An update from Mrs. Friday -

Social Learning Session #3

Last week we introduced using Social Behavior Maps as they relate to the various
Zones. Attached you will find the EXPECTED behavior social map for “Green Zone
in the Classroom” that we completed as a group. This week we will complete the
UNEXPECTED behavior map for the Yellow Zone in the classroom. One of the main
objectives of this week’s lesson is to emphasize that everyone has thoughts about
unexpected behaviors triggered when someone is in a different zone (other than
Green). Linking these (invisible) thoughts to outward consequences is reinforced as
well. As Leah Kuypers points out in her book, The Zones of Regulation, if behavior
is only addressed by attending to positive behavior, we may not be giving students
all the information they need to see the bigger picture of what they are doing.
Typically, adults assume that children are easily able to “read” people’s emotions
intuitively. However, this is not always the case. Although our students at times
may be purposely misbehaving, at many other times those same students are doing
an unexpected behavior with no awareness of how it impacts others in their
environment. These students may have difficulty understanding that they have
done an unexpected behavior. Using the Zones is a tool to help explain the effects
of unexpected behaviors in a non-threatening way.
Some questions you can ask your child this week:
 How do you get along with others when you are in the different zones?
 In which zone are you most successful?
 What kinds of thoughts do people have when you are in the Green Zone?

Next week we will start to introduce the three types of tools to help students
regulate and move from a Red, Yellow or Blue Zone back into the Green Zone:
1) Calming Techniques
2) Thinking Strategies
3) Sensory Supports

Please don’t hesitate to contact Mary-Beth Friday with any questions, comments or concerns at the
Communication Pathways office: 920-632-4488 or by email: marybeth@communicationpathways.com