This "Leveling UP! Comprehensive Support for Emotional Regulation" session is currently awaiting approval for continuing education credits.

Active engagement in meaningful activities, desired relationships, and diverse environments is reliant on regulation. It is well documented that neurodivergent (ND) people experience regulation challenges. Often, these difficulties stem from physiological, sensory, social, communication, and cognitive differences that can pose challenges when they are mismatched to neuronormative environments, expectations, and processes.  

Historically, models of support focused on neuronormative ways to support regulatory skills, focusing on extinguishing signals of dysregulation and teaching strategies biased by neurotypical norms. Yet, ND individuals are often forced to use these methods which is congruous with a coping mechanism known as masking. This is common and correlated with mental health challenges. When asked about regulation, ND individuals speak to the impact on their daily life and the difficulty they experience with NT biased programs.

This series of presentations will introduce regulation supports developed by the presenters, Autism Level UP!, an allistic-autistic partnership. Participants will have opportunities to apply the tools and strategies presented and to consider the tools for autistic people with whom they work, live, and play. Modifications for the supports will be discussed for different developmental levels (e.g., not yet using words, emerging language learners, conversational). Initial evidence supporting the Energy Regulation Framework collected through qualitative methods and first-person accounts will be presented.