The Link Between Self-Regulation and Academic Achievement
We often talk about academic success in terms of skills like reading comprehension, math fluency, or content knowledge. But beneath all of that lies something less visible and often overlooked: self-regulation. For students with disabilities, and honestly, for all learners, self-regulation can be the difference between simply knowing something and being able to demonstrate it.
Self-regulation refers to a student’s ability to manage their emotions, behavior, and attention in order to work toward a goal. It's the internal system that helps a student stay calm when frustrated, resist distractions, persist through a difficult task, or shift gears when plans change. Without it, even the most capable student might struggle to perform at their best.
When self-regulation is strong, students are more likely to engage meaningfully in learning. They can follow multi-step directions, participate in group work, manage transitions, and cope with mistakes, all essential for academic growth. But when self-regulation is underdeveloped or unsupported, it often shows up as off-task behavior, shutdowns, or emotional outbursts. These behaviors are not signs of laziness or defiance—they’re indicators that a foundational skill is missing.
Students with disabilities, particularly those with ADHD, autism, or emotional and behavioral disorders, often experience challenges in self-regulation. These challenges can create a significant barrier to learning, not because students don’t understand the content, but because they cannot access or demonstrate their knowledge when their regulation systems are overwhelmed.
Consider a student who knows how to solve a math problem but panics during timed tests. Or a student who has strong reading skills but struggles to stay seated or focused during independent work. In both cases, the barrier to achievement isn’t academic—it’s self-regulatory.
That’s why we can’t separate academic success from emotional and behavioral regulation. If we want students to grow academically, we have to teach and support self-regulation alongside core content. That means:
Embedding self-regulation strategies into daily routines (like brain breaks, check-ins, or visual timers)
Teaching coping skills explicitly, not just when a crisis occurs
Providing tools such as fidgets, calm corners, or reflection sheets to help students manage their energy and emotions
Modeling regulation—how adults respond to stress, mistakes, and frustration sends a powerful message
It also requires rethinking how we define achievement. A student who used to shut down during writing time but now works for five minutes before asking for a break is making academic progress, even if the assignment is not complete. Growth in self-regulation often comes before noticeable academic improvement.
When classrooms prioritize regulation, they become more accessible. These supports do not just benefit students with IEPs or behavior plans, they help all learners. The self-regulation skills students develop influence how they manage group projects, prepare for assessments, and eventually handle real-world stress and responsibility.
Self-regulation is not a "nice-to-have" skill. It is a foundational academic skill. When schools help students build it, they improve more than just classroom behavior. They create conditions for deeper learning, stronger engagement, and long-term success.
Students who struggle the most often need support in more than just academic content. They need help developing the internal tools to access and apply that content. When we focus on building both, we don’t just raise test scores. We raise students.
