The results of a recent study on the widely used Zones of Regulation have come as quite a shock to many in education. Despite its widespread use, the evidence does not seem to support the use of Zones of Regulation, especially with students with SEND.

In today’s episode we dive into the implications of this new research with Kerry Thalia discussing ‘Emotional Regulation Resources for SEND.’ Emotional regulation is a critical aspect of working with children and young people, significantly impacting their ability to access other areas of education. However, the literature review by Mason et al. in 2023 raises important questions about the use of Zones of Regulation with SEND students.

One of the key concerns is the use of colours to label and categorise emotions and states. In the SEND context, colours often have different meanings in various areas, which can be confusing for the child or young person.

Additionally, the Zones of Regulation approach does not seem to provide adequate support for the adults working with these students. In contrast, research from CASEL (The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning), suggests that supporting the adults can have positive effects on the students as well.

Understanding our own emotions and emotional states can be challenging as adults. Expecting children, especially those with SEND, to identify and regulate their emotions using a colour-coded system may not be the most effective approach. Join us for this thought-provoking discussion!

 

About Kerry Thalia

Kerry is an Autistic ADHD business owner who works to close the gap between research and practical teaching in classrooms by creating resources that support SEND children and young people access learning, communication and play. She has experience working in specialist and mainstream schools as well as directly with families.

 

Contact Kerry

discoverinclusion.co.uk/

[email protected]

http://x.com/@DiscoverIncl

  Useful Links

Bumper Book of Creative Learning

Access to Academic Learning Conference (October 2024)

Discover Inclusion Training

Zones of Regulation 

Mason et al study 

CASEL guide on schoolwide SEL 

 

• B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk 
• Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast 
• Email Dale – [email protected] 
• Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe

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We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.