ZONES OF REGULATION

I attended a workshop on May 1st regarding the “Zones of Regulation,  A Curriculum Designed to Foster Self Regulation and Emotional Control,” written and created by Leah M. Kuypers, MA Ed. OTR/L.   An excerpt taken from the manual states that it is 

“a curriculum geared toward helping students gain skills in consciously regulating their actions, which in turn leads to increased control and problem solving abilities.  Using a cognitive behavior approach, the curriculum’s learning activities are designed to help students recognize when they are in different states called “zones”, with each of the four zones represented by a different color,  In the activities, students also learn how to use strategies or tools to stay in a zone or move from one to another.  Students explore calming techniques, cognitive strategies, and sensory supports so they will have a toolbox of methods to use to move between zones”  (Kuypers, 1).

For those of you familiar with the Alert Program or the Incredible 5 Point Scale, creation of the Zones of Regulation was influenced by these 2 programs.  The manual thoroughly explains the curriculum, and also comes with a CD of full-color ready to print reproducibles (that are PC and Mac friendly).  

Special and regular education teachers, OTs, SLPs, psychologists, counselors, behavior  specialists, social workers, parents or others who work with students who struggle with self regulation can all teach and use this program.  Anyone can benefit from the program’s use, and can be used with students/children as young as preschool age (about 4 yrs old). 

If you are interested in more information, check out the website at http://www.zonesofregulation.com/

Kuypers, Leah M.  Zones of Regulation,  A Curriculum Designed to Foster Self Regulation and Emotional Control.  San Jose, CA: Social Thinking Publishing, 2011.  Print.