The Zones of Regulation
/The ZONES of Regulation-Red, Yellow, Green, Blue
Leah M. Kuypers, MA Ed. OTR/L
Are you a professional working with clients that have difficulty regulating emotions and behaviors? If so, I’ve got a wonderful resource for you…The Zones of Regulation.
The Zones of Regulation provides “kid friendly” activities and strategies that teach individuals to regulate their emotions and behaviors, using a cognitive behavioral approach. It’s not just for kids though. It’s a great program for children, adolescents, and adults.
Any professional who understands sensory processing and works with individuals who struggle with regulating their emotions and behaviors can teach The Zones of Regulation. It’s adaptable so you can include music-based activities to teach the strategies for regulating emotions and behaviors.
The Zones of Regulation was designed for who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Tourette Syndrome, selective mutism, and anxiety disorder. However, it is beneficial for a wide variety of individuals.
The Zones of Regulation is appropriate for individuals, age 4 years to adulthood, who have average to above average cognitive abilities. However, professionals that are trained in making accommodations for students with below average cognitive abilities may customize the activities to meet their needs.
The Zones of Regulation are influenced by the following:
The Alert Program: How Does Your Engine Run?
The Incredible 5-Point Scale
Social Thinking
These programs promote awareness of modulation of behaviors/emotions, gradation of responses on a 1-5 scale, and understanding of how behaviors affect relationships with others.
The Zones of Regulation consists of 18 structured lessons, using four color-coded zones, blue, green, yellow, and red. The colors can be correlated with the colors of a traffic light and the blue highway signs. Emotions are placed in each zone, along with activity levels, ranging from slow to fast. The Zones of Regulation also includes specific vocabulary to describe activity levels and emotional states. (Pg. 8)
The Zones of Regulation can be taught in groups or a 1:1 setting, based on the needs of the individual. The curriculum is most effective when used across all environments, by all professionals that work with the individual and the family. It is also recommended that a folder be created to keep materials organized and available for use. When used in a group setting, the sessions are 30-60 minutes long and consist of a lead in activity, a learning activity, and a wrap up activity. There are probing questions for discussion and recommendations for application of concepts in natural settings.
Participants are introduced to the Zones by creating a poster for each zone, using a specific color and shape. Pictures of emotions that belong in that zone are placed on the poster. The program includes games and recommendations for videos that demonstrate emotions and behaviors associated with the Zones. Participants also learn to identify ways that their behaviors affect others. Finally, participants learn how to change emotional states in order to demonstrate appropriate behaviors.
Specific strategies are learned to change thinking patterns and regulate sensory responses. Finally, participants learn when to use the strategies in natural settings.
Examples of Activities
Creation of 4 posters (Blue Zone, Green Zone, Yellow Zone, Red Zone) for display
Blue Zone: Slow due to tiredness, sadness, sickness, or boredom.
Green Zone: “Just right” with feelings like happiness, contentment, or relaxation.
Yellow Zone: Fast with a need to slow down due to feelings like frustration, silliness, anxiety, and surprise.
Red Zone: Too fast with a need to stop. Feelings include out of control anger, extreme fear, and difficulty making good choices.
Zones Bingo
Bingo cards with facial expressions are used to play a version of the traditional Bingo game, matching emotions with facial expressions.
Me in My Zones
Create a book that has drawings of a child’s facial expression in each zone
Includes a description of body language and how behaviors affect others.
Tools for Sensory Regulation and Calming
Tools worksheet: Contains a list of tools that are matched with the appropriate zone. For example, a fidget ball might be appropriate to move from the Blue Zone to the Green Zone.
Breathing Visual Aides i.e. breathing techniques, a calming sequence, and counting to 10.
Tools for Thinking Patterns
Size of the Problem: A visual graphic to identify the seriousness of a problem.
Inner Coach/Inner Critic: Learning to distinguish positive self-talk from negative self-talk
Superflex vs Rock Brain: Learning to be flexible with thinking.
Learning When to Use the Tools
The Toolbox: Use the tools worksheets and the toolbox worksheet to identify tools that are appropriate and effective for each zone.
Provide practice of each tool and assignment of tools to appropriate Zones
Stop and Use a Tool: Learning to recognize when to use a tool during everyday activities.
Tracking My Tools: A worksheet to track which tools were used throughout the day and how effective they were.
Stop, Opt and Go: Learning impulse control to stop an action, consider options, and make a positive choice.
Celebrating the Use of Tools: Giving “awards” for the use of tools in natural environments, leading to generalization of skills throughout the day.
My Thoughts
I love The Zones of Regulation. It gives my clients the language to describe a specific state of being and tools to help change that state of being when needed. The vocabulary is user-friendly and easy to learn. It also provides parents with socially appropriate verbal cues for redirecting behavior in public settings. Almost all children understand the concept of a traffic light and have played the game “Red Light/Green Light”. The Zones of Regulation is easy to understand, applicable in everyday life, and includes great visual aids plus an app.
What else could we ask for?
Limitations
The Zones of Regulation program is great for many of my clients. However, it works best with individuals who are able to read, have the ability to learn to interpret facial expressions, and are part of a family that will use the strategies at home. I have had some success with modulating a child’s activity level in the clinic when there is little family support, but minimal generalization of the skills to natural settings. Therefore, it is wise to assess the family dynamics when considering the use of The Zones of Regulation.
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