Zones of regulation

Supporting children with autism and ADHD in understanding and managing their emotions can be challenging, especially when sensory differences and impulsivity are involved. The Zones of Regulation is a practical framework designed to help children recognise, communicate, and regulate their emotional states. This article explains how the Zones work and offers some tips for using them at home.

What are the zones?

The Zones of Regulation is structured visual aid that categorises emotions and levels of alertness into four colour-coded zones. This system helps children develop emotional awareness and self-regulation skills, which are essential for navigating daily life.

Zone	Description	Emotion examples
Blue zone	Low energy or low mood	Tired, sad, bored, unwell
Green zone	Calm, focused and ready to learn	Happy, content, relaxed, or engaged
Yellow zone	Heightened emotions or increased alertness, but still in control	Frustrated, anxious, excited, or silly
Red zone	Extreme emotions, loss of control, or feeling overwhelmed	Angry, scared, or panicked

Why are the zones helpful?

Children with autism and ADHD often experience differences in sensory processing and emotional regulation. They may be more sensitive to certain stimuli, have difficulty recognising their own internal feelings, or struggle to communicate how they feel.

The Zones of Regulation provide:

A clear, visual way to identify and label emotions making the abstract concept of feelings more concrete.

A shared language for discussing emotions between children and adults.

A toolkit of strategies to help children move between zones in a healthy way, rather than aiming to be in the Green Zone all the time.

A foundation to build emotional literacy starting with images and building language.

Reduction in distressing behaviour by giving tools to manage emotions before crisis point.

Adaptable for preferred communication styles, environments, ages or ability.

Using the zones at home

1. Introduce the zones

Use coloured posters, charts, or cards to display the four zones.

Discuss what each zone means, using real-life examples from your child’s experiences.

Link body feelings with the zones. E.g. yellow zone= heart beating fast, sweaty palms, fast thoughts.

Use pictures to show real examples of emotions. For some children using images or relatives or favourite characters can help encourage engagement.

2. Identify triggers and patterns

Help your child notice what situations, environments, or activities move them into different zones.

Keep a diary or use visuals to track patterns-this is especially helpful for children who are non-speaking or have limited verbal communication.

Remind your child that all zones are valid, and that we can move back and forth regularly.

3. Build a personal toolkit

Collaborate with your child to create a list of strategies for each zone. For example:
- Blue Zone: Listen to upbeat music, have a snack, take a movement break.
- Green Zone: Keep doing what you’re doing!
- Yellow Zone: Deep breathing, sensory toys, ask for help, take a short walk.
- Red Zone: Find a safe space, use noise-cancelling headphones, squeeze a stress ball, ask for an adult.

Strategies should be personalised and reflect your child’s sensory preferences and needs.

4. Practise and model regulation

Model using the Zones language yourself. “I’m feeling in the Yellow Zone because I’m a bit worried about being late” or “I’m going to do some jumping to move from the blue zone to the green zone”.

Ask your child regularly which zone they are in, you could give visual prompts to help them answer.

Offer suggestions “Are you in the blue zone, you seem tired” or “You’ve said you’re in the green zone, are you happy?”

Practise identifying zones and using strategies together during calm times, not just during moments of crisis.

5. Emphasise acceptance

All feelings are valid-children should know it’s okay to be in any zone. The goal is not to be in the Green Zone all the time, but to recognise and manage feelings in a healthy way.

Tips for success

Use visuals and concrete examples: Children will often learn more and be able to apply what they’ve learnt when given visual aids and real-life scenarios.

Adapt language and tools: Adjust the language of the Zones to suit your child’s age and communication style and what you as a family tend to use.

Involve your child: Let them help choose strategies and decorate their Zones chart, increasing their sense of ownership. Update it as often as they life.

Work with school staff: Consistency across home and school environments can help reinforce the Zones framework.

The Zones of Regulation can empower children to better understand themselves and communicate their needs. By using this framework, you can support children in building lifelong skills for emotional wellbeing and resilience.

Every child’s journey with emotional regulation is unique. The most important thing is to offer understanding, patience, and a safe space for children to express all their feelings.