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What are The ZONES of Regulation?​

The Zones of Regulation framework and curriculum developed by Occupational Therapist, Lisa Kuypers, teaches children (and adults) scaffolded skills toward developing awareness of their feelings and internal state. The program utilizes a variety of tools and strategies for regulation, prosocial skills, self-care, and overall wellness. 

 

How Do the ZONES of Regulation Work?​

The Zones of Regulation teaches regulation by categorizing all the different ways we feel and states of alertness we experience into four colored-coded zones: Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue.

 

We have found that most kiddos find it easier say they are, "in the yellow zone," rather than say, "I feel frustrated," for example. They soon learn to recognize how their body feels while in a particular zone. Certainly our body feels differently in the Green Zone (calm, happy, focused), than it does in the Red Zone(angry, out of control). 

 

By integrating in cognitive behavior therapy techniques, kids build skills in emotional and sensory regulation, executive functioning, and social cognition. 

 

The framework is designed to help move the child toward more independent regulation while also recognizing how their behaviors' impact others. 

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The Four ZONES:

The Red Zone is used to describe extremely heightened states of alertness and intense emotions.  A person may be elated or experiencing anger, rage, devastation, or terror when in the Red Zone. 

The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions, however one has more control when they are in the Yellow Zone.  A person may be experiencing stress, frustration, anxiety, excitement, silliness, the wiggles, or nervousness when in the Yellow Zone.  

The Green Zone is used to describe a calm state of alertness. A person may be described as happy, focused, content, or ready to learn when in the Green Zone.  This is the zone where optimal learning occurs.  

The Blue Zone is used to describe low states of alertness and down feelings such as when one feels sad, tired, sick, or bored.