the just right state
Understanding what helps us feel 'just right’
A sensory and attachment-informed framework for noticing different states of regulation and exploring what may help a child feel ready for what they need to do.
understanding emotional regulation
finding the just right state
Sometimes a child may feel highly alert, overwhelmed or on edge. At other times they may feel flat, shut down or find it difficult to engage. Regulation is not about expecting somebody to be calm all the time. Different situations need different levels of energy and alertness.
The Just Right State programme, part of the Sensory Attachment Intervention model, gives children and adults a shared way to explore those changing states. Published programme information describes the children’s work as using sensory activities and food to develop awareness of emotional states and behaviour and to explore simple tools that support self-regulation. It also uses the Scared Gang characters to represent different survival and attachment patterns in a more accessible way.
From noticing to understanding
and from co-regulation towards self-regulation
A child cannot always explain what is happening inside their body or why a situation suddenly feels too much. Sensory and attachment-informed approaches can give adults another way to notice patterns: what seems to increase alertness, what helps a child organise themselves, when they need more input, when they may need less, and what role the relationship with the adult plays.
The aim is not to prescribe one sensory strategy for everybody. It is to develop awareness and a shared language, then explore what may help the individual child reach a state that works for what they need to do - whether that is learning, connecting with other people, taking part in an activity, resting or sleeping.
This fits Rubicon’s wider emphasis on co-regulation. Children often need regulated, attuned adults alongside them before independent self-regulation becomes possible.
The Just Right State at Rubicon
At Rubicon, understanding the Just Right State helps inform everyday life in the homes. Sensory experiences and opportunities are considered throughout the day - through activities, the environment, routines and even things such as lunchboxes and snacks.
The Just Right State can also be delivered as a specific programme with a child and carer, or ideally with a group of children. It provides a structured way to explore different states of regulation, recognise what those states might feel like and discover strategies that can help.
As with the other approaches we use, it isn't about expecting every child to respond in the same way. It gives children and the adults around them another way to understand what they may be experiencing and what could help.
what people say about rubicon
There Is No One Right Way to Feel.