A free, one-page printable resource to help school staff understand what may be happening after a child has felt overwhelmed.
Rather than jumping straight to conclusions about behaviour, this visual guide encourages adults to get curious about the clues together — once the child feels settled enough to talk.
The resource uses five simple questions to explore:
- what happened just before
- what the child might have been thinking
- what they might have been feeling
- body clues and their protective Safety Alarm response
- what might help now
It begins with an important reminder to prioritise connection and co-regulation before questions when a child is still very overwhelmed.
Designed primarily for children aged 8–11, this resource can be used by ELSAs, SENCOs, teachers, pastoral staff and other adults supporting children in primary or junior school.
Useful for individual conversations, pastoral support, ELSA sessions or reflecting with a child after a difficult or overwhelming experience.
Created by Dr Sarah Cook, HCPC Registered Clinical Psychologist.
The Curious Brain Toolkit™ creates practical, child-friendly psychology resources that help children and the adults supporting them notice, understand and get curious about thoughts, feelings, body clues and behaviour.
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