Developing children’s self-regulation in the context of relationships: Theory, research, and practical strategies.

The ability to regulate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors is the cornerstone for healthy development. Trauma exposure can have a cascading effect on regulatory pathways. Research shows that caregivers can buffer these effects. This session will introduce research on the development of self-regulation and provide strategies for promoting social-emotional development within the context of relationships, such as caregivers, peers, teachers, case workers.

Dr. Katie Stone is a clinical child psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota Medical School. She received her Ph.D. in clinical child psychology from the University of Kansas. Her predoctoral internship was completed at the Medical University of South Carolina and her postdoctoral fellowship was at the University of Minnesota Medical School. In line with a systems-based framework, her research and clinical work focus on the influence of interpersonal trauma and caregiver disruptions on neurodevelopment and self-regulation during early childhood.