About Impulse Control
BrainAbouts Video
Handouts
Impulse Control
Definitions & Discussion Questions
Impulse Control Facts
The Facts, Stats & Scenarios
Other Videos
Family Coaching
DEFINITIONS
Parent Coaching: Helping parents with parenting challenges by offering alternative perspectives about family situations, creating strategies to prevent youth high-risk behavior, and developing family dynamics that achieve balanced parenting goals.
Prevention Planning: Use this section to plan your prevention activities and prevention discussions regarding this topic.
TAKE A QUIZ
Self-Control Assessment
Take a quiz to determine how much self-control you have.
UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale
Take a formal assessment to determine your level and type of impulsive behavior with the Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P) Scale.
Brief Situational Confidence Quiestionnaire (BSCQ)
Assess your confidence level in eight different situations that could tempt someone to engage in substance use or compulsive behavior.
ACTIVITIES
Activities
Family Code: Values & Impulsive Behavior Activity
Engage young people in a values and impulse control exercise by building your Family Code. Youth are more likely to say 'no' to risky behavior when they know their own values and how their family expects them to act when faced with tempting situations.
Self-Talk & Impulse Control Activity
Engage young people in a discussion about their self-talk. First, ask them what they say to them selves when triggered to engage in a behavior that may go against their values. Second, ask if their self-talk generates positive or negative feelings. Last, challenge them to create a new self-talk mantra that may increase positive feelings and impulse control.
Marshmallow Test Podcast
Listen to a short NPR podcast about the Marshmallow test.
Why Teens Are Impulsive
Listen to a NPR podcast about the why teenagers are more impulsive.
Links
Ways to Teach Children Impulse Control
Impulse Control Techniques That Work for Children by Amy Morin, LCSW from Very Well Family.
Development and Impulsivity
Article from Scholastic.com about impulsivity at different developmental stages and ways to encourage self-control.
Educationl Videos for Children
An educational channel that is designed to help parents, teachers, counselors, etc. to reduce certain behaviors that, although common at an early age, need to be tested with children to develop learning about how to avoid them.
12 Games to Teach Self-Control
Self-control games from Paths to Success for elementary and middles school children.
RESOURCES
Organizations
International Society for Research on Impulsivity
The International Society for Research on Impulsivity is a nonprofit scientific society founded to promote research collaboration on impulsivity and impulse control disorders by scientists around the world.
ADDitude Mag
Since 1998, tens of millions of readers have trusted ADDitude to deliver expert advice and caring support, making us the leading media network for parents and adults living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The OT Toolbox
Function and occupation-centered resources, tools, ideas, and activities geared toward the development of fine motor movement, executive functioning, attention, and organization skills.
Reading & Research
Increase Self-Control in Children
Increase Self-Control in Children: How to Help Your Child More Control Over Their Lives, 2020 by poonam Patal
Nurtureshock
NutureShock: New Thinking About Children (2011) by Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman
Mindfulness Activities for Kids with ADHD
Mindfulness Activities for Kids with ADHD: Engaging Stories and Exercises to Help You Learn And Thrive, 2021, by Dr Sharon Grand and illustrated Taia Morley
Impulse Control Workbook - Elementary
Impulse Control Activities & Worksheets for Elementary Students Pap/Com Edition, 2009 by Tonia Caselman
Impulse Control Workbook - Middle
Impulse Control Activities & Worksheets for Elementary Students Pap/Com Edition, 2009 by Tonia Caselman
Impulse Control Disorders
People who have impulse control disorders cannot avoid doing things that might bring harm to themselves or others. Learn more in this article.
Student Engagement
DEFINITIONS
Definitions
Student Engagement: Engaging students in the learning process to increase understanding and motivattion to practice higher-level critical thinking skills about high-risk behavior.
Prevention Planning: Use this section to find information, activities, discussion and fact handouts, as well as access to research about this topic.
TAKE A QUIZ
Self-Control Assessment
Take a quiz to determine how much self-control you have.
UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale
Take a formal assessment to determine your level and type of impulsive behavior with the Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P) Scale.
Brief Situational Confidence Quiestionnaire (BSCQ)
Assess your confidence level in eight different situations that could tempt someone to engage in substance use or compulsive behavior.
ACTIVITIES
Activities
My Code: Values & Impulsive Behavior Activity
Build your own code of ethics to help develop impulse control by engaging in a values brainstorm activity.
Self-Talk & Impulse Control
Analyze your impulse control self-talk. First, ask yourself what you say to yourself when triggered to engage in a behavior that may go against your values. Second, ask if your self-talk generates positive or negative feelings. Last, challenge yourself to create a new self-talk mantra that may increase positive feelings and impulse control.
Watch Pass it On Videos
Watch Pass It On videos to inspire your values creation.
Links
Rocket Kids YouTube Channel
We make videos for kids, by kids. Our tips, lists, and lessons are used by teachers and parents, reminding us of what it takes to reach our full potential and be our best self.
Practical Psychology Tube Channel
Practical Psychology is dedicated to giving high-quality and informative videos to everyone who wishes to learn.
Impulsive Eddie Ages 8 - 12
Impulsive Eddie: The Fun Impulse Control Game for Kids a fun way to teach children ages 8-12 about controlling their impulses and learning self-control skills.
RESOURCES
Organizations
International Society for Research on Impulsivity
The International Society for Research on Impulsivity is a nonprofit scientific society founded to promote research collaboration on impulsivity and impulse control disorders by scientists around the world.
Pass It On
The Foundation for a Better Life creates public service campaigns to communicate the values that make a difference in our communities on the Pass It On website.
Readings & Research
Impulse Control & Self-Talk
Tullett, M. The voice of self-control: Blocking the inner voice increases impulsive responding,
Acta Psychologica, Vol 135, Issue 2, 2010, Pages 252-256, ISSN 0001-6918, 10.1016/j.actpsy.2010.07.008.Pass It On Radio
Get inspired by listening to radio, reading newspaper, or creating your own billboard public service announcements about people acting within their values to improve the community.
What Should Danny Do? Ages 4 -7
What Should Danny Do? (The Power to Choose Series) Hardcover – Illustrated, 2017
What Were You Thinking? Ages 6 - 9
What Were You Thinking?: Learning to Control Your Impulses Paperback – 2016 by Bryan Smith
Staff Topic Material
DEFINITIONS
Faculty Topic Material: Section dedicated to putting prevention topic material at faculty and school staff's fingertips. Material in these sections includes Universal (Tier I), Selective (Tier II), and Indicated (Tier III & IV) activity ideas, resources, and research relevant to a particular high-risk topic or skill.
Prevention Planning: Use the Faculty Topic Material section to help plan prevention activities for the whole school, faculty in-service, group counseling, and individual & family engagement.
ACTIVITIES
Activities
Journaling with Teens
Engage teens in a values and impulse control journaling exercise. First, create a values list. Second, journal about times when acting out impulsivity was contradictory to values. Last, journal about how to act differently next time.
Use a Response to Intervention Technique
Explore the RTI resources at Invervention Central.
Self-Talk & Impulse Control Activity
Engage young people in a discussion about their self-talk. First, ask them what they say to them selves when triggered to engage in a behavior that may go against their values. Second, ask if their self-talk generates positive or negative feelings. Last, challenge them to create a new self-talk mantra that may increase positive feelings and impulse control.
Links
Building Academic Tenacity
Mindsets and Skills that Promote Long-Term Learning by Carol S. Dweck | Gregory M. Walton | Geoffrey L. Cohen
Building Blocks of Brain Develpment
Resources for assessing and building 'Inihibition', one of the building blocks of brain development.
Impulse Control Activities - PreK - 3rd
Anger Management/Impulse Control Activities & Lesson Plans for PreK-3rd grade.
Pause & Think Video & Discussion - Grade 1-3
Use this video and discussion (English & Spanish) from Common Sense Education to teach impulse control online.
Impulse Control Activities - Grade 7 - 10
Being resilient doesn’t mean that we don’t feel impulsive; rather, it means that we learn to control our impulses.
Managing Disruptive Behavior for Teens
The Managing Disruptive Behavior Workbook for Teens is designed to be used either independently or as part of an established behavioral health program.
RESOURCES
Organizations
International Society for Research on Impulsivity
The International Society for Research on Impulsivity is a nonprofit scientific society founded to promote research collaboration on impulsivity and impulse control disorders by scientists around the world.
Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
Stanford University's Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences where the original Marshmallow study was and is still currently conducted.Brainwise
The BrainWise Program, a non-profit organization, that teaches children, youth, and at-risk adults essential emotional, social, and cognitive skills through an innovative structured approach called the “10 Wise Ways.”The OT Toolbox
Function and occupation-centered resources, tools, ideas, and activities geared toward the development of fine motor movement, executive functioning, attention, and organization skills.
Reading & Research
The Marshmallow Test
Mischel, Walter. (2019) The Marshmallow Test. Hachette USA.
Resisting Drugs
Bechara, Antoine. (2005) “Decision Making, Impulse Control and Loss of Willpower to Resist Drugs: a Neurocognitive Perspective.” Nature Neuroscience, vol. 8, no. 11, pp. 1458–1463., doi:10.1038/nn1584
Involvement of Frontal Cortex
Goldstein, Rita Z., and Nora D. Volkow. (2002) “Drug Addiction and Its Underlying Neurobiological Basis: Neuroimaging Evidence for the Involvement of the Frontal Cortex.” American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 159, no. 10, pp. 1642–1652., doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.159.10.1642.
Brain Development
Romer, Daniel. (2010) “Adolescent Risk Taking, Impulsivity, and Brain Development: Implications for Prevention.” Developmental Psychobiology, doi:10.1002/dev.20442.
Neuroscience Perspective
Steinberg L. (2008). A Social Neuroscience Perspective on Adolescent Risk-Taking. Developmental review : DR, 28(1), 78–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2007.08.002