Why I’m Not Sold on the Zones of Regulation (And What We Could Be Doing Instead)

Why the Zones of Regulation May Not Be the Best Fit for Autistic Children

The Zones of Regulation is a widely used framework designed to help children identify and manage their emotions through a colour-coded system. While it has gained popularity in schools and therapy settings, there is growing concern that this approach may not be the most effective—or even helpful—tool for autistic children and other neurodivergent individuals. Let's discuss 6 things to consider in evaluating it's appropriateness for supporting autistic children.

1. Does It Promote Compliance Over Authentic Regulation?

The Zones of Regulation approach is often used in a way that emphasises the appearance of calm - rather than genuine self-awareness and emotional regulation. In many settings, children are encouraged to shift out of the ‘red’ or ‘yellow’ zones to reach the ‘green’ zone, which is typically associated with being ‘ready to learn.’ However, this framing risks sending the message that some emotions are ‘bad’ or unacceptable rather than helping children understand and embrace their full emotional experience.

For autistic children, who may experience emotions with greater intensity and may take longer to process them, being expected to quickly move into a ‘better’ zone can create pressure to suppress or mask their true feelings rather than regulate them in a meaningful way.

2. Pathologising Natural Emotional States

The Zones of Regulation framework groups emotions into different colours, which can unintentionally label certain emotional states as negative or undesirable. For example, the red zone is often associated with anger and loss of control, while the yellow zone may indicate heightened anxiety or frustration.The implicit message for Autistic folks who may tend towards black and white thinking?

Green is good, red is bad.

But emotions are not inherently good or bad—they are part of the human experience. Autistic individuals, in particular, may experience intense joy, excitement, or distress that doesn’t fit neatly into one category. Teaching children that certain emotions are ‘wrong’ or should be changed can contribute to emotional suppression and difficulty with self-acceptance.

3. Oversimplification of Emotional Experiences

Emotions are complex, dynamic, and often co-existing. A child might feel nervous and excited at the same time or experience anger mixed with sadness. However, the Zones of Regulation model encourages placing emotions into fixed categories, which may not reflect the full nuance of how autistic individuals experience their feelings.

Additionally, many autistic children struggle with interoception—the ability to recognise and interpret bodily signals related to emotions. Simply identifying a colour zone does not support a child in understanding why they feel a certain way or how to meet their needs in that moment.

4. It Doesn’t Address the Root Causes of Emotional Dysregulation

Many autistic children struggle with emotional regulation not because they need to be trained to shift zones but because they experience sensory overload, unmet needs, or executive functioning challenges. Instead of focusing on why a child may be dysregulated—such as an overwhelming environment, social exhaustion, or an unmet sensory need—the Zones of Regulation model often shifts the focus to changing the emotional state itself, rather than addressing the underlying cause. This can lead to strategies that prioritise compliance over true support, and may inadvertently overlook the child’s sensory, social, or emotional needs in the moment.

For example:

If a child is in the red zone because they are overwhelmed by loud noise, the solution isn’t to ‘calm down’ into the green zone—it’s to reduce the sensory input or provide tools that support their sensory needs.

5. May Encourage Masking Rather Than Genuine Self-Regulation

A major risk of using Zones of Regulation with autistic children is that it can reinforce masking—the act of suppressing natural responses to fit into expected social norms. If children are frequently praised for being in the green zone and encouraged to move out of other zones as quickly as possible, they may learn that showing distress, frustration, or excitement is not acceptable.

Long-term, masking emotions can contribute to burnout, anxiety, and difficulty recognising one’s own needs, making self-regulation even harder.

6. Lacks a Neuroaffirming Perspective

The Zones of Regulation was not designed specifically for neurodivergent individuals, and it does not fully align with neuroaffirming principles. Neuroaffirming approaches prioritise:

• Validating all emotions rather than categorising them as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’

• Recognising that emotional regulation is not about compliance but about meeting needs and feeling safe.

• Encouraging co-regulation—helping children regulate through connection and support rather than expecting them to do it alone.

So if zones of regulation may not be ideal, what can we use?

You may like to read Alternatives to Zones of Regulation for Supporting Emotional Well-being