When looking at self regulation, I believe in using what’s called a “top down approach”. To me, a top down approach embodies who I am as an occupational therapist: I want to help individuals participate in what they want to do, as fully as they can. For those unfamiliar with the term, a top down approach first looks broadly and holisticly at an individual, finding out what is important and meaningful to them, and aims assistance at helping them to participate in those occupations. The opposite of a top down approach is one which is bottom up. A bottom up approach will first look at the smaller, person specific factors that may be impacting on them at a given point in time. It’s an approach that fits in with the medical model, and is often used in more acute care.
What have these OT related terms got to do with biology and regulation development? Well, looking at an individual’s biology is addressing “bottom up” components. I think looking at these definitely has a place within a top down approach. The key is to not hone in on it first! The whole point of the Regulation Rocket is to approach self regulation development from a top down point of view, which is why I recommend figuring out where the Rocket is headed (the occupations/planets) first and foremost. And the interesting thing about biology (or any of the personal factors that comprise the Rocket), is that it interplays with the environment, so we can’t just assess or address it in isolation.
With that in mind, let’s have a look at what biology is, which of it’s factors influence regulation, and what it all means (from a functional point of view!).
What do I mean when I talk about “biology”?
Biology is the study of life and living organisms. It encompasses lots of different areas such as physiology (how an organism and it’s parts work), neurobiology (the 
nervous system), genes, maturation, anatomy (structure of an organism) and developmental biology (how an organism grows/changes). How all these factors interact in addition with the effects of the environment, determine the “make up” of an individual, and unsurprisingly, this then impacts on regulation. An individual’s biology will also effect their executive functioning such effortful control and attention (which I’ve addressed further here).
What biological factors influence regulation and it’s development?
I’m going to apologize in advance to anyone reading this who is a specialist in any biological field! Biology is a vast subject, and I’ve done my best to summarise and select the areas that I find most relevant to the families, educators and children I work with. This is not a comprehensive list, mainly because the scientific jargon and technical aspects of some other factors are beyond me, and fall outside what I could functionally address in my role.
Biological factors influencing regulation (in no particular order):
- Hormones
- Serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitter genes
- Gene expression
- Puberty
- Physical characteristics: strength, tone, balance, posture, range of motion, motor function and control, endurance, fitness, coordination, flexibility
- Connectivity of the central and peripheral nervous systems
- Activation of brain regions such as the limbic and prefrontal cortex
- Temperament (biological emotional reactivity and regulation)
- Control over body systems (eg breathing, heart rate)
- Capacity for cognitive control of thoughts/emotions/behaviours (increases with maturation)
- Internal structures and function (used to regulate insulin levels, oxygenation of muscles and organs, digestion, waste removal)
Addressing biological factors functionally
It’s one thing to know what may be influencing your child’s regulation, but the important part is what to do with this information! Here are some ways to address biological challenges to regulation or it’s development:
Creating a safe and supportive environment:
I mentioned earlier that the interplay between biology and environment results in how a person develops. While the nature/nurture debate is in the early stages in regards to regulation, there is evidence to support that an environment which meets a child’s physical and emotional needs can positively impact regulation regardless of genetic predisposition.
Recognising the importance of time:
As children develop, their capacity for managing their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours increases. Likewise, hormones and growth development impact on what they can do, how they respond in situations, and how they feel internally. We can support these changes by ensuring a “just right” environment. This is an environment in which a child is challenged enough to grow and develop, but not miles beyond their current capabilities.
Caregivers can support an individual in many different ways throughout these periods of growth. Strategies can be taught that are at an individual’s learning level to increase regulation of thoughts or breathing, teach moving from emotional to logical thinking during challenging situations, access activities which promote the release of “feel good” hormones such as serotonin and dopamine, and prune and tune neural pathways.
Acknowledging physical characteristics:
Everyone has unique physical characteristics, and the relationship between our physical characteristics, environment and occupation will impact on our ability to self regulate. Our physical characteristics impact on our ability to meet our sensory and environmental needs in order to remain alert, or alter our arousal level. This might include getting up to go for a brief walk, lifting a coffee cup to our lips without spilling for a caffeine hit, or closing the blinds when the sun starts to create glare. Our physical characteristics determine our ability to follow through on problem solving in situations that may be challenging.
Physical characteristics will determine the level of attention we can target towards a task. If the environment or occupation do not align with our physical characteristics, a higher level of attention will be diverted to manage this. For example, a child focused on keeping themselves upright in a chair due to low tone or poor postural control will have a hard time listening to a teacher giving directions or explaining a new concept. A child who has tight hamstring muscles may find it uncomfortable to sit on the floor and listen to a story. If a child is unable to meet their sensory needs or make adequate changes to their environment due to a discrepancy in their physical abilities to the task at hand, we will see this impact on their regulation.
Occupational therapists and physiotherapists are well trained in providing strategies and support in order to improve function or make adaptions to the environment to remidiate differences in physical characteristics.
Regular check ups at the doctors:
Doctors are the ones who will be able to assess and treat many of the above factors (such as the influence of hormones, genes, neurotransmitters etc). If there is an area in particular of concern, your child may need a referral to a specialist in order to figure out the right course of action. There’s a reason we OT’s refer to a bottom up approach as fitting within the medical model; medical practitioners are highly trained to assist with addressing person specific deficits. They excel at figuring out what individual factor is causing differences in function, and aim to remedy this.
