Mind Matters

Today Emily Kircher-Morris welcomes Leah Kuypers, developer of the Zones of Regulation framework, to discuss self-regulation skills. They talk about the importance of emotional awareness, the practical applications of the framework in educational settings, and how it provides a common language for expressing feelings. Leah shares insights from her experience as an occupational therapist and educator, including the impact of the framework on students' ability to communicate their emotions and navigate their environments effectively. They discuss the need to move away from labeling emotions as good or bad, and explore practical strategies for implementing self-regulation tools in educational settings. TAKEAWAYS Self-regulation challenges significantly impact students' well-being and success. The Zones of Regulation framework provides a common language for expressing feelings. All zones are valid; there are no good or bad zones. Visual supports can help neurodivergent students communicate their feelings.