tools and resources on my private Facebook group. See you there!

to join the Integrated Movement Facebook group with other parents, therapists, educators and professionals
CLICK HERE helping their kids and students reach their highest academic potential.

© Integrated Learning Strategies LLC 2023 REWIRING THE BRAIN ROADMAP