Cognitive Roots Coaching
FREE RESOURCE FROM ASHLEY MONTIJO, OTR/L
The Regulation Roadmap
A starting point for understanding your child's sensory and regulation patterns, straight from today's session.
This is the same worksheet I use with families in my practice. It walks you through your child's sensory preferences, their personal dysregulation signals, and how to build interoception, the foundation every other executive function skill sits on top of.
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Why we start with regulation, not skills
Most approaches to executive function try to build skills directly. Teach the planner. Set the timer. Reward the follow-through. That can work for a little while, but it doesn't hold.
Executive function skills don't grow in isolation. Think of it like a tree. Regulation is the roots, working memory is the trunk, and skills like planning, flexibility, and follow-through are the branches. If the roots aren't steady, the branches can't hold weight, no matter how many strategies you stack on top.
A dysregulated nervous system can't access thinking skills. That's not a discipline problem or a motivation problem. It's how the body and brain work.
WHAT'S INSIDE THE GUIDE
Three ways to start noticing your child's patterns
This isn't a list to memorize. It's a worksheet to fill out with your own child in mind. There are no right answers, the goal is simply to start paying attention. Once you can see the pattern, you can start working with it instead of against it.
1. Sensory Preferences
Map out whether your child seeks more input or gets overwhelmed by it, across touch, sound, movement, and more. This tells you what their nervous system actually needs.
2. Dysregulation Signals
Identify the specific signs your child shows before a meltdown builds. These are your cues to step in and co-regulate before the cup overflows.
3. Interoception Check-In
Learn simple ways to ask your child what their body is telling them, instead of telling them how they feel. This is the skill that helps kids catch their own signals over time.
YOUR GUIDE
Hi, I'm Ashley.
I'm a licensed occupational therapist and the founder of Cognitive Roots Coaching. I've spent over eight years working with kids and families who feel like they've tried everything and nothing sticks.
The reason is almost always the same: we're trying to build the branches before the roots are strong enough to hold them. At Cognitive Roots, helping kids and teens feel regulated and ready to learn comes first. From there, we build the executive function skills that support success at home, at school, and beyond.
This worksheet is where I start with every family. It's simple, but it's grounded in how the nervous system actually works. I hope it helps you feel a little less alone in this, and gives you a real place to start.
Ready to start noticing the pattern?
Get the Regulation Roadmap in your inbox and start using it with your child today.
Cognitive Roots Coaching · Ashley Montijo, OTR/L · cognitiverootscoaching.com
