Emotions for Kids: Promoting Emotional Regulation for Specially-Abled Children
Emotional regulation is a crucial life skill for all children, including those with special abilities. It helps children understand their feelings, learn how to manage feelings, build relationships, and respond appropriately to different situations.
For specially-abled children, the process of identifying emotions and expressing them verbally can be particularly challenging. Early intervention programmes tailored to the unique needs of these children play a vital role in fostering emotional awareness and regulation from an early age. This will enable them to acquire the skill of responding appropriately to different situations in various social settings.
In Singapore, where inclusivity and early childhood education are priorities, equipping parents with effective strategies to support their child’s emotional growth is essential.
Read on for a quick emotion coaching guide to help parents understand different emotions for kids, tackle difficulty expressing emotions verbally, and adopt expert-backed methods to improve recognising emotions in children.
Understanding Emotional Regulation
The Role of Emotional Regulation in Childhood Development
Why is emotional regulation important?
According to research from Cornell Research Program, “Emotion regulation is a term generally used to describe a person’s ability to effectively manage and respond to an emotional experience. People unconsciously use emotion regulation strategies to cope with difficult situations many times throughout each day. Most of us use a variety of emotion regulation strategies and are able to apply them to different situations in order to adapt to the demands of our environment.” (Rolston, et. al)
Emotional regulation involves the ability to identify, understand, and manage one’s emotions in different situations. For specially-abled children, who may face challenges in expressing emotions verbally or identifying feelings, specialised support and strategies are essential.
Recognising Emotions in Kids: Why Emotional Regulation is Important for Young Children
Children experience a range of emotions daily—joy, frustration, sadness, excitement, and anxiety. Learning to regulate these emotions allows them to:
✅ Develop resilience from an early age
✅ Communicate effectively
✅ Improve social skills amongst peers
✅ Adapt to changes in their environment
Without emotional regulation, children may struggle with recognising emotions and expressing their needs, leading to meltdowns and frustration for themselves and those around them.
Why Specially-Abled Kids Require Extra Guidance
Children with special needs, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD, or speech and language delays, often have difficulty expressing emotions verbally.
They may find it harder to:
✔ Identify emotions in themselves and others
✔ Express feelings using words or gestures
✔ Manage overwhelming sensory inputs
✔ Transition between activities or unexpected changes
Thus, an emotional regulation coach or structured intervention program can provide them with essential coping strategies tailored to their unique challenges.
How Early Intervention Programmes and Strategies Can Help
1. For Children Ages 2 to 3 years old – Toddlers
Introduce simple emotions through visual cues like pictures or facial expressions. Teach basic coping skills such as sensory inputs, deep breathing, or gentle movements to help calm down when upset.
📌 Key Indicators:
- Toddlers begin to identify emotions in themselves but struggle with control.
- They may express emotions through crying, tantrums, or physical actions.
🎯 Parental Support Tips:
- Use simple emotion words (happy, sad, angry).
- Offer hugs and reassurance when emotions become overwhelming.
- Model calm behaviour when dealing with stress.
2. For Children Ages 4 to 5 years old – Nursery Aged
Use social stories and role-playing to explore different emotions and appropriate responses. Encourage children to use simple language to express how they feel and offer praise for efforts in emotional expression.
📌 Key Indicators:
- Children start recognising emotions in others.
- They may mimic social responses but still struggle with self-regulation.
🎯 Parental Support Tips:
- Use emotion charts to help them choose words instead of actions.
- Encourage pretend play to practice social interactions.
- Teach basic coping skills (deep breaths, counting to ten).
3. For Children Ages 6 to 7 years old – Kindergarten to P1
Teach more advanced emotion recognition skills and introduce strategies like creating a calm-down corner or using a feelings journal. Help children understand that it’s normal to feel a range of emotions and provide tools to cope with strong feelings.
📌 Key Indicators:
- Children can describe their feelings using more words.
- They begin to understand the concept of “big” vs. “small” emotions.
🎯 Parental Support Tips:
- Introduce storybooks about emotions to expand vocabulary.
- Help them problem-solve when upset rather than reacting impulsively.
- Validate their feelings instead of dismissing them.
4. For Children Ages 8 to 10 years old – Lower Primary School (P2, P3, P4)
Focus on building empathy and perspective-taking skills. Teach problem-solving strategies and encourage children to seek support from trusted adults or peers when facing emotional challenges.
📌 Key Indicators:
- Children become more aware of how their emotions affect others.
- They may start developing self-consciousness and value peer influence.
🎯 Parental Support Tips:
- Teach empathy by discussing characters in books or movies.
- Encourage journaling or drawing to process emotions.
- Help them practice assertive communication (e.g., “I feel… because…”).
5. For Children Ages 11 to 12 years old – Upper Primary School (P5, P6)
Discuss more complex emotions and their impact on behaviour. Foster self-awareness through activities like mindfulness or guided imagery. Empower children to set personal goals for managing emotions effectively.
📌 Key Indicators:
- Pre-teens experience stronger emotions due to hormonal changes in puberty.
- They may struggle with expressing vulnerability.
🎯 Parental Support Tips:
- Be an active listener and avoid judgment.
- Teach advanced emotion regulation techniques, like positive self-talk.
- Encourage open conversations about stress, anxiety, and friendships.
Testimonials of Past Students
How Bridging the Gap Programmes have helped countless children and families
“During his enrollment, he often showed wrong behaviours of course, and faced incidents due to lack of social skills – after all they are our major concerns, aren’t they? We consulted “Bridging the Gap” whenever such things happened, and they struggled this together and supported us to level-up through such struggles. In another words, they empowered and strengthened us to face outward to society again.
There are so many institutions and skillful therapists. Nevertheless, only Bridging the Gap loves your child as they are and can guide your family with right direction.
If anyone asks me the best thing I did last year, I’ll say, without any hesitation, sending my son to “Bridging the Gap”.
– Lucia (Kuiyeom) Kim, Parent of a Past BtG Student
“As a teacher, I’ve witnessed firsthand the positive impact of these programs on my students. Previously, my student Matt (not real name), was very self-directed. Although, he shows good cognitive abilities, he struggles a lot on following instructions and regulating his emotions in class. Behaviours such as frequent crying, going under the table, and being oppositional were observed.
At Bridging the Gap, we have provided various strategies that is tailored for his strengths and challenges. We have facilitated work systems for his table tasks time and provided rewards system when necessary. He was also provided with Speech Therapy sessions concurrently. Mostly, consistency with these rules have been established.
Currently, [Matt] has made significant improvements in his regulation and has been thriving well both in our setting and in his school. It warms my heart to see him continuing to reach the best version of himself.”
– Teacher Nina, Bridging the Gap Head Early Interventionist
Strategies from Early Intervention Programmes to Support Emotional Regulation
Singapore offers a range of early intervention programmes designed to help children develop self-regulation skills.
Here are some practical strategies used by professionals that parents can apply at home:
1. Emotion Labelling and Visual Aids
✔ Use emotion flashcards or a mood chart to help children identify emotions.
✔ Encourage them to point at pictures that represent how they feel.
2. Sensory Breaks and Calm-Down Corners
✔ Create a safe space at home with sensory toys, tools, or weighted blankets.
✔ Allow children to take breaks when feeling overwhelmed.
3. Social Stories and Role-Playing
✔ Use social stories to illustrate different emotions for kids in familiar situations.
✔ Role-play with puppets or stuffed animals to demonstrate how to express emotions appropriately.
4. Mindfulness and Breathing Techniques
✔ Teach simple breathing exercises (e.g., “smell the flower, blow the candle”).
✔ Introduce gentle movement activities like stretching and moving the body slowly to help with self-soothing.
5. Consistent Routines and Visual Schedules
✔ Use a picture schedule to outline daily activities and transitions.
✔ Offer warnings before changes occur to prevent anxiety and outbursts.
Learning to manage emotions is a vital skill for children with diverse needs. Through tailored early intervention programmes, they are provided some level of support to grasp this skill from an early age.
Teaching emotions for kids, especially those with special needs, requires patience, structure, and the right strategies. When parents, teachers, and coaches work together, they ensure each child gets the support they need to handle emotions well and grow confidently.
Essentially, encouraging emotional regulation in specially-abled children not only improves their well-being but also enhances their overall life experience, setting the stage for a brighter and more inclusive future.
For parents navigating this journey, remember: every small step towards recognising emotions and regulating feelings is a victory. With the right support and consistency, your child will thrive emotionally and socially.
Need More Guidance?
📢 Consider seeking an emotional regulation coach for a one-to-one consultation, or attending workshops tailored for specially-abled children in Singapore.
Related resources:
- Understanding Emotions of Special Needs Children
- Different Ways to Understand Emotions
- 5 Ways to Decrease Children’s Tantrums
- How to Handle Kids’ Tantrums?
- Bridging the Gap: Empowering Parents to Help Your Child With Learning Difficulties