Zones of Regulation - Helping Behavioural Issues in Children

What are Zones of Regulation?

It is a way of helping your child understand their feelings and emotions and, in so doing, control their behaviour, thoughts and interactions with others.
It teaches students:

• To identify their feelings and levels of alertness
• Understand their feelings in context
• Effective regulation tools
• When and how to use these tools
• Problem solve positive solutions
• Understand how their behaviours influence others' thoughts and feelings
• To move towards independent regulation

How does it work?

It attempts to build awareness of a child's feelings/internal state using a variety of tools and strategies for regulation, prosocial skills, self-care, and overall wellness. In essence, it encourages the child to be more self-aware of feelings and behaviours which may contribute to their mood and actions.
The approach is through the use of 'zones' which cover their emotions, attitude and alertness.

What are the 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.

How do the Zones help a child?

The Zones can be compared to traffic signs.
When given a green light or in the Green Zone, one is “good to go”.  A yellow sign means be aware or take caution, which applies to the Yellow Zone.  A red light or stop sign means stop, and when one is the Red Zone this often is the case.  The Blue Zone can be compared to the rest area signs where one goes to rest or re-energize.
All of the zones are natural to experience, but the framework focuses on teaching students how to recognise and manage their Zone based on the environment and its demands and the people around them.  For example, when playing on the playground or in an active/competitive game, students are often experiencing a heightened internal state such as silliness or excitement and are in the Yellow Zone, but it may not need to be managed.  However, if the environment is changed to the library where there are different expectations  than the playground, students may still be in the Yellow Zone but have to manage it differently so their behaviour meets the expectations of the library setting.

How can I help your child?

I use the principles of Zones of Regulation both in my school work and forest camp in dealing with children experiencing issues such as aggression, low self esteem, difficulty dealing with peers and other social and mental issues.
These feelings and behaviours can come about through a variety of external circumstances; bereavement, divorce, bullying or simply as a reaction to internal thoughts and feelings that have become part of their self.
I start by trying to understand the cause of their feelings and then teach how these feelings can be recognised and controlled. One of the key reasons Zones is such an excellent aid is that it makes it easy for a child to remember and apply the concepts to every day life - at home, in school or at play.
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What are the next steps?

If you are interested in applying some of these techniques to your child, I recommend an initial phone call to discuss the issues you are having. We can then decide whether I can help.
Please email me at lex@privatetutorsurrey.co.uk to arrange a convenient time for a chat.