​Research Around The Zones of Regulation

As you read in the overview, The Zones of Regulation framework is currently a practice based on evidence.  As The Zones continues to become more widely used around the US and internationally, research projects around the Zones are being conducted.  Below are research inquiries around The Zones that we are aware of.  Please check back as we hope to add more as we learn of them and update any findings that become available.

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The literature review exerpt from Leah Kuypers' capstone: A Curriculum Designed to Foster Self-Regulation in Students with Neurobiological Impairments.
Hamline University, 2008

lit_review.pdf
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Intervention to Increase Self-Regulation in Kindergarten Students
Lauren E. Yack
Saint Joseph’s University

crj_623_literature_review-methods-results_ly.docx
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Research Studies In Progress and complete

Does Increasing Mental Health Services in Low Socioeconomic Schools Improve School Climate/School Safety?  
University of Central Florida and Brevard Public Schools
Funded by the National Institute of Justice

bps_scs_study_narrative1.pdf
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The Effects on The ZONES of Regulation on Preschoolers' Behavior
Rush University and School Association of Special Education in DuPage County (SASED)

This research study is in partnership and collaboration between school-based occupational therapy practitioners from School Association of Special Education in DuPage County (SASED) and students from Rush University Department of Occupational Therapy and was scheduled to begin in September 2015.   The design of this study provided initial evidence on the effectiveness of the modified Zones curriculum for preschool children.

Purpose: To examine whether preschool children who participate in a modified “Zones of Regulation” curriculum will exhibit improved competencies in social/emotional development when compared to preschool children who do not receive the modified Zones curriculum.

Hypothesis: Preschool students who participate in the modified Zones curriculum will exhibit improved self-regulation skills when compared to peers who do not receive the curriculum.

Method

• Design:  Quasi-experimental, longitudinal, correlational and predictive single group study
• Participants:  46 preschool-aged children in four blended classrooms. Two classrooms (31 students) received the intervention, and two classrooms (15 students) served as the control group.
• Instruments:  Hawaii Early Learning Profile (HELP) 3-6 self-regulation assessment strand and clinician-designed emotion identification assessment
• Procedures: Obtained consent from school and parents; determined control and intervention groups; completed pre- and post- assessments for all students; modified the Zones of Regulation

Results and Discussion

• An Independent Samples T-test showed no significant difference in HELP assessment post-test scores between the control group (M=115.07, SD=9.47) and intervention group (M=121.26, SD=10.86); t(44)= -1.89, p= 0.066
• A Mann-Whitney U test showed no significant difference in total number of emotions identified at post-test between the control group and intervention group; U=174, p= 0.067

Conclusion

• Study hypothesis was not supported, though statistics show a trend which may have been significant with a larger sample size.
• Limitations include small sample size, disproportionate number of students in intervention versus control group, and use of clinician-designed assessment.
• Recommendations for future research include broadening data collection to additional schools or classrooms, increasing sample sizes, and evaluating the validity and reliability of the clinician-designed emotion identification assessment.

Click the Link below to view “At a Glance: Adapted ZOR Curriculum for EC."  This document provides a summary of the lessons with goals and materials that were used during the research study.

at_a_glance_-_adapted_zor_curriculum_for_ec.pdf
File Size:	446 kb
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Want to get involved with Zones related research?

Social Thinking, the publisher of The Zones of Regulaiton, is teaming with me and the community to study the related outcomes of using The Zones.  Over the summer months, I will be working with Dr. Pamela Crooke from Social Thinking to design a study that users of the Zones curriculum can volunteer to participate in.  If you would like to be notified of the project once we have it set up, please follow the link here.