Bea Inclusive TV and Podcast Episode 023
Hey everybody.
Happy Thursday.
Last week I didn’t post a new video. Instead, all my subscribers received FREE resources. If you missed it, please don’t worry as I placed the link of the Lego Themed Bookmarks below this video.
In this week’s episode of Bea Inclusive TV, I will talk about the zones of regulation:
What is it?
Who can benefit from the zones?
Who can teach this curriculum?
I will also recommend the book to read if you would like to use this curriculum in your setting.
And I will show you examples of the resources that I use when I support children.
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 the Regulation curriculum are 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 can recommend it if you want to start teaching self-regulation in your setting.
What is it?
The Zones of Regulation curriculum teaches children to self-regulate in a child-centred and evidence-based way.
The zones of the regulation curriculum are based upon a cognitive-behaviour management framework and teach students about the thinking process that goes into self-regulation—helping them recognise different feelings, actions and reflect on how their behaviour affects their lives and those around them. In addition, the students learn how to self-monitor independently, 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.
I used the zones curriculum in full or only elements in my practice. I use visual support, usually Lego®-themed, and some activities from the curriculum.
We all experience four zones, and some of us or our children can get through them several times a day. 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. For example, self-regulation skills are essential 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 is Lego®-based Therapy, TEACCH, Social stories, Discrete Trial Training, etc. to deliver child-centred and evidenced-based provision, I incorporate elements and lessons on self-regulation into my practice and use them daily.
This way, I give children tangible tools 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 get through transition and change. This way, I reduce challenging behaviour, decrease anxiety, and give children tools for independence.
Let me quickly get through 4 different zones to give you an idea of what it is. As you can see on my Lego-themed resources, there are four zones:
The Blue Zone represents a child feeling sick, sad, tired, and bored. This zone is where children will find themselves after a tantrum or meltdown. They feel sensitive and need 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 for using the zones. Next, I personalise children’s self-regulation tools to maintain the stay in a zone or move from one zone to another. Next, I teach them what they can do in each zone, what they can expect from the teacher and friends, and how their behaviour influences others. Finally, I teach children to self-register their different zone throughout the session and evidence it myself.
This helps me and them to recognise difficult times and make necessary adjustments in the environment, routine, or themselves. So, I 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. Instead, you must introduce them in stages, teach, model, and practice those new skills.
Ok. There you have it!
I will place the link under this video if you want to use my resources. In addition, you can find plenty of examples online and in the book I recommended.
I hope you enjoyed this video, and I look 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