Zones of Regulation™ -- Self-Regulation and Emotional Control
Zones of Regulation™ is a curriculum designed to foster self-regulation and emotional control. Written and created by Leah M. Kuypers, Occupational Therapist, the resource is published as a book (2011). Read more at www.socialthinking.com/
This term, I am piloting the Zones of Regulation™ with students during Occupational Therapy sesions--individual and small groups. The students are Prep and Primary School students who were referred to me with ADHD or ASD--having learning difficulties and conduct disorders at home and school. The goal is to gain better understanding and emotional regulation in all areas of living, especially for being in a suitable state for learning at school. I have previously used other self-regulation programs such as the Alert program, but currently pilot the Zones approach to determine suitability.
Chapter 1: Get Ready provides the background. This chapter explains who can teach The Zones of Regulation? Who will benefit? How does it work? What are the Zones and the vocabulary?
Chapter 2 Get Set refers to helpful handouts including a letter which explains the program and a glossary of terms. These resources are helpful in explaining to parents and teachers the Zones approach.
Chapter 3 Go!!! When beginning the program, I asked parents to bring along a scrapbook or A4 display folder to put worksheets in. If they neglected to bring one, I usually supplied a scrapbook.
Lesson 1: I used child-safe scissors and glue sticks, coloured A4 paper in red, blue, green, yellow (the Zones colours). We tried to sort pictures of facial expressions with labels of emotions into each of the colour-coded Zones. The students needed help with this because some did not understand the vocabulary for emotions, such as 'elated.' The student placed the pictures first in the zones categories, and then I explained reasons why some pictures should shift into other zones (shown on pages 30-33 of the manual). I kept my explanations brief so as to not overwhelm students with too much language. The blue, green, and red zones were easiest to understand, the yellow was more difficult to explain because it was a transition between green to red. I used a diagram which I laminated and added a moving arrow for the student to adjust between zones.
Lesson 2: The Bingo game which used the same emotions cards allowed the students to look carefully at facial expressions and categorise them according to the zones. I used blue, green, yellow, red coloured chips as Bingo markers. This game was enjoyed by the students and had application to everyday situations, encouraging awareness of facial expression and their corresponding emotions. I paired this lesson with playing 'Sounds Bingo' with one student. This commercially available game has Bingo cards with pictures of sounds that I played from the CD recording. Suitable for younger students.
Lesson 3: This lesson was more controversial because the therapist needed to source online videos that demonstrated 'expected' versus 'unexpected' behaviours. The videos were a stimulus that raised important conversations about what expected vs unexpected behaviours look like, and how others respond (what they might be thinking). The activity had to be tailored to the age and awareness of the student. A student who had difficulty expressing himself used Bingo chips to indicate when unexpected behaviours occurred in a video. I am uncertain about the terminology used in this lesson. Perhaps 'acceptable' or 'unacceptable' behaviour may be better terms, for some situations.
Lesson 4: Applying the Zones to different scenarios. By this stage, students were able to specify what zone they would be in during a hypothetical situation. This requires the students to apply the zones concepts to themselves. I explain that each of the zones are acceptable. One student mistakenly thought of the green zone as 'good,' and the other zones were 'bad.' This lesson allowed me to try to correct any misconceptions that may have been held by parents as well. Each week I emailed parents with updates and asked them to try to apply the knowledge in everyday life. Carry over was variable and most parents seemed to leave the teaching and learning to me. Parents explained to me that the school knows about and uses the approach and is reinforcing the child's learning. Perhaps a parent session is needed.
Lesson 5 Understanding Different Perspectives: What a person does can affect how others feel and think.This concept, that our thoughts and feelings are related to reactions and responses from others, is becoming increasingly abstract. While suitable for children 7 years and above, I feel the need to introduce some more hands-on activities for younger students. The worksheet requires literacy. I pair the lesson with some sensory-motor activities because students become restless with just theory. This allows me to discuss concepts and behaviours as they occur--drawing on the Zones vocabulary.
Lesson 6: Me in My Zones: This session worked well with a student who enjoyed drawing. She was able to draw pictures of herself in each zone, and to describe her experience. She was less able to do this through speech, so the drawing was a clear advantage for her. It was less appealing to an older student in year 4 who was able to converse about her experience very easily. She could take photographs of her in each Zone and discuss with me.
Lesson 7: How Do I Feel? The references that were used as resources for this session were outdated so I searched and sourced new ones. I chose 'The Big Book of Feelings' from the Pat a Cake series with lift-the-flap matching game. The book had so much content that I left it with the child's family and reviewed the next week. This was useful to leave with the family for school holidays and only cost $10. Some students enjoyed 'Feelings Hokey Pokey,' an action song that I found on YouTube.
Lesson 8: My Zones Across the Day. Each student was able to describe to me their zones at intervals throughout their school day. Completing the graph was helpful for having a conversation about what increased or decreased their level of anxiety, and which activities helped them to stay calm and ready to learn. Students gained insights into their best times of the day and contexts for learning.
Lesson 9: Caution! Triggers Ahead. This was an important concept for students to learn to use the word, 'Triggers,' to describe things that cause them distress and upset. Students were able to describe to me situations, people, or events that had occurred and begin to see a pattern in their behaviour. This understanding is essential in being able to use strategies to decrease distress and to calm back down to the green zone.
Lesson 10: Exploring Tools to Calm and Alert. There is a lot of information to digest in Chapter 4 about the use of sensory supports, calming techniques, and thinking strategies. These are broken down into a series of lessons. The Toolbox diagram was useful for trying strategies and writing them down, but some students struggled to understand how the tools connect with particular zones.
The lessons relied on parents/guardians practicing the strategies with students throughout the week to determine which were most effective. Many parents did not follow through with this, and students were less likely to remember or apply the information on their own.
It was possible to cover the first 10 lessons with students in one school term. We revised learning and worksheets at the start of the new term before proceeding.
Lesson 11: Exploring Tools for Calming. The worksheets: 6-sides of Breathing; Lazy 8 Breathing; Calming Sequence; and Count to 10 were useful ideas for calming. I encouraged students to try these techniques and to make up their own sequence for calming. We drew this on a personalised diagram.
To date, students and parents are pleased with how the program is progressing. I shall learn more about this curriculum designed to foster self-regulation and emotional control as we continue through the other lessons. I constantly tailor the sessions to individual students according to their responses. The approach relies on students' ability to converse and understand abstract concepts about feelings and emotions. Students with language difficulties may struggle, so parent/teacher education is necessary.
Lesson 12: Exploring Tools Thinking Strategies. The concept of the 'Size of the Problem' starts a conversation about how we respond to Triggers. It is a rational approach in which students are encouraged to reflect on their responses and ensure they match the size of the problem. Cognitive insight is needed. Students with impulsivity may benefit from learning to calm, and think things through--using breathing and their sensory toolbox. The concepts of Inner Coach vs Inner Critic were generally understood by children 7 years of age and above.
Lesson 13: The Toolbox. By this stage, students usually have a collection of tools such as fidgets, weighted blankets, noise-cancelling headphones. Parents organised this gear independently of my sessions to see if they would work. There was mixed success with items found online and in stores. The Toolbox session allowed us to systematically explore what worked and did not work and to set up gear in an accessible form. Tools used at home may not be suitable for classroom use.
Lesson 14: When to Use the Yellow Zone Tools. This lesson builds on understanding of concepts learned previously. The aim is to bridge the gap between knowledge and doing--actually using tools when anxious or distressed. The worksheet prompted students that when in the yellow zone, they need to stop and calm their body; use tools or strategies. 'This makes others feel comfortable and safe. This makes me feel better.' I observed some students use tools when they had to wait in line.
Lesson 15: Stop and Use a Tool. This lesson is useful for students who have not mastered the strategies yet. It provides further learning and input with visual stop signs.
Lesson 16: Tracking My Tools. Students are encouraged to fill in a graph of their actual use of tools and to consider if they worked or not. This supports personal reflection and analysis--for those students who can be helped to think, reflect and reason. The application is most useful when applied throughout the day in various circumstances.
Lesson 17: Stop, Opt, and Go. At this point, some students are ready to use their learning from previous sessions independently. The 'Stop, Opt, and Go' diagram gives them prompts to work through if their use of tools is not automatic. 'Solution Finder' approach: 'Think about a situation when you had a difficult time STOPPING and staying in the green zone.' Parents/teachers may be able to inform with examples.
Lesson 18:Celebrating My Use of Tools. At this stage, students display competence in using strategies to self-regulate emotions and level of arousal. The number of lessons that are needed will depend on how quickly the students grasp and apply concepts. Some students may never be independent and automatic in using tools, and will need support from parents/teachers trained in the approach. The Tool Awards and Zones License are visual rewards for students.
Conclusions
It has been beneficial to have parents present who can continue to use the Zones vocabulary during their daily routines. I leave the worksheets with the students and ask parents to keep them in a folder to refer to. This allows regular review and consolidation of learning in future sessions. Some students are with different parents/guardians due to a shared living arrangement, so information is shared across homes.
The usefulness of the Zones approach relies to a large extent, on the follow-through that is provided by parents / teachers throughout the week. A single session with an Occupational Therapist needs to be followed up with real life application. Students need reminders that each of the Zones is acceptable, at different times. For example, the green zone is optimal for learning. The red zone may be appropriate when your team has just won at a sporting event. This requires comprehension of concepts, and an adult that can understand and apply concepts outside the therapy session.
The Zones is a structured cognitive approach that is suited to children 7 years and above, who have capacity to use language to categorise emotions. For children who are younger, or developmentally delayed, parents require training in the Zones of Regulation™ to help regulate children's emotions and readiness for learning. Ideally, the learning is also applied in classrooms where Teacher use the Zones vocabulary--applying to daily situations.
One school was running an alternate mindfulness program, concurrently with the student having Zones training after school. This increased the cognitive load, but had some common content. I consider that it is better for all to agree on using the same approach. The approach was selected after assessments with the Vinelands 3 Adaptive Behaviour Scales and Sensory Profile 2. This allowed the therapist, teacher and parent to discuss observations and analyse which approach would work best for the individual.
Helpful Tips
The Therapist will needs items of equipment and printed worksheets for each session. This requires preparation time and a budget for consumable items. Therapist needs to prepare by reading the manual to deliver each lesson according to the 'Implementation and Fidelity Checklist' provided inside the front cover of the manual. Some parents say, 'it is all online,' but this is only partially true. The manual provides a systematic step-by-step lesson plans which build on concepts from previous sessions.
Revision is necessary at the start of each session, particularly if it follows an absence. Weekly delivery of lessons is better than fortnightly for carry-over. I provide summaries of each session to parents to help them understand and explain concepts to children. The resources are copyright, so need to be used in accordance with guidelines in the manual. There similar worksheets on 'Teachers Pay Teachers.' Some discretion is needed about ethics and usage.
Evidence-based Research
Does the approach work? Research articles are cited in the manual. Further references are listed below. There is a convincing evidence-base of the benefits of the approach and parents report improvements. Throughout the Zones program, I write progress notes and observations of students and their responses, allowing me to keep track of improvements and gaps in knowledge. Students responses may vary from one environment to another, and be affected by whether they have had mediation or not. Collaboration is important with parents/teachers on problem-solving and planning. The approach interfaces well with Positive Behaviour Support Plans that are used by multi-disciplinary teams. The Zones approach is now widely used and the vocabulary understood in most schools.
I'm interested to hear feedback from others who are implementing the Zones curriculum in other locations. There is potential for developing regional approaches through creative collaboration.
References
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