A Neuroaffirming approach to the Alert Program!

Fast speed? Slow speed? Just Right? 

The Alert Program®, often known as "How Does Your Engine Run?", was developed in the 1990s by occupational therapists Mary Sue Williams and Sherry Shellenberger. It was created to help children develop awareness of their levels of alertness and learn strategies to regulate their energy, attention, and participation across different environments.

It is a program that I've used for many years.  Over the years, I've adapted it and tweaked it as I've gained a deeper understanding of regulation, interoception, sensory strategies and neuroaffirming practice. Before I share these, let's take a look at the Alert Program® fundamentals. 

The program uses the metaphor of an engine to help children understand their internal state:

• Low speed – tired, sluggish, low energy
• Just Right speed – alert, engaged, ready for participation
• High speed – energetic, excited, overwhelmed, or restless

Rather than focusing solely on behaviour, the Alert Program encourages children to notice how their bodies feel and identify strategies that help them participate in daily activities.

The Alert Program® teaches:

1. Self-awareness – noticing body signals and levels of alertness.
2. Self-regulation – recognising when changes may be helpful.
3. Strategy selection – learning what sensory, movement, environmental, or cognitive supports work for the individual.
4. Independence – gradually developing the ability to monitor and support one's own regulation.

The Developmental Pyramid
​The Alert Program® is closely linked to sensory integration theory and the concept that higher-level skills are built upon foundational body systems.  The Pyramid of Learning by Taylor and Trott (1991) was published  in "How does your Engine run? A leader's guide to The Alert Program® for Self-Regulation" by Williams and Shellenberger. Permission to publish this diagram here at Your Kids OT was obtained by Maryann Trott directly in October 2018. 

The Pyramid of Learning (read more HERE) is a way of looking at the whole child. The very foundation of the pyramid is a child's central nervous system which is closely linked to their sensory systems. Adequate sensorimotor development is built on adequate registration and processing of sensory information (from the tactile, vestibular, proprioception, olfactory, visual, auditory and gustatory systems). Sensory motor development includes postural security, awareness of two sides of the body, motor planning, body scheme, reflex maturity and ability to screen input. This then supports perceptual motor development including eye-hand coordination, ocular motor control, postural adjustment, auditory language skills, visual-spatial perception and attention center functions.   

It is important that sensory strategies are developed based on a child's sensory preferences.  Read more below when we talk about strengths. 

A Neuroaffirming Perspective
 There are a number of ways to use the Alert Program® with a neuro-affirming approach. If you want to read more about what "neuroaffirming" means, read this article. 

* "just right for...."
​In neuroaffirming practice, many therapists emphasise that the goal is not to make every child achieve a "just right" state, but to help them understand their own patterns of regulation, and make choices that support participation and wellbeing.  This means acknowledging and understanding that "just right" can appear differently in children and across activities. Therapists, teachers and parents can help children to work out the optimal arousal for daily tasks such as getting ready for school, participation in the classroom, joining in with a sports activity, going to bed, etc. 
 
* Body Awareness and Interoception
To help children to develop self-awareness, an understanding of their own body signals, and levels of arousal; occupational therapists have incorporated interoception skills (read more HERE) into the Developmental Pyramid discussed previously. Interoception helps children recognise the body signals that contribute to a low, medium, or high engine speeds. Body scan meditation can help children to develop mindfulness about their current arousal and alert levels. It may highlight body signals such as breathing, heart rate, muscle tension, temperature, emotions and energy. 

You can ask:

• "How does your body feel?"
• "What helps when your engine feels like this?"
• "What do you notice?"

I've used the pages from my Body Scan Check resource, adding them to a paper plate to make a "steering wheel". Some children have loved the extension of the "engine" analogy as the steering wheel is the "control" for adjusting their body (ie. engine). See the image above and video.  Children “drive their engines” by identifying their body signals and noticing what levels of arousal they have. Sometimes this is done retrospectively rather than in the moment to reflect on “how was your body feeling?”. We use the steering wheel to notice body signals and identify engine speeds. We then flip the plate over to check strategies that we can use to change our engine speeds if that it is needed.

* Self-awareness not behaviour management
We can  move away from "right" and "wrong" engine speeds. 
Instead of:

• "Your engine is too high."
• "You need to calm down."

You can try:

• "Is your engine running fast?"
• "What is your body telling you it needs?"
• "Is this engine speed working for what you're doing?"

• "Would you like movement, quiet, or sensory input?"
• "What usually helps your engine?"
• "Do you want help or would you like to try something yourself?"

* Engine Analogy? One Metaphor does not fit all!
The authors acknowledge that the engine anology is just one way to describe how alert somone might feel.  They suggest that therapists search for words that have meaning to children (or adults) using this program such as using colours, animals, special interests, etc.  Have you made one of these adaptions? 

Allow children to develop their own descriptions of their internal experiences such a busy, sleepy, excited, focused, overloaded, energised, calm, tense, cruising, etc. 

* Executive Functioning Strategy
We can incorporate an executive functioning strategy together with the Alert Program®. In previous articles, I have shared a traffic light strategy (read more HERE) which we can adapt... to encourage children to pause, be aware, and make choice.
You could introduce the traffic light as:
🛑 STOP – Notice my body clues.
🟡 THINK – What is my body telling me?
🟢 GO – Choose what might help.

The traffic light works really well with the "engine analogy" and our "steering wheel" mentioned previously. 

​* Strengths Based Approach
We can use a child's sensory preferences to identify their strengths (read more HERE). We can help them to build self-awareness and help them to advocate for themselves as needed. A strengths-based approach is important. It helps us to see our children with understanding and appreciate what they are naturally drawn to but it also helps us to know how to support them. As parents, educators and therapists, we want our children to not only survive but to thrive. 

Some children will find it difficult to recognise their own body signals and sensory strategies that might be helpful. It is important that adults are aware of coregulation and the importance of "sharing your calm".  Find out more about sensory profiles, strengths and co-regulation strategies in the Sensory Profiling Guidebook. 

When using the Alert Program®, it can be helpful to ask:

• Are we teaching self-awareness or compliance?
• Are we helping the child understand themselves or fit our expectations?
• Are we changing the child, the environment, or both?
• Does this strategy support the child's participation and wellbeing?

The purpose of the Alert Program® is not to teach children to be calm, quiet, or compliant. It is to help them understand their unique patterns of regulation, recognise what they need, and develop strategies that support participation in the activities that matter to them.
​

Support children to build self-awareness, interoception, and self-advocacy with this neuroaffirming approach to the Alert Program. This resource pack includes a child-friendly speedometer, visual supports, and a social story designed to help children understand their engine speeds and recognise the body clues associated with slow, just right, and fast states.
Using a simple traffic light framework--Stop, Think, Go—children learn to notice their body signals, reflect on what their bodies may need, and choose supportive strategies that work for them. Rather than focusing on behaviour management, this resource promotes self-understanding, autonomy, and participation.
Perfect for occupational therapists, educators, and families supporting children to develop regulation skills through a strengths-based, neuroaffirming lens. Get your copy of "My Engine and Me" at the Your Kids OT Shop or TPT store (coming soon). 

---

The Alert Program® is not about changing children or making them fit a particular expectation. It is about helping them to develop awareness of their own body signals, understand what those signals mean, and discover strategies that support their participation in everyday life. Just as a car needs different speeds for different roads, children need different engine speeds throughout the day depending on the activity, environment, and how they are feeling. By using the traffic light approach to stop, think, and respond to body clues, children can build interoception, self-awareness, and self-advocacy skills. When children learn to listen to their bodies and identify what helps them, they develop the confidence and tools to participate in ways that work for them.

Are you using the Alert Program in a neuroaffirming way? I would love to hear your approach!

Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a contributing author of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. ​​​
YKOT shop:  https://www.yourkidsot.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Your-Kids-Ot
You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZUz_5nYEOCkj32DiOCQo4Q/featured
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourkidsot/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/yourkidsot/

---