Written by: Medha Mulabagal, FCSN Voices Youth Reporter

In a world where technical education and STEM programs dominate today’s world, Catherine Wang took it upon herself to teach a class about soft skills. She founded a space where neurodiverse students could learn and practice social interaction and emotional management. She took action, creating a virtual Social Emotional Regulation class that now serves as a resource for students looking to better understand themselves and the world around them.

The class alternates between individual and group sessions. In individual lessons, students focus on personal skills like emotional control and how to initiate and maintain a conversation. Group sessions bring students together to hone those skills. Through watching a movie or playing games, students are encouraged to participate, communicate, and connect. Catherine believes that real learning happens not just through instruction but through interaction.

Each class is built around a specific theme. One class may be about recognizing social cues; another might focus on calming techniques for identifying emotional triggers. Students are taught how to respond to different social situations, how to stay calm when overwhelmed, and how to adjust their behavior depending on whether they’re in a casual or professional setting. The curriculum is structured yet flexible, using a mix of memorization, repetition, and hands-on activities to make lessons resonate. 

Students come in with a wide range of skill levels, and Catherine’s team of volunteers helps tailor the experience for each one. This collaboration makes the environment welcoming and effective. Catherine emphasizes that the class isn’t meant to feel heavily regimented; it’s meant to feel like a place where learning and enjoyment work together.

Over time, she has witnessed remarkable growth in her students. Some have made major strides in writing and verbal communication, and others have blossomed socially. One of Catherine’s most memorable stories  involves a student who rarely spoke in class. After exploring his love for Sudoku, they began playing the game with him regularly. Through that connection, he started talking more through participating in group discussions. “It was the most he’d ever spoken,” Catherine recalls. “It was amazing to see him open up like that.” Peer interaction plays a central role in the program. Every other week, students take part in various discussions based on movies or other common interests. For students who often struggle to make friends or feel included in traditional settings, this interactive space is transformative. Catherine, who developed the class with this very goal in mind, explains that students with special needs are often overlooked when it comes to building strong emotional and social support systems. “It’s harder for them to make friends,” she says. “This is a place where they can feel understood and connected.”

Students have also begun showing signs of emotional and social development. They are asking more questions and starting conversations. Catherine describes this shift as gradual, and she’s proud of the environment that’s been cultivated. “It’s been going really well,” she says. “The students are opening up more, having fun. It’s amazing to see how far they’ve come.”

She mainly works with high school-aged students and she makes it a point to balance instruction with engagement. The virtual setting presents both challenges and opportunities. She acknowledges that it’s harder to build deep personal connections online, she also sees the benefits. Some of those include accessibility, flexibility, and the ability to include any and all students. Being virtual allows for larger class sizes and better coordination between volunteers and families. To maintain engagement, she structures each session so that only about a third of the time is spent on direct teaching. The rest of the time is focused on group interaction and fun, light-hearted activities.

For the future, Catherine plans to continue improving the class based on what works best. She wants to tweak the curriculum by keeping the lessons that have had the most impact and filtering out the ones that haven’t. Another major goal is to deepen the emotional aspect of the course. Catherine wants to expand the program to include more personalized regulation techniques, customizing the experience for each student.

One piece of advice she would give to those hoping to help children with emotional regulation, she says, “It’s different for everyone,” and that “Progress isn’t linear”. She emphasizes that sometimes it feels like nothing is changing, or things might even go backwards but it is important to remain patient. She says, “It’s a journey, and if you stay with it and maintain faith, things will get better.” 

Catherine Wang’s class empowers students with essential life skills, emphasizing the crucial role of emotional regulation. By equipping them to understand and manage their emotions, she is preparing them for the world.