Session 3F
Tracks
Track 6
| Friday, October 30, 2026 |
| 2:00 PM - 3:35 PM |
| Meeting room P9, Plaza Level |
Overview
Meeting room P9
Speaker
Dr Dianne Blackwell
Post Doctoral Research Fellow
Otarc - La Trobe University
Supporting traumatised students in the classroom through the SelfSense self-regulation program.
2:00 PM - 2:45 PMAbstract
Aim:
To present the impact of SelfSense, a whole class self-regulation program co-delivered by occupational therapists and teachers, on student and teacher self-regulation.
Background/Context:
Meaningful self-regulation requires three foundational capacities: body awareness, co-regulation with a trusted adult, and language to describe internal experiences. For students affected by trauma, disrupted interoceptive processing can compromise all three.
SelfSense is a whole-class, three-stage program, grounded in the Alert Program® framework. It supports all students to recognise internal readiness to learn and to develop a personalised toolkit of sensory and movement strategies to optimise engagement. Delivered universally within the classroom, SelfSense avoids withdrawal models and embeds support within everyday learning environments.
Qualitative interviews identified four trauma-aligned mechanisms through which SelfSense strengthens these foundational capacities: predictable routines that promote felt safety; relational co-regulation through modelling; shared, non-stigmatising language for internal states; and enhanced teacher capacity.
Relevance:
These mechanisms align with core trauma-aware principles of safety, relational connection, and agency. SelfSense adopts a bottom-up approach, supporting students to understand and respond to their internal states, over relying on externally imposed behaviour management strategies.
Contribution:
This study demonstrates how OT–teacher co-teaching can embed trauma-aware, agency-centred practice at a universally, offering a scalable and inclusive model for primary education.
Description:
The workshop outlines SelfSense’s design, implementation and impact, showing how co-facilitation enables trauma-aware practice to be embedded within everyday classroom contexts.
Engagement:
Participants will explore interoception and self-regulation through SelfSense activities, reflect on applications to their own context, and take away practical tools for immediate implementation.
To present the impact of SelfSense, a whole class self-regulation program co-delivered by occupational therapists and teachers, on student and teacher self-regulation.
Background/Context:
Meaningful self-regulation requires three foundational capacities: body awareness, co-regulation with a trusted adult, and language to describe internal experiences. For students affected by trauma, disrupted interoceptive processing can compromise all three.
SelfSense is a whole-class, three-stage program, grounded in the Alert Program® framework. It supports all students to recognise internal readiness to learn and to develop a personalised toolkit of sensory and movement strategies to optimise engagement. Delivered universally within the classroom, SelfSense avoids withdrawal models and embeds support within everyday learning environments.
Qualitative interviews identified four trauma-aligned mechanisms through which SelfSense strengthens these foundational capacities: predictable routines that promote felt safety; relational co-regulation through modelling; shared, non-stigmatising language for internal states; and enhanced teacher capacity.
Relevance:
These mechanisms align with core trauma-aware principles of safety, relational connection, and agency. SelfSense adopts a bottom-up approach, supporting students to understand and respond to their internal states, over relying on externally imposed behaviour management strategies.
Contribution:
This study demonstrates how OT–teacher co-teaching can embed trauma-aware, agency-centred practice at a universally, offering a scalable and inclusive model for primary education.
Description:
The workshop outlines SelfSense’s design, implementation and impact, showing how co-facilitation enables trauma-aware practice to be embedded within everyday classroom contexts.
Engagement:
Participants will explore interoception and self-regulation through SelfSense activities, reflect on applications to their own context, and take away practical tools for immediate implementation.
Biography
Dr. Dianne Blackwell is a researcher at OTARC, La Trobe University, and a registered occupational therapist specialising in neurodivergent support and self-regulation. Her research focuses on emotion regulation in autism, with an emphasis on neurodiversity-affirming, agency-centred practices. Dianne completed her PhD exploring emotion regulation in autism from the perspectives of multiple stakeholders. Her research and clinical practice includes the Alert Program and SelfSense, and she has contributed to peer-reviewed publications on self-regulation, emotion regulation, and assessment tool development. As both a researcher and a neurodivergent professional, she brings a distinctive lived and clinical perspective to this work. In this session, Dianne brings a research and practice lens to the SelfSense program and its role in supporting regulation and learning for all students.
Dr Kelsey Philpott-Robinson
La Trobe University
Co-presenter
Biography
Dr Kelsey Philpott‑Robinson is a Post‑Doctoral Research Fellow at the OTARC, La Trobe University, and a registered occupational therapist. Her research focuses on self‑regulation, child mental health, and interdisciplinary, school‑based approaches to supporting student wellbeing. Kelsey completed her PhD in 2023, exploring how self‑regulation is understood and applied in practice. With experience across education and health settings, her work emphasises translating evidence into practical, trauma‑informed classroom strategies. In this session, Kelsey brings a research and practice lens to the SelfSense program and its role in supporting regulation and learning for students who have experienced trauma.
Dr Anne Southall
Senior Lecturer
La Trobe University
Co-presenter
Biography
Dr Anne Southall is a Senior Lecturer in Inclusive Education and Trauma in the School of Education at La Trobe University. With over 30 years’ experience across mainstream and specialist school settings in Australia and the UK, including leadership roles, her work focuses on trauma-aware, relational, and inclusive pedagogies. Anne’s research sits at the intersection of educator wellbeing, critical reflection, and system-level change, with a particular emphasis on professional learning that bridges theory and practice. She is the developer of the Reflective Circle Education Model (RCEM), a peer supervision framework designed to support educator capacity, self-regulation, and trauma transformation in complex educational contexts. Anne also leads research on transdisciplinary approaches to self-regulation and has developed innovative arts-based professional learning, including the theatre production Biting the Hand. She works in partnership with schools, systems, and community organisations to embed sustainable, trauma-aware practice.
Ms Julia Delaney
Content And Curriculum Manager
Grow Your Mind
Grab 5 minutes: Building Low-Arousal Transitions & Sensory Strategies for Wellbeing for Lower Primary Students
2:50 PM - 3:35 PMAbstract
Aim
To equip educators with practical, low-arousal transition and sensory strategies that proactively support wellbeing and engagement in lower primary classrooms.
Background/Context
This workshop is designed by primary school teachers for primary school teachers on the ground. Schools are busy places; this interactive workshop will help participants plan and embed practices that take less than 5 minutes throughout the day. There is no magic here, just simple, embedded practices that support regulation. In contrast, transition times are often high-stimulation moments that can trigger stress responses, particularly for students impacted by trauma or sensory sensitivities. Research highlights the importance of predictability, co-regulation, and proactive wellbeing practices.
Relevance
This session centres trauma-aware practice by focusing on prevention rather than reaction. It demonstrates how everyday classroom routines can reduce dysregulation and support emotional safety for all students.
Contribution
This masterclass offers scalable, whole-class approaches that shift the focus from individual self-regulation to shared, embedded practices. It provides realistic, classroom-tested strategies that can be implemented immediately.
Description
Participants will engage in hands-on activities, including designing a transition flow chart and creating a classroom sensory approach that integrates movement, mindfulness, and co-regulation.
Engagement
The session is interactive and grounded in real classroom scenarios, with opportunities for reflection, collaboration, and practical application.
Keywords
trauma-aware practice, sensory regulation, co-regulation, primary education, student wellbeing
To equip educators with practical, low-arousal transition and sensory strategies that proactively support wellbeing and engagement in lower primary classrooms.
Background/Context
This workshop is designed by primary school teachers for primary school teachers on the ground. Schools are busy places; this interactive workshop will help participants plan and embed practices that take less than 5 minutes throughout the day. There is no magic here, just simple, embedded practices that support regulation. In contrast, transition times are often high-stimulation moments that can trigger stress responses, particularly for students impacted by trauma or sensory sensitivities. Research highlights the importance of predictability, co-regulation, and proactive wellbeing practices.
Relevance
This session centres trauma-aware practice by focusing on prevention rather than reaction. It demonstrates how everyday classroom routines can reduce dysregulation and support emotional safety for all students.
Contribution
This masterclass offers scalable, whole-class approaches that shift the focus from individual self-regulation to shared, embedded practices. It provides realistic, classroom-tested strategies that can be implemented immediately.
Description
Participants will engage in hands-on activities, including designing a transition flow chart and creating a classroom sensory approach that integrates movement, mindfulness, and co-regulation.
Engagement
The session is interactive and grounded in real classroom scenarios, with opportunities for reflection, collaboration, and practical application.
Keywords
trauma-aware practice, sensory regulation, co-regulation, primary education, student wellbeing
Biography
Julia Delaney is an experienced primary educator and wellbeing advocate with over a decade in the classroom, complemented by roles in the sports industry and corporate People and Culture. She is passionate about helping schools embed wellbeing through simple, everyday practices, viewing it as an ongoing journey rather than a fixed outcome. Her areas of interest include neurodiversity, belonging, inclusion, and building positive team cultures that support both staff and students to thrive.
As Content and Curriculum Manager at Grow Your Mind, Julia leads the development of evidence-informed curriculum and professional learning, supporting educators to integrate mental health education into daily practice. Known for her engaging and authentic approach, she values connection and brings warmth, energy, and a sense of fun to her work, whether through storytelling, collaboration, or a well-timed kitchen disco.
Mrs Sarah Jones
Learning Enhancement And Wellbeing Coordinator
Highfields
Co-presenter
Biography
