Regulation Scanner
A thinking tool for scanning an environment to notice what might be affecting how settled or unsettled someone feels in it.
Before we start
The starting point of this tool is simple: people aren't dysregulated because something is wrong with them. They're often dysregulated because the environment they're in isn't supporting them to feel settled and safe.
That's not always obvious. The things you notice as a tuned-in practitioner are often invisible to other people in the room. This tool gives you a structured way to scan an environment across all seven sensory channels, and a printable to take with you for a specific situation.
This is a thinking tool, not a checklist for families. Use it yourself, internalise it, and work through it with the people you support. Don't just hand the printable out.
You'll pick the situation you want to think about, walk through the seven sensory channels (with some prompting questions and a spotlight for your chosen situation), and download a printable at the end.
Pick the situation
Choose the environment and activity you want to think about. You'll get specific examples for your choice as you walk through the scan, and a printable at the end.
Your printable
You've walked through all seven sensory channels. The printable below brings together the specific things to scan for in the situation you chose. Take it with you when you next find yourself in that environment, or use it when reviewing what happened during a moment of dysregulation.