Megan Bevington, MS OTR/L is an occupational therapist at the Midtown office of Child and Family Development. She knows a lot about sensory processing difficulties and enjoys helping kids and families learn about strategies to modulate and do well throughout the day.
Megan uses a program called Zones of Regulation® regularly during occupational therapy sessions and recommends it for home programs. Here is some information from their website to learn more about how it works:
Zones of Regulation® is a systematic, cognitive behavior approach used to teach self-regulation by categorizing all the different ways we feel and states of alertness we experience into four concrete zones. The Zones curriculum provides strategies to teach students to become aware of, an independent in controlling their emotions and impulses, managing their sensory needs and improving their ability to problem solve conflicts. By addressing underlying deficits in emotional and sensory regulation, executive function, and social cognition, the curriculum is designed to help move students toward independent regulation. The Zones of Regulation incorporates Social Thinking® concepts and numerous visuals to teach students to identify their feelings/level of alertness, understand how their behavior impacts those around them, and learn what tools they can use to manage their feelings and states. Here is some information from their website:
The Four Zones: Our Feelings & States Determine Our Zone
The Yellow Zone is also used to describe a heightened state of alertness and elevated emotions; however, one has some 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.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 expected at one time or another, but the curriculum focuses on teaching students how to manage their Zone based on the environment and people around them. For example, when playing on the playground or in an active/competitive game, no one would think twice about one being in the Yellow Zone but that would not be same in the library.
