Self-regulation and toxic stress: Foundations for understanding self-regulation from an applied developmental perspective

Katie Rosanbalm is trained as a child clinical and quantitative psychologist. Her work focuses on program implementation and evaluation in the areas of early childhood systems, self-regulation development, child welfare, and trauma-sensitive schools. She has conducted longitudinal evaluations of child welfare reform, early childhood Systems of Care, and prevention/intervention programs for mental health and education.

Rosanbalm co-authored a series of white papers on self-regulation development from birth through early adulthood. She has also served on multiple state-level boards and task forces to strengthen the evidence-based implementation of programs for children and families.

Rosanbalm currently leads several ongoing evaluation projects, including:

• Incredible Years Dinosaur School, a randomized controlled trial of self-regulation interventions in 120 N.C. PreK classrooms
• Partnering for Excellence, a program to improve the integration of child mental health services into child welfare
• Resilience and Learning, a partnership with the Public School Forum to develop and implement a trauma-sensitive school model in North Carolina
• ITTI Care, a professional development framework to provide training and coaching on trauma-informed care to caregivers in infant/toddler classrooms.

COVID-19 Resources

Rosanbalm recently created a webinar, Self-Care: How to Combat Stress with Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic. She also shared a resource for people living with domestic violence during stay-at-home orders.

Tip Sheets on Supporting the Development of Self-Regulation in Young Children

Co-authored by Katie Rosanbalm for the Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Explore these tips for helping caregivers use co-regulation to support development of self-regulation skills in preschoolers and young children in home settings.

• Tips for Promoting Self-Regulation when Working with Infants
• Tips for Promoting Self-Regulation when Working with Toddlers
• Tips for Promoting Self-Regulation when Working with Preschoolers
• Tips for Promoting Self-Regulation when Working with Young Children in Home Settings

• Child Maltreatment
• Self-Regulation
• Trauma-Sensitive Schools
• Program Evaluation
• Early Childhood