Beyond Behavior Management: How Body-Based Interventions Transform Emotional Regulation in Neurodivergent Students
Have you ever watched a neurodivergent child having a meltdown and thought, "If only they could control their behavior"?
What if I told you that approach might be backward?
In a episode 233 of the Diverse Thinking Different Learning podcast, Dr. Megan Beardmore, a licensed school psychologist specializing in neurodevelopmental challenges, shared a perspective that completely transforms how we understand and support neurodivergent students.
The key insight? Many behaviors we label as "problems" are actually sophisticated signals from a dysregulated nervous system—and the body, not just the mind, holds the key to helping these students regulate their emotions.
The Missing Piece: Your Body's Alarm System
For decades, the dominant approach to supporting neurodivergent students has focused on cognitive and behavioral strategies. While these approaches have value, they often miss something fundamental: the autonomic nervous system's central role in emotional regulation.
Dr. Beardmore explains that our autonomic nervous system is constantly scanning the environment for threats—it's our body's built-in alarm system. For neurodivergent individuals, this system often operates with heightened sensitivity, sending them into fight, flight, or freeze responses even in seemingly non-threatening situations.
This is why a child might:
Have a meltdown during transitions
Shut down when faced with sensory overload
Become hyperactive when anxious
Seek intense sensory input to self-regulate
These aren't behavior problems—they're nervous system responses. And treating them as purely cognitive or behavioral issues misses the biological foundation of what's happening.
The Regulation Hierarchy: Body First, Thinking Later
Perhaps the most eye-opening concept Dr. Beardmore shares is the regulation hierarchy. Before we can expect a neurodivergent student to engage their higher-level thinking skills, their nervous system needs to feel safe.
Think of it this way: When your smoke alarm is blaring, can you focus on reading a complex book? Of course not—your body's alarm system demands immediate attention. For many neurodivergent students, their internal alarm systems are frequently activated, making learning and social engagement nearly impossible until regulation happens.
This is why traditional approaches that say "calm down and think about your choices" often fail. The student literally cannot access their thinking brain until their body feels safe.
Body-Based Interventions: Practical Tools for Regulation
So what actually works? Dr. Beardmore advocates for an integrative approach that acknowledges the body's role in regulation. Here are some evidence-informed, body-based interventions that can make a real difference:
1. Vagus Nerve Activation
The vagus nerve is a key player in our parasympathetic nervous system—the system responsible for "rest and digest" functions. Activating it can help shift someone from a state of stress to a state of calm.
Simple techniques include:
Humming or singing (vibrates the vagus nerve)
Gargling water
Deep breathing with extended exhales (making exhales longer than inhales)
2. Movement Interventions
Movement helps process and discharge excess energy in the nervous system.
Effective movement strategies include:
Wall pushes (pushing against a wall with hands or back)
Animal walks (bear crawls, crab walks)
Heavy work activities (carrying weighted items appropriately sized for the child)
Rocking or swinging
3. Deep Pressure and Proprioceptive Input
These techniques provide feedback to the nervous system about where the body is in space, which can be grounding and regulating.
Practical applications include:
Weighted blankets or vests (when properly sized)
Bear hugs or deep pressure squeezes
Joint compressions
Seated on therapy balls that provide resistance
4. Creating Environmental Safety
Environmental modifications can reduce the nervous system's threat detection.
Consider implementing:
Predictable routines and visual schedules
Sensory-friendly spaces (reduced noise, comfortable lighting)
Cool-down corners with regulatory tools
Advance warning before transitions
Real-World Application: A New Approach to "Behavior Problems"
Let's look at how this nervous system lens transforms our understanding of common scenarios:
Traditional view: Jamie is disruptive during math class, constantly fidgeting and unable to stay seated. He needs stricter behavioral consequences.
Nervous system view: Jamie's body is showing signs of dysregulation. His nervous system may be in a fight/flight state due to math anxiety, sensory overload, or difficulty with the sustained attention required. Before addressing the math skills, Jamie needs support regulating his nervous system.
Intervention: Provide Jamie with a therapy ball to sit on, schedule movement breaks before math class, teach him a simple breathing technique, and perhaps incorporate standing options for completing work. Once his nervous system feels safer, his ability to engage with math will improve.
What Makes This Approach Different?
Dr. Beardmore's integrative approach stands out because it:
Addresses root causes: Rather than just managing symptoms, it targets the underlying nervous system dysregulation.
Builds internal awareness: Over time, students learn to recognize their own dysregulation signals earlier.
Empowers rather than restricts: Instead of using punitive measures, it gives students tools to regulate themselves.
Works with biology, not against it: It acknowledges that regulation is a biological need, not a behavioral choice.
Creates lasting change: By addressing the nervous system patterns, it creates more sustainable improvement than behavioral management alone.
Starting Small: How to Begin Implementing These Approaches
You don't need to overhaul your entire approach overnight. Dr. Beardmore suggests starting with simple steps:
Observe with curiosity: When a student shows challenging behaviors, ask "What might their nervous system be communicating?" rather than "How do I stop this behavior?"
Introduce one regulation tool: Start with a single technique, like deep breathing or wall pushes, and teach it during calm moments.
Create regulation routines: Build brief regulation activities into transitions or the beginning of classes.
Experiment and adjust: Different techniques work for different students. Observe what helps each individual regulate.
Educate students: Even young children can begin to understand the concept that their body sends signals when it needs help feeling calm and safe.
The Bigger Picture: A Paradigm Shift in Supporting Neurodiversity
What excites me most about Dr. Beardmore's approach is how it shifts our fundamental understanding of neurodivergent students' needs. Rather than trying to make these students conform to neurotypical expectations, we're recognizing that their nervous systems have unique needs that must be addressed.
This perspective is both more compassionate and more effective. It moves us from viewing neurodivergent students as "problems to be fixed" to understanding them as having legitimate biological differences that require accommodation and support.
By integrating body-based interventions with traditional cognitive and behavioral strategies, we can create environments where neurodivergent students not only survive but thrive. And isn't that what education should be about?
The next time you see a student struggling with emotional regulation, I encourage you to ask: What might their nervous system be trying to communicate? And how can I help them feel safe enough to learn?
