Emotional regulation

In the following video (7 minutes, 28 seconds) practitioners and parents with lived experience discuss the importance of supporting emotional regulation following disasters.

Regulation refers to a person’s ability to manage their own emotional state in the context of what’s happening around them and how their body is responding. Infants and children need adults to help them regulate their emotions in a process known as ‘co-regulation’ through their relationships with safe and nurturing adults. While co-regulation is crucial for children, over time they rely less on adults for this support as they develop their own emotional regulation strategies.

In the context of disasters, regulation is an important infant and child mental health focus for both children and the adults supporting them. Young children will still be developing the ability to regulate their emotions so they need extra support from adults in the short and long term to cope with emotions related to the disaster and its aftermath.

Children often communicate the need for support with emotional regulation through their behaviour. For some children, this manifests as externalising behaviours, such as yelling, running away, hitting and displaying increased agitation or temper outbursts. These overt reactions are direct expressions of overwhelming emotions and a cry for help. For others, the need for regulation support is communicated through internalising behaviours, which are less visible. These may include persistent worrying, feelings of guilt or shame, moodiness, changes in sleep patterns, a loss of interest in enjoyable activities and excessive perfectionism. Children who internalise their emotions might seem compliant and calm on the surface, masking their distress and making it harder to recognise their need for support. For example, they might withdraw socially, become quieter or isolate themselves from peers and family members as they struggle to process their emotions and understand what has happened. Whether externalising or internalising their distress, these actions signal a child’s struggle to process and manage their emotions and highlight the importance of providing them with appropriate support and strategies for emotional regulation.

Adults, including parents, educators and other professionals, also face challenges in self-regulation, especially after a disaster. Their ability to manage their own emotions and demonstrate self-regulation is crucial, as children often look to the adults around them as models of behaviour. When adults model calmness and self-regulation, it provides children with a behavioural template for managing their own emotions. Conversely, if adults are visibly distressed or unable to regulate their own emotions, it can exacerbate children’s anxieties and difficulties.

Therefore, it is essential for adults to prioritise their own wellbeing as a part of supporting children. By managing their own stress and modelling effective emotion regulation strategies, adults can create a more stable and reassuring environment for children. This approach not only supports the child’s emotional recovery but also helps in maintaining a healthier overall atmosphere for both children and adults.

Being able to calm, self-soothe and regulate emotions helps to reduce physiological arousal levels. This is important because sustained levels of heightened arousal – such as a racing heart, shallow breathing, hyper-alertness and constant scanning for risk – can impede healthy recovery after a disaster. High arousal and intense emotions increase the risk of toxic stress, potentially causing post-traumatic stress and other mental health issues. It is essential to help children co-regulate and teach them effective emotional regulation strategies for their wellbeing and recovery. Various concepts are used in education and child development contexts to explain regulation, such as Zones of Regulation.

Why emotional regulation is important

The brain, mind and body are intricately connected, especially in children whose brains and bodies are rapidly developing. When a child perceives a threat or danger, the ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response is activated. This involves the amygdala, a small brain structure that triggers a release of adrenaline and cortisol hormones. These hormones prepare their body to either run, fight or hide. Once the threat is perceived to have passed these hormones typically disperse and the body returns to a state of equilibrium.

However, if a child continues to feel unsafe after the immediate threat has subsided, adrenaline and cortisol levels may remain elevated. Chronic exposure to these stress hormones can adversely affect the nervous system and organs, potentially leading to long-term physical and mental health issues. This ongoing stress can interfere with a child’s ability to regulate their emotions, impacting their relationships with caregivers, their engagement in daily activities, including participation in learning, and their overall wellbeing.

Understanding that emotional regulation involves both physical and emotional aspects is crucial. A child may not simply be able to ‘calm down’ on command; instead, targeted practices and support are necessary to help them with regulation.

Key practices

Connection and emotional regulation

Connection with other people is an important component of emotional regulation. If others around them are upset or agitated, infants and children are particularly susceptible to those energies. If an adult is struggling to regulate themselves, it may be helpful for someone else who is feeling calmer to hold and soothe the baby.

It is common for preschoolers to unconsciously match the arousal levels, moods and behaviours of their peers. Thus, supporting regulation in a group of children (who may all have been affected by the disaster) may require work at the group level as well as focusing on individuals.

School-aged children are able to see others who are upset and may be able to remain calm or empathise with that person without becoming overwhelmed themselves. Other children may mirror the distress and find it frightening to see others upset or agitated. This does not mean that parents should hide their responses from their children. But it often helps to reassure the child that they (the adult) will be OK, explain why they are upset and what they are doing to regulate their emotions.

Select the following headings to read more about practices that may support regulation through connection for infants and young children:

Supporting emotional regulation in group settings

Supporting emotional regulation at the group level is vital, especially in settings like schools, early childhood education and care or community gatherings. Co-regulation within groups of children can be influenced by the overall emotional tone, making it important for educators, caregivers and community members to create calming and supportive environments. For example, if many children in a group are anxious or upset, that anxiety can spread and make it harder for everyone else to stay calm. Conversely, if the group is generally calm and supported, being part of the group can help each child feel more secure and regulated. Activities such as community barbecues or gatherings that include both parents and children can foster a sense of safety and collective calm, helping to regulate the group as a whole.

Emotional literacy and regulation

Emotional literacy refers to being able to identify, name, express and share one’s feelings. This is a developing skill in early childhood, and an important tool for achieving regulation. It is important to help even pre-verbal infants begin to learn words for the emotions they experience. By observing their face and behaviour in a particular context you can provide feedback based on what you understand about how they are feeling. For example, ‘Oh, that was a loud noise! Did it give you a fright? It’s OK, that was just the dog barking.’  This technique is helpful with older children too.

After a stressful event like a disaster, children’s emotional responses (just like those of adults) may be more easily triggered and seem out of proportion to the immediate stimulus or situation. Infants and young children have a natural startle reflex and are more likely to jump with surprise. As children develop, they are usually less jumpy, but when exposed to a highly stressful situation they may still be hyper-alert so it is common for the reactiveness to return while cortisol and adrenaline are still in their systems. Staying attuned to their cues and assisting them to name their feelings can help children feel validated and cared for. By consistently noticing the child’s expressions of emotion, supporting them to name and share feelings and responding to their needs, this over-reactivity should settle over time.

Select the following headings for some practices to try:

Using resources for supporting emotional literacy such as emotion cards, books, puppets or other toys for pretend play, is particularly effective because they offer engaging, interactive ways for children to explore and articulate their emotions. Visual and tactile tools help make abstract concepts more concrete, allowing children to better understand and communicate their feelings. They can also create a shared language across households or learning communities. Engaging with these resources helps children connect with their emotions in a fun and meaningful way and supports adults in modelling and teaching emotional literacy.

It is also important to acknowledge that emotional literacy can be challenging for adults, particularly in highly stressful situations. Adults may struggle to identify and articulate their own emotions, which can impact their ability to model and support emotional literacy for children. If adults find it difficult to communicate effectively about emotions in the aftermath of a disaster, it may add to their own stress as well as that experienced by the children in their care.

Supporting adults in developing their own emotional literacy and providing strategies for managing their emotions can enhance their ability to support children. When adults can effectively identify, name, and express their own emotions, they are better equipped to help children navigate their feelings and develop their own emotional literacy skills.

Sensory-based practices for regulation

Infants are in the initial stages of developing cognition and language, which will later aid them in self-regulation. They rely on their senses for regulation and need adults to manage their surroundings and support them effectively. As children grow, body-based regulation techniques remain crucial. Toddlers and preschoolers continue to benefit from practices that support their physical and sensory needs. For older children, these practices evolve but remain essential in helping them manage stress and emotions effectively. In fact, adults can also benefit from these techniques, especially during challenging times like a disaster. Sensory-based techniques offer valuable support in managing physiological responses and emotional regulation for people of all ages, promoting overall wellbeing and resilience.

Sensory experiences

Threats are perceived through the senses: sights, sounds, smells, touch and tastes. To support regulation, it is important to reduce threat signals in the child’s environment, and as much as possible provide signals that help them feel safe and calm. While every child is unique, their individual experiences in life may link particular sensory signals with specific emotions, so start with general ideas about sensory signals and observe the child’s actual responses.

Threat signals may include:

• seeing frightened faces
• hearing loud noises such as sirens
• smelling or tasting smoke
• feeling rough or harsh textures.

Triggers that stem from potentially traumatic events, like a disaster, can be sensory based.  It is important to recognise that memories from disasters and traumatic experiences are often coded through the senses, and sometimes a memory will be more strongly connected with one sense than the others. This can make triggering from a specific sense more likely. For example, a child who experienced trauma related to sirens may have a heightened sensitivity to similar noises, such as a smoke alarm, which can evoke distressing memories and reactions. By understanding and addressing these sensory triggers, we can better support the child’s emotional and sensory regulation.

Depending on the sensory preferences and any sensitivities of the child you are supporting, soothing sensory signals that might be provided in a child’s environment include:

• Seeing friendly faces, gentle colours, reducing visual clutter in a busy environment, pleasant lighting and greenery.
• Hearing music (including singing) and soft sounds (wind chimes, ocean waves, birdsong).
• Smelling essential oils, flowers, baking, outdoor scents like a river, sea or forest (dependent on the child’s experience of any natural disasters).
• Tasting preferred foods, crunchy snacks and cold items such as iced water, ice pops, ice cream or cold smoothies.
• Touching soft cloths, light scarves, cushions, cuddly toys, swaddling (for infants), comfortable clothes, a comfortable light weight on chest or lap, and toys or objects with interesting contours.
• Movements like gentle rocking backwards and forwards, swinging on a swing or rocking in a hammock.

When implementing sensory-based regulation practices, it is crucial to consider each child’s individual sensory preferences and sensitivities and tailor strategies to these. Observing their verbal and non-verbal cues will help you to determine what helps them regulate effectively. Identifying and applying the most suitable approaches requires ongoing observation and adjustment. In some cases, seeking professional guidance from an occupational therapist can offer valuable insights and support in selecting and implementing effective sensory strategies.

Movement-based practices for regulation

Rocking, swinging or swaying can help calm an infant’s or young child’s nervous system without needing to involve cognition or language – although singing or chanting along to movements can enhance the sense of rhythm and repetition. Rhythmic movement can be comforting for older children too. Strategies to try include:

• rocking, swinging or swaying a baby gently and rhythmically in your arms while standing or sitting, perhaps in a rocking chair or using a cradle, pram or baby swing
• gently bouncing a baby up and down in your arms or on a bouncy surface like a trampoline
• helping a toddler or older child use a swing, see-saw, trampoline, hammock, rocker or stability ball
• activities like hopscotch, table tennis, or hula hooping
• tossing, bouncing or kicking balls
• dancing to rhythmic music or guided movement activities like a dance routine or yoga
• nursery rhymes, chanting and clapping games with toddlers and pre-schoolers (be prepared for young children to want the same rhyme over and over again – familiarity and predictability are part of the comforting effect)
• playing simple percussion instruments like drums or tambourines (providing a rhythmic outlet for their emotions and helping with regulation)
• riding a bike, scooter or skateboard – great ways for older children to manage stress and improve focus.

Body-based approaches for regulation

Toddlers, pre-schoolers and older children can benefit from gross motor activities that help process excess energy, encourage healthy breathing and help them feel present in the here-and-now. Gross motor activities benefit children by:

• providing joy and pleasure
• involving interesting textures and environments
• often requiring working together with other children and/or adults
• giving the child a sense of individual and collective mastery and success
• providing a ‘heavy work’ input that helps regulate the nervous system.

Deep pressure touch and proprioceptive activities are particularly effective in heavy work input because they provide natural calming and organising input to the nervous system. ‘Proprioception’ refers to the body’s ability to sense its position and movement in space through receptors in the muscles and joints. Activities that involve heavy work, like having a wheelbarrow race, climbing, crashing and jumping, help provide this type of input. This kind of sensory feedback helps children feel more grounded and aware of their body’s position, which can have a calming effect.

To maximise the benefits of body-based activities, it is useful to integrate additional strategies such as counting or singing. This can support breath activation and help regulate arousal levels, as some children may hold their breath during these activities, which can increase arousal.

Examples of such regulation activities include:

• Operating a parachute as a group (e.g. children underneath as the parachute is raised and lowered, working together to keep a ball on the parachute).
• Using a lycra tunnel or ‘body sock’ provides gentle, deep pressure touch as children crawl through or play inside it. This type of activity helps children feel enclosed and supported, which can be soothing and grounding.
• ‘Burrito wrap’, where the child is wrapped snugly in a large blanket or sheet, resembling a burrito. The firm pressure of the wrap can offer a sense of security and help the child feel grounded.
• ‘Hamburger’: This involves placing a child between two soft, cushioned surfaces, such as pillows or large stuffed animals, and gently pressing down. The pressure mimics the feeling of being in a ‘hamburger’, or the different ingredients in a hamburger, which some children find comforting and soothing.
• Obstacle courses with balancing, climbing, stepping stones and crawling through tunnels.
• Tasks like carrying heavy items, pushing or pulling resistance, or climbing on playground equipment offer proprioceptive input and help with self-regulation.
• Dancing, including with props like lycra bags, hoops or ribbons.
• Collective movement like running races, chasey, tunnel ball, Follow the Leader, Grandma’s Footsteps, Musical Statues, What’s the Time Mr Wolf?, Stuck in the Mud or Duck-Duck-Goose.
• Textured and scented playdough or clay and sensory bins filled with materials like rice, beans, or sand provide calming tactile experiences and allow children to engage in soothing, creative play.

Body mapping

Body mapping is another valuable and accessible activity for helping children understand and communicate their emotions. In this activity, a child sketches an outline of their own body and uses colours and drawing to represent where they feel different emotions. This approach encourages meaningful conversations between the child and the important adults in their life about what causes these feelings and what helps them manage them. The child and adult can then develop a joint plan for coping with big emotions.

The body mapping exercise can be adapted for different ages and settings. For younger children, using a teddy bear or doll to point out where different emotions are felt can be effective. In group settings, having one child lie down on butcher paper and tracing around them can be engaging and educational for the group. This technique allows children to visually express their internal experiences and fosters a collaborative approach to emotional support.

Fun, joy and laughter

While fun and joy may be thought of as emotional rather than body-based, there are strong physiological connections between enjoyment and regulation. When children experience fun and joy it releases endorphins, which help the amygdala to reset and counteract the corrosive effects of adrenaline and cortisol. Enjoyment has been found to reduce a child’s subjective experience of pain. Initiatives like Clown Doctors and therapeutic gaming in children’s hospitals are based on these neurobiological findings.

These activities demonstrate how amusement can aid in regulation by lifting a child from states of feeling lethargic and flat, calming heightened and frustrated emotions, and soothing feelings of panic or terror. Additionally, experiences of joy can enhance other regulatory mechanisms, such as fostering social connections and promoting mindfulness and presence in the moment.

Ways to help a child experience fun and joy after a disaster may include:

• Games and activities. The Birdie’s Tree online games and Fun with Birdie activity book help children experience fun and joy without denying or ignoring the difficult experiences they may have had.
• Singing, playing music, clapping, chanting and nursery rhymes, particularly those with a pay-off or punchline.
• Reading children’s stories that are designed to amuse, such as Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus or There’s a Hippopotamus on the Roof Eating Cake.
• Laughter yoga.
• Rhythmic drumming programs such as DRUMBEAT and Rhythm2Recovery, which use djembe drums to create engaging and therapeutic experiences.

Relaxation, breathing and mindfulness

Learning to manage one’s breathing is a powerful technique for regulation. Breathing often goes along with other relaxation techniques, so children can learn to control their bodies and breath in an integrated way. Holding a baby while deep breathing yourself can be particularly effective in helping them calm because it fosters co-regulation. Co-regulation occurs when the parent’s calmness and breathing pattern help the baby regulate their own emotions and physiological responses. This shared experience of calming can be especially soothing for infants.

Some commonly-used practices include:

• breathing techniques such as Rainbow Breathing, Five Finger Breathing, Belly Breathing
• child-focused yoga
• muscle relaxation.

In the book Relaxing with Birdie and associated online video, there are some examples of these strategies, such as ‘Floating Birdie’, ‘Spaghetti Muscles’ and yoga with Birdie.

Mindfulness refers to the ability to be fully present in the here-and-now, by shifting attention away from thinking to simply observing one’s breath, sensations, thoughts and feelings. Mindfulness techniques for children must take into account their developmental level, attention span and capacity for control over their own minds and bodies. Children tend to get better at implementing and maintaining mindfulness techniques as they grow and develop.

The following are some examples of practices suitable for children of different ages:

• Relaxing meditation techniques: such as visualisation (‘Fluffy Cloud’ in Relaxing with Birdie is a good example).
• Environmental listening: have the child lie down outside, close their eyes if they wish to and listen to the sounds they can hear around them, first up close, then further away.
• Visual focusing: watch something that has both repetitive and novel elements (e.g. native bees coming and going from their hive, fish moving in water, patterns forming in a lava lamp or kaleidoscope or paint swirled in water).
• Five senses noticing: ask the child to name five things they can see, four things they can hear, three things they can feel, two things they can smell and one thing they can taste.
• Combining movement with guided imagery: children follow along with a story or scenario while moving. This can help them regulate their emotions and engage their imagination. For example, singing the ‘Going on a bear hunt’ song while doing the actions of stomping on mud, swishing through grass, jumping over a stream and running from a bear.
• Taking mindful walks in natural environments: such as parks or gardens, which can offer children a soothing sensory experience and help them stay grounded. As they walk, encourage them to focus on the sights, sounds and sensations around them, such as the rustling leaves, chirping birds or the feel of the earth under their feet. It may be more appropriate to access spaces that were not impacted by the disaster if possible; however, visiting impacted places can be positive as the recovery of natural environments can be observed.
• The Bubble Mountain activity: use bubbles to help children practice deep breathing. By blowing bubbles and watching them float, children get a visual cue that encourages exhalation and helps them regulate their breathing. The materials for Bubble Mountain, like bubble solution and a wand, are often readily available at home or school. For children who have trouble responding to other options, the Bubble Mountain activity can be very effective.
• Mind Bottle: fill a clear plastic bottle with water, glitter, and optional additives like glycerine or food colouring. When children shake the bottle and watch the glitter or beads swirl, it provides visual stimulation and helps them focus their attention. This activity can be used to calm and engage children, especially those who benefit from visual cues to manage their emotions. It is easy to make with common materials and can be used both at home and in educational settings.

Mindfulness practices also encourage children to be curious about their thoughts, feelings and body sensations. Through this increased awareness of their experience, children can build their emotional literacy.

However, the suitability of mindfulness with children varies depending on factors such as the particular needs of the child, the intensity of their symptoms and whether they are in a supportive therapeutic setting. For instance, children with PTSD who may experience intrusive visual or auditory memories of the event might find certain mindfulness practices challenging or triggering. Additionally, children may have a history of trauma or may be currently experiencing trauma – such as family domestic violence – that you are not aware of.

Therefore, while practicing mindfulness is not automatically ruled out for these children, it is important to proceed carefully. It is crucial to tailor the approach according to the specific needs of each child and ensure that it is implemented within a supportive and therapeutic context.

Supportive environments

Emotional regulation skills develop better in an environment that doesn’t place more demands on the child than they can deal with. To create these environments, aim to:

• provide physically, psychologically and culturally safe spaces that children can play in and explore
• reduce exposure to stimuli the child may find triggering (see the Sensory experience section) including media coverage of distressing events
• facilitate and encourage warm and responsive relationships with adults and other children
• maintain consistent, predictable routines and expectations (with flexibility) to help children feel secure and confident, which supports regulation.

Select the following headings for ways to create supportive environments:

Further exploration on regulation

As children develop their cognitive and linguistic abilities, they become better equipped to manage their emotional states and achieve regulation. Understanding their experiences in a developmentally appropriate way helps children feel more in control and less overwhelmed. The paper on Communication and meaning-making explores how facilitating a child’s understanding of their experiences supports their emotional regulation. The paper on Play and creative expression highlights how creative activities allow children to express and explore their emotions, further supporting regulation. Routines and predictability has information about how maintaining consistent and reliable routines helps children feel secure and manage their emotions more effectively.

You can learn more about regulation in the following Emerging Minds podcasts:

Practice scenarios

Practice scenario 1: Mabel

Toddler Mabel and her mother Jane found pizza massage to be a fun way to reconnect after their home was affected by a storm with flooding. In pizza massage, Jane uses her hands to pretend to make a pizza on Mabel’s back. She spreads the dough with broad, circular motions, adds sauce with smooth strokes, and uses light patting to sprinkle cheese. Mabel loves to give the massage too and always asks for extra cheese, enjoying the sprinkle motion the most. Mabel and Jane take turns making the pizza, with Mabel particularly enthusiastic about massaging her mother. Jane encourages Mabel to use more kneading motions, although Mabel enjoys the ‘chopping’ motion for adding toppings. Jane finds that this activity helps both of them feel better, as they laugh, relax and enjoy their time together.

Jane also uses puppets to help Mabel learn about feelings. She offers Mabel a selection of puppets, including animals and people, and lets Mabel choose one for herself and one for Jane. Sometimes, Mabel decides to switch the puppets around or change which one Jane gets to use, which adds to the fun and gives Mabel a sense of control. During their play, the puppet might be ‘happy’ when it gets a hug or ‘sad’ when it loses a toy. Jane and Mabel talk about how the puppet feels and how Mabel feels, using simple words and actions. This interactive play helps Mabel understand and talk about her own feelings in a way that is engaging and easy for her to grasp.

Practice scenario 2: School-based strategies

In the classroom of a small school whose students and staff were impacted by a critical incident involving the hostage of a teacher and children, the teacher, with the support of an occupational therapist, has set up a cosy fort in the corner with soft lights, cushions, some glitter bottles and fidget toys. The occupational therapist worked with the teacher to integrate these tools into the classroom environment, focusing on helping the children develop emotional literacy. For instance, the therapist guided the teacher on how to use the glitter bottles to visually represent calming down from high emotions, and how to use the fidget toys to help children express and manage their feelings. The children have learned to use these tools effectively to support their self-regulation. They might use the fidget toys to help focus or calm their hands, and the glitter bottles provide a visual and tactile way to soothe and centre themselves.

The children know they can access this space if they need a moment to themselves. The teacher engages with them in this space, offering a private area to share feelings as they come up. Additionally, children can grab a ‘walk’ token from the wall to go for a brief walk to the school office and back if they need some fresh air. Wendy, the school office worker, always greets them with a big smile and asks how they are, reinforcing their sense of connection and support. These strategies, developed with the occupational therapist’s guidance, allow the children to regulate their emotions, connect with the adults around them, and use their agency to choose what best supports their wellbeing in the moment.

Practice scenario 3: Jay

Jay’s mum, Clare, described him as having an excess of energy and being ‘bouncing off the walls’ since the cyclone. When he came home from school, he was full of energy and destructive, throwing things around the house. Clare found it hard to get him to calm down before bedtime, which led to Jay not going to bed until after midnight and Clare being exhausted. Jay had a large collection of soft toys that he loved.

With the support of their occupational therapist, Clare learned various strategies to help Jay manage his energy and regulate his emotions. One effective therapist-recommended strategy involved using sensory play to help Jay calm down in the afternoons. Clare was encouraged to create a fort for Jay’s soft toys or set up an obstacle course with furniture and cushions for him to navigate with his toys. Clare actively participated in this play, which provided Jay with both physical activity and emotional support. In addition to these activities, Jay engaged in heavy work by packing up all the toys and putting the furniture back in place after playtime. This heavy work was beneficial for him as it provided proprioceptive input, which is known to help with self-regulation.

Another calming activity that the occupational therapist suggested was the ‘hamburger’ game. For this activity, Clare arranged cushions and blankets to create a ‘hamburger,’ with Jay lying down on the cushions. Clare then gently pressed the cushions together like a hamburger bun. To make the game even more engaging and soothing, Clare used different types of pats to represent various ingredients: fast, light pats on Jay’s back to mimic ‘sprinkles of cheese,’ and squishy, slower pats to simulate ‘tomato sauce.’ This variety of touch helped Jay find the deep pressure he needed to calm down.

The combination of these sensory-based activities and Clare’s participation helped Jay regulate his emotions more effectively. Over time, Jay transitioned from his high-energy state to a more relaxed one in the afternoons. The guidance from the occupational therapist and Clare’s active involvement in Jay’s play allowed him to wind down, improve his bedtime routine, and gave Clare some much-needed rest.

More strategies

Now you have finished reading this resource you can:

• Read the other Strategies for supporting infant and child mental health after disasters resources:
  • Child–adult relationships
  • Communication and meaning-making
  • Play and creative expression
  • Routines and predictability
  • Support networks
• Return to Practices for supporting infant and child mental health after disasters
• Check out Supporting infants and children in disasters: A practice guide
• Visit the Community Trauma Toolkit.