Zones of Regulation

                                                              

Framework designed to foster regulation and emotional control. Suitable for students, teachers, families, whole school/syndicate.- A lot of resources available online. Also manual available with USB which has copies of all templates for the programme.

The Zones of Regulation framework and curriculum (Kuypers, 2011) teaches students scaffolded skills toward developing a metacognitive pathway to build awareness of their feelings/internal state and utilize a variety of tools and strategies for regulation, prosocial skills, self-care, and overall wellness. This includes exploring tools and strategies for mindfulness, sensory integration, movement, thinking strategies, wellness, and healthy connection with others. The Zones of Regulation provides a common language and compassionate framework to support positive mental health and skill development for all, while serving as an inclusion strategy for neurodiverse learners, those who have experienced trauma, and/or have specific needs in terms of social, emotional, and behavioural development.

The Zones of Regulation creates a systematic approach to teach regulation by categorizing all the different ways we feel and states of alertness we experience into four concrete coloured zones. Integrating in cognitive behaviour therapy,  students build skills in emotional and sensory regulation, executive functioning, and social cognition. The framework is designed to help move students toward more independent regulation while also honouring and respecting each student and their unique self.   

The Zones of Regulation curriculum incorporates Social Thinking® (www.socialthinking.com) concepts and numerous printable visuals to support students in identifying their feelings/level of alertness, understanding how their behaviour impacts outcomes, problem solving conflicts and learning what tools they can use to regulate their Zones.