Page 12 - The Empowerment Approach Evidence Chart

Element of Key Points from Evidence Base What this means for those supporting Key tools/resources developed within Leading experts working in the field

Programme young people & their families our programme related to this
Understanding We all have different sensory needs. Some children experience over or under ▪ A Child’s View of Sensory Processing Sharon Heller
& Reducing responsiveness to different sensory stimuli. Disorder Carol Stock Kranowitz
Some children experience sensory
Stressors: processing difficulties and can be In busy families and classrooms, this can pose ▪ Range of Sensory equipment explored
Physical & a significant challenge and create significant ▪ Cups of Need: Sensory See also the work of Stuart Shanker and
either over or under responsive.
Sensory Needs stressors. ▪ Proprioception Activities for Inside and stressor domains.
&Stressors Children with sensory processing Out
issues need to be supported to Knowing your sensory needs puts a person in ▪ Strategies for Supporting Sensory Colleen Beck

understand their sensory needs and control to have their needs met well. Children Needs guidance https://www.theottoolbox.com/
find the most effective strategies and need to understand their own needs so they
scaffolds to ensure their needs are met can communicate these to those around
well and stressors are reduced. them positively rather than deregulating.

The Invisible Much behaviour is unconsciously By identifying mistaken beliefs, we can ▪ Emotional (green) needs cards – the Big Alfred Adler
Drivers: driven by key unmet emotional needs. support children in securing their needs in Five Rudolf Dreikurs (see reading list)
Emotional When these key needs are not met more helpful ways. ▪ Mistaken Beliefs chart Dr Jane Nelsen
Needs & sufficiently well, behaviour can be Knowing these subconscious mistaken beliefs ▪ Scaling Tool https://www.positivediscipline.com/
Stressors driven by ‘mistaken beliefs’. also enables us to respond to behaviour in a ▪ Fill Cups Action Plan template

way that promotes emotional well-being and ▪ Circles of Control model
preserves self-concept and does not reinforce ▪ Memory Messages model

the mistaken belief or drive unhelpful ▪ Positive Strokes model
behaviours further.
Understanding The importance of Emotional Literacy We need to support our children in being ▪ Exploring how emotions are formed – Professor Lisa Feldman-Barrett

& Reducing Recognising (through the affect scale) body aware and recognising bodily taking charge of the brain https://lisafeldmanbarrett.com/
Stressors: and describing emotions precisely sensations. This is the first step to managing ▪ Emotion scenarios match game
Emotional (granulation) is an essential factor in emotions successfully. ▪ Emotions & the brain - video Prof Daniel Siegel:
Needs effective emotional regulation. (Lisa Children need to be supported in developing ▪ The Giant Affect Scale game: ‘Warm https://www.drdansiegel.com/
Feldman-Barrett). the language to describe feelings precisely. fuzzies & cold pricklies’
Body awareness and emotional This is the second step towards emotional ▪ Using the Affect Scale to improve
literacy is key in supporting young regulation (‘Name it to tame it’). emotion vocabulary.
people in improving emotional The Affect Scale enables children to have a

regulation (Daniel Siegel: ‘You’ve got structure for starting to identify unpleasant
to name it to tame it’). and pleasant feelings and recognise the level
of arousal within these emotions.
Understanding We have a mammalian brain The release of these chemicals can be ▪ Feel Good Chemicals & The Feel Good Loretta Graziano Breuning

& Reducing chemistry: achieved in ways that are unhelpful. Dogs Model https://innermammalinstitute.org/
Stressors: Some specific chemicals, when If we know what feel good chemicals our ▪ Linking Feel Good Chemicals with our
Emotional released from the brain, help us to feel body and brain gain from unhelpful Green Emotional Needs cards.
Needs good. They are not released constantly behaviours (i.e. how the unhelpful benefits ▪ Feel Good Chemical: Helpful &
and we are therefore driven to seek us), we are in a good position to substitute Unhelpful charts
more. them for more helpful ways. Knowing the ▪ Dopamine Dots Model
Feel Good Chemicals puts one in the driving ▪ Parachute of Support Model
seat to make positive changes. ▪ Positive Strokes Model