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FAQs
How do I teach my child to calm down during a meltdown?
Start by co-regulating—stay calm, use a soft voice, and help them breathe. Skills come later.
Is dysregulation the same as bad behavior?
No. Dysregulation signals a stressed nervous system, not a lack of discipline.
Can teens still learn self-regulation?
Absolutely. Their brains are highly changeable with practice and support.
How much stress is healthy for kids?
Moderate, age-appropriate stress builds resilience, while extreme stress overwhelms.
When your child is struggling, time matters.
Don’t wait and wonder—use the Solution Matcher to get clear next steps, based on what’s actually going on with your child’s brain and behavior.
Take the quiz at www.drroseann.com/help
Self-regulation doesn’t start with handing a child a coping skill and expecting them to use it in the middle of a meltdown. Kids first need enough nervous system capacity—and repeated experiences of co-regulation—to access those strategies when stress rises.
In The Dysregulated Kid®, I show parents how to build regulation from the bottom up so breathing, movement, sensory tools, and coping skills become more usable when they’re actually needed. Regulation first is what turns a strategy into a skill. Get The Dysregulated Kid® at dysregulatedkid.com (https://dysregulatedkid.com/).
Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge is a licensed therapist, certified school psychologist, and leading expert in emotional dysregulation in children. With over 30 years of experience, she helps parents understand the root causes of meltdowns, anxiety, ADHD, and challenging behavior through the lens of nervous system regulation. Dr. Roseann teaches practical, science-backed strategies for co-regulation and how to calm a dysregulated child using her Regulation First Parenting® approach. She is the host of the Dysregulated Kids Podcast and author of The Dysregulated Kid.
Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge
Emotional Dysregulation in Children & Nervous System Expert
Regulation First Parenting® | CALMS Protocol™
Host of the Dysregulated Kids Podcast (Top 1% Globally)
Author of The Dysregulated Kid
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Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge: Helping Families of Dysregulated Kids Thrive Through Regulation First Parenting®
As the creator of Regulation First Parenting®, she’s helping families of dysregulated kids discover a compassionate, brain-based path forward. Through The Dysregulated Kids™ Podcast (top 2% globally), she offers practical strategies that help parents understand their child’s brain and support lasting change.
Through The Global Institute of Children’s Mental Health and Dr. Roseann, LLC, she’s created resources like the Neurotastic® Brain Formulas and the Regulation First Parenting® framework—meeting families where they are and supporting them through challenges like ADHD, anxiety, OCD, PANS/PANDAS, and behavioral struggles.
Recognized by Forbes as “a thought leader in children’s mental health,” Dr. Roseann is changing how we understand emotional dysregulation in children—one family at a time.
