Zones of Regulation

Executive Functioning

Join www.teacherspayteachers.com  for free and download this free executive functioning poster which highlights each specific executive functioning skill. Skills highlighted include planning, organization, time management, task initiation, working memory, metacognition, self-control, sustained attention, flexibility, and perseverance. This page can be used as a conversation starter and/or as a reminder for adults and pupils about the importance of executive functioning skills.

Interoception – Our 8th Sense

“The interoceptive system and our interoceptive awareness are how we recognize internal sensations, like hunger, thirst, itch, needing to use the toilet, our emotions.

Sensory processing differences related to the interoceptive system may cause significant challenges for children.

Not only does this impact their understanding of what’s happening inside their bodies – but it can also severely impacts emotions and how to identify emotions.

Our brain decodes sensory messages and then alerts us to any changes in our body’s internal state. This also allows us to feel emotions – because our various emotional states cause different sensations inside the body which are decoded and allow us to understand how we’re feeling. Different emotions produce different feelings inside our bodies – this is how we distinguish how we feel.

Making Sense of Sensory Behaviour

This booklet is designed to help us become more aware of the effects of sensory information and how it may impact on life skills and behaviour. By thinking and planning positive sensory experiences we can help understand how to best manage situations some young people find over/underwhelming.  Avoiding a disliked or upsetting sensory experience may help the young person with the sensory issue calm down and be able to take part in daily tasks. ​

Making Sense of Your Sensory Behaviour

This booklet has been designed to allow you to look at your own sensory world, to let you be more aware of your sensory likes and dislikes. It hopes to help you to see sensory ideas that help you become calm or be more alert, to be your best sensory self.  This will help you understand and help others, especially children, with sensory issues.

Understanding The Spectrum – A Comic Strip Explanation

Free Visual Support Downloads on Pinterest

CALM DOWN CORNER: Self-Regulation Classroom Behaviour Management Mindfulness Kit

“The Calm Corner Toolbox invites students to use self-regulation coping skills and calming strategies when they are feeling upset, sad, impulsive, distracted or worried in class.

Help foster a mindfulness-based and trauma-sensitive classroom with this Calm Corner toolkit, a true game-changer for your behaviour management system. This Calm Corner kit provides a compassionate alternative for behaviour management clip charts.

With an emphasis on strong visual supports, everything you need is in this Calm Corner/ Cool-Off Spot / Peace Zone / Safe Space/ Take a Break Station, with the exception of sensory tools you might want to supplement in a Calm Box.”

Emotional Regulation BODY MAPPING (Recognising Body Reactions to Feelings)

“Is the students aware of the clues their body is sending them as they experience different emotions? These interactive emotional body mapping worksheets provide a way to increase body awareness and emotional regulation skills. Through colouring, drawing, and labelling, the students will better be able to understand how emotions impact the way their body feels. Once they become familiar with their "body clues", they will be better able to recognise when emotional regulation strategies are needed. This product is recommended for primary-aged children. The emotions included in this download are: Angry, Anxious, Calm, Excited, Sad, and Scared.”

Emotions Feelings Teaching Resources Ks1 Ks2 Behaviour Display Lego Theme

A4 emotions posters – 9 posters each with a standing Lego person

A4 emotions posters – each with Lego face showing different emotions. A4 emotions poster – showing all faces.  Matching cards – faces and emotions words to match together. Lego people outline to colour and add emotions to faces. Small emotions cards for pupils to use at their desks

18 Feelings Posters with Body Language and Facial Expressions

“18 Feelings Posters in Colour and Black and White that show how a person's body language and facial expressions change with different feelings and emotions. These can be useful for counselling, classroom calm corners, speech and language sessions, or in social-emotional learning curriculums.”

Heavy Work Poster- Classroom

Proprioception activities such as heavy work have been shown to improve attention and concentration, improve body awareness, and regulate arousal levels. Heavy work can be calming for students with autism or sensory regulation difficulties.

The activities on this poster are specifically designed so that they can be implemented in the classroom. Simply direct students to choose an activity or they can choose one for themselves.

Informal Assessment of Communication Skills

 “Aim: This pack provides activities that enable an informal assessment to be made of a child’s speech, language and communication skills. The conclusions can be reported back easily using the forms provided, these can be completed by hand or on a computer.

Pressure Poster- Sensory/Therapy Room

“Proprioception activities such as heavy work have been shown to improve attention and concentration, improve body awareness, and regulate arousal levels. Heavy work can be calming for students with autism or sensory regulation difficulties.

The activities on this poster are specifically designed so that they can be implemented in a sensory room or therapy room. Simply direct students to choose an activity or they can choose one for themselves.

Self-Control to the Rescue! Super Powers to Help Kids Through the Tough Stuff in Everyday Life

“The self-control superhero is back! This time, they've come prepared with simple strategies to tackle the difficult emotions and challenges of everyday life. From the morning routine to making friends at recess, paying attention in class and getting a good night's sleep, this guide will help children stay on track and save the day! “

Self-Regulation Interventions and Strategies: Keeping the Body, Mind & Emotions on Task in Children with Autism, ADHD or Sensory Disorders

“Keeping children bodies, minds and emotions on task just got easier with this new book from self-regulation expert Teresa Garland. Featuring more than 200 practical and proven interventions, strategies and adaptation for helping children gain more control over their lives. Each chapter provides a rich background and theoretical material to help the reader better understand the issues our children face.”

Sensory strategies: Practical ways to help children and young people with autism learn and achieve

Student Movement Breaks

Product Description

“Give students the movement opportunities they need to succeed! All students, but especially those with ADHD, will benefit from structured breaks in the day. 5 minutes to move will support students to learn and succeed. This resource can be used for your class, or to support the learning needs of individual students. A blank template is included to make your own movement breaks as well.”

The Kids' Guide to Staying Awesome and In Control: Simple Stuff to Help Children Regulate their Emotions and Senses

“Packed with simple ideas to regulate the emotions and senses, this book will help children tackle difficult feelings head-on and feel awesome and in control! From breathing exercises, pressure holds and finger pulls, to fidgets, noise-reducing headphones and gum, the book is brimming with fun stuff to help kids feel cool, calm and collected.”

The Zones of Regulation

The Zones of Regulation 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 behaviour approach, the curriculum's learning activities are designed to help students recognise when they are in different states called "zones," with each of four zones represented by a different colour. 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. To deepen students' understanding of how to self-regulate, the lessons set out to teach students these skills: how to read others' facial expressions and recognise a broader range of emotions, perspective about how others see and react to their behaviour, insight into events that trigger their less regulated states, and when and how to use tools and problem-solving skills.”

Zones of Regulation coping skills

“..a way for students to recognise their feelings and find ways to manage their feelings. Cut them out, mount with feelings on one side and strategies on the other. Included are Ship cards, Car cards, Princess cards, Cinderella cards, blank coping skills boxes to customise

Zones of Self-Regulation Book - visual supports

Zones to Self-Regulation book for Behaviour Management. These tools are individually accessible for students to use.

Each of the children could place their name on a booklet and use the visuals to remind themselves of the supports and tools which support them getting ready to learn.  These booklets are made in 6 slightly different formats and 2 sizes. Coloured tags have been added for students to find what they need fast and visuals are colour coordinated.

Kent Autistic Trust: Wendy Boorman, Family Support Officer

SMIRA

“Selective Mutism, sometimes called Situational Mutism, is an anxiety-based mental health disorder which usually commences in early childhood. Those with SM speak fluently in some situations but remain consistently silent in others. They may have a blank expression or appear ‘frozen’ when expected to speak. With early intervention the prognosis for recovery is good, but in some cases, it may persist and last right through a child’s school life and sometimes even into adulthood. It is important to understand that those with SM want to speak, but find themselves physically unable to do so due to their anxiety.”

Introduction to the Zones

DJ learns the Zones of Regulation from Cornerstone Christian School counsellor Mrs Miller.

The Birthday Party

“The 18-minute film describes the signs of autism in children. The message of the film is that the same signs can show themselves in different ways. Because of these differences, signs can be often get missed. On the other hand, behaviours seen in children with autism can be seen in children without autism too. But when particular behaviours are found together they form a distinctive and enduring pattern of SIGNS.”