PediatricDigest: Understanding the Zones of Regulation: A Guide for Families

Our occupational team discusses the zones of regulation, what it means, and a helpful guide for families with tips on how to support them at home.

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Understanding the Zones of Regulation: A Guide for Families

Understanding the Zones of Regulation: A Guide for Families

At Cutting Edge Pediatric & Adult Therapy, a common area Occupational Therapy can support is emotional regulation. A helpful framework we often use is the Zones of Regulation, a simple and visual way to help children understand their feelings, triggers, energy levels, and provide them with a toolbox for self-regulation skills.

What Are the Zones of Regulation?

The Zones of Regulation is a research-based curriculum that focuses on recognizing and sorting a large and complex list of feelings and states of alertness into four, simple colored zones:

***It’s important to remember: there are no “good” or “bad” zones. All zones are expected and part of being human. The goal is not to eliminate certain feelings, but to help children recognize them and respond in safe and effective ways. Everyone feels all emotions at some point, and all emotions are okay. It is what we do with those emotions that are important.

How to Support Zones of Regulation at Home

Consistency between therapy and home makes a huge difference. Here are some simple ways families can incorporate the Zones into everyday routines:

Use the Zones language in everyday life. Talk through how you are feeling and what you can do to change it. Ask your kids throughout the day what Zone they are in. This helps your child connect words to their internal experiences.
1. You can model talking about your own Zone. For example:
  1. “I am feeling a little frustrated and I’m in the yellow zone. I need to take a break.”
  2. “You look like you’re in the blue zone. Would you like to take a walk with me and move your body?”

Identify the Zone before jumping straight into problem-solving mode. Observe your child’s behavior and try to use strategies in the moment. If they are showing signs of being in the yellow zone, try and catch it before they move to the red zone. To help build awareness, you can use language such as:
1. “What zone are you in right now?”
2. “What is your body telling you?”
  1. If your child is in the red zone, minimize language (less is best). The green zone is the optimal zone to deliver instruction or feedback to your child.

Build a toolbox of strategies for regulation in each zone. These are tailored to fit the specific needs of your child. We work a lot on building these strategies in OT, but they can be used anywhere. Work together to create a list of strategies for each zone. No child or adult will have the exact same toolbox. If physical items are needed as a tool, make sure they are accessible and visible. Practice the toolbox when they are in the green zone. Don’t use moments of dysregulation to teach or trial new strategies. Some examples of strategies include:
1. Blue Zone: jumping, stretching, listening to upbeat music, taking a walk
2. Yellow Zone: deep breathing, squeezing a stress ball, taking a break, count to 10
3. Red Zone: safe space, calming sensory input, quiet time, deep pressure, heavy work

Most importantly, if you need to help your child regulate or return to the green zone, make sure you are in the green zone yourself. Children rely on co-regulation before they can independently regulate. This means they “borrow our calm when they don’t yet have their own”. If a child is in the Red Zone and the adult is also in the Red Zone, the situation often escalates quickly. But when an adult remains calm, predictable, and grounded, it creates a sense of safety that helps the child’s nervous system settle.
1. What This Looks Like in Real Life:
  1. Taking a breath before responding.
  2. Lowering your voice instead of raising it.
  3. Pausing instead of reacting immediately.
  4. Saying, “I need a second to calm my body so I can help you.”

Managing emotions and staying regulated can be tricky. If you have any questions, or notice your child might need more support with emotional regulation, please reach out to your child’s occupational therapist. You can visit www.zonesofregulation.com for more information regarding the curriculum and for downloadable resources such as visuals and guides.