My name is Bea, and this VLOG is dedicated to advocating truly inclusive school provision through well-researched, safe, and recommended approaches.

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Let me start with the book recommendation first. The Zones of Regulation a curriculum designed to foster self-regulation and emotional control. You will find everything you need to use it in your setting. I was using this book myself and I can recommend it if you would like to start teaching self-regulation in your setting.

What is it?

The Zones of regulation is a curriculum that teaches children to self-regulate in a child-centered and evidence-based way.

The zones of the regulation curriculum is based upon a cognitive-behaviour management framework and teach students about the thinking process that goes into self-regulation. Helping them to recognise different feelings, actions and reflect on how their behaviour affects their lives and the lives of people around them. The students learn how to independently self-monitor and self-reflect on their level of alertness and self-check on the effectiveness of their Zone tools.

So, who can teach this curriculum?

Anyone who works or supports students who struggle with self-regulation.

Who can benefit from this curriculum?

The zones of the regulation curriculum were designed for students who struggle with self-regulation, but this can benefit all people so if you are using this tool with young people or adults you must adapt your language, think and create more mature ways of using the curriculum and replacing them with more appropriate activities.

In my practice, I used the zones curriculum in full or only elements of it. I use visual support which is usually Lego-themed and some activities from the curriculum.

There are 4 zones that we all experience and some of us or our children can get through them several times a day and how long we stay in each zone it’s very personal and depends on day circumstances, our health, and our abilities to self-regulate ourselves. Self-regulation skills are extremely important for my students and can go by many names such as impulse control, anger control, self-control, or self-management.

Whatever approach I use from my professional toolbox, (it maybe be Lego-based Therapy, Teacch, Social stories, The Discrete Trial Training, etc. to deliver child-centered and evidenced-based provision I incorporate elements and lessons on self-regulation into my practice and I use them daily.

This way, I give children tangible tools to use and the ability to practice them. I always start the sessions with the self-regulation aspect, when talking about the rules, when something happened, and at the end of my interventions.

This includes regulation of sensory needs, emotions, and impulses to meet the demands of the environment, reach one goal and behave in a socially appropriate way or getting through transition and change. This way, I reduce challenging behaviour, decrease anxiety, and give children tools for their independence.

• The Blue Zone – which represents a child feeling sick, sad, tired, bored. This is the zone when children will find them after the tantrum or meltdown, they feel sensitive and need proper time and tools to recover and move to a different zone.

• Then you can see the Green Zone – which represents the child feeling calm, focused, happy, ready to work, etc.

• The third, Yellow Zone – the child in this zone can feel stressed, frustrated, anxious, nervous, silly, confused, hot, cold, hungry, wiggly, etc. but can still maintain some control.

• And the last zone is the Red Zone where the child may feel very intense feelings and they do not stay in control. Children in that zone could feel anger, panic, terror, rage, etc.

When teaching self-regulation, I teach the necessary language that goes with the use of the zones, I personalise children’s self-regulation tools to be used to maintain the stay in a zone or the move from one zone to another. I teach them what they can do in each zone but also what they can expect from the teacher and friends and how their behaviour influences others. I teach children to self-register their different zone throughout the session and/or I evidence it myself.

This helps me and them to recognise difficult times and make necessary adjustments in the environment, routine, or themselves. I absolutely love positive approaches, strategies, and interventions that give children necessary, individualised tools and the Zones of Regulation are one of them.

Remember!

Do not expect children to use the zones instinctively you must introduce them in stages, teach, model, and practice those new skills.

Ok. There you have it!

If you would like to use my resources, I will place the link under this video. You can find plenty of examples online and in the book that I recommended.

I hope that you enjoyed this video and I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

After you’ve finished, please join the discussion below. Don’t forget to like and subscribe.

I will see you next Thursday.

Until the next time

Love and xxx

Bea