What is Zones of Regulation?
Used by Teachers, Allied Health specialists, Psychologists, Support Workers, Developmental Educators and many more child focussed professionals around the world, ?????? ?????????? ???? ???????????????????? was designed by OT, Leah Kuypers, with the intention to help the children she worked with to learn skills in self-regulation and emotional control.
Under this framework, there are four zones; ????????, ??????????, ???????????? and ??????, which non-coincidentally align to the traffic light system with blue thrown in for good measure (no seriously, it represents the need to rest, recoup and re-energise, slightly left field but incredibly relevant).
Focussing on cognitive behaviour, the zones are designed to teach our little people how to self-regulate and if done correctly and consistently it can have a hugely positive impact. It allows children to label and categorise how they are feeling and once established, independently connect the dots between emotions, how to manage them and which strategies/solutions to employ. Naturally, some zones are easier to master than others, but I’ve seen it unfold first-hand and it’s made a huge difference in our lives.
It’s great for implementation within group and/or family settings; reducing possibilities of exclusion or feeling ‘different’, everyone gets to equally participate and contribute. You name it, you own it, you choose your next move – bam!
Perseverance and consistency are key, we also need to lead by example; it’s one of the easiest, most effective way for little people to learn BUT that means we have to be good examples to follow, which can sometimes be tricky!
Mastering one zone at a time or jumping all in, whatever works best for your situation BUT understanding each of the zones is vital. Over the coming weeks we will be taking a look at each zone, independent of one another, providing insight and examples to each; helping you on your journey.
Stay tuned…