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Capacity Before Regulation: A Different Lens for Understanding Children's Behaviour
- Joure Rustemeyer
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Occupational therapists (OTs) frequently work with children who are described as 'unmotivated', 'oppositional', 'non-compliant', or 'lacking self-control'. A child refuses to get dressed, melts down during transitions, avoids classroom tasks, or appears unable to follow instructions.
Often, the immediate reflexive question is: "Why won't they do it?"
However, there may be a more useful question: "Do they currently have the capacity to do it?"
This shift may seem subtle, but it fundamentally changes how we understand behaviour, participation and intervention...
-Looking beyond behaviour-
Many interventions focus on helping children develop better regulation, emotional control, or behavioural compliance. While these skills are undoubtedly important, they often assume that the child has sufficient resources available to access them.
