About

About The Zones

The Story Behind The Zones of Regulation

I conceived The Zones of Regulation when I was an occupational therapist and autism resource specialist working in public schools. I was struck by how often students’ challenges in regulation skills impacted their adaptive functioning and sense of well-being. I worked with learners to address sensory regulation differences. However, their emotional regulation, social cognition, executive functioning, and impulse control continued to stand in the way of their successes.

The solution was clear to me. Learners of all ages needed to be taught regulation competencies aligned to their developmental continuum and be given the opportunities to practice the skills in a safe and supportive environment. I developed an approach to address regulation in a systematic and pragmatic way. I named this approach “The Zones of Regulation.” The curriculum was first written as a capstone. The work was published in 2011 by Think Social Publishing, Inc., and has sold over 300,000 copies.

Thank you for your support,

Leah Kuypers

The Zones of Regulation Creator and Founder & CEO, The Zones of Regulation, Inc.

Our Mission

We believe that regulation is essential for leading a healthy and meaningful life. At The Zones of Regulation, we empower learners of all ages to understand the full range of their feelings, as well as explore tools and strategies to support their well-being.

The Zones of Regulation Outcomes

The Zones of Regulation helps learners:

  • Improve competencies in co-regulation and self regulation
  • Self-Identify feelings, energy, and levels of alertness
  • Build self-awareness of body signals as they relate to emotions
  • Develop perspective-taking skills
  • Integrate situational awareness with self-awareness to determine how to regulate
  • Learn why regulation matters in relation to goals and well-being
  • Identify, practice, and utilize effective regulation and wellness tools/strategies
  • Understand when and how to use tools
  • Build positive decision making and problem solving skills
  • Reflect on situations or experiences
  • Identify triggers and sparks that impact regulation

Meet The Zones of Regulation team

Leah Kuypers

Creator, The Zones of Regulation and Founder & CEO, The Zones of Regulation, Inc.

Leah earned a Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Graduate Certificate in Autism, and a Master’s in Education from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. She has practiced as an OT and specialist in school and clinical settings, specializing in regulation and social-emotional learning. Through this work, she was inspired to create The Zones of Regulation (Think Social Publishing, 2011) which has been enthusiastically received by educators, therapists, and parents around the world.

She enjoys providing training and consultations to parents, schools, and professionals by offering workshops on regulation and the Zones framework to groups locally, around the United States, and internationally. To date, over 300,000 copies of The Zones of Regulation book have been sold and the framework has been implemented in districts around the world to support students’ social emotional learning. On a personal note, Leah currently resides in Minneapolis, MN with her husband, son, and daughter. To have fun, Leah loves traveling, hiking, skiing and most anything outdoors.

Molly Schock, M.A. Ed

Head of Operations and Communications

Molly is not only the Operations Director at The Zones of Regulation, she is also Leah’s sister. She grew up in a family of educators, and has been involved in education in one way or another her entire life. Molly started her career as a teacher in elementary and middle schools and spent several years teaching adolescents. She also coached at all age-levels for 20 years. Molly has always been an advocate of teaching life skills through education and coaching to help young people learn how to apply self-awareness, self-management, and social skills for their future. She came on board with the company at the start of the business, being the second employee. She oversees the business operations and is integral to coordinating all The Zones of Regulation training opportunities. Molly holds an MA in Education, an Urban Education Certification, as well as a BS in Secondary Education. She currently resides in Minneapolis, MN with her husband and son.

Adam Berkin

Director Of Education

Adam Berkin started his career as a classroom teacher working in elementary and middle schools in New York City and Massachusetts. He also taught pre-service teachers at Bank Street College of Education. After being in the classroom for several years, he moved into educational publishing, working for a range of publishers including Scholastic, Curriculum Associates, Pearson Education, and Time for Kids. As Director of Education at The Zones of Regulation, Adam develops Zones curriculum materials, oversees strategic partnerships, and helps to ensure the fidelity and rigor of our curriculum and professional development materials and programs. Adam lives in Arlington, MA with his wife and two sons.

Stephen Perepeluk, M.A.

Head of Strategic Initiatives

Stephen has spent his entire career as either a public school educator or in various roles in educational publishing. After ten years as an elementary classroom teacher, he became the principal of a technology themed magnet school in Connecticut followed by a position as a central office administrator with the NYC Department of Education. In the private sector, he has held positions in editorial and marketing at Scholastic, Pearson, Mondo, and Heinemann/HMH. He also served as the President of Classroom, Inc., a technology and professional development non-profit organization serving under-resourced school communities. As the Head of Strategic Initiatives at the Zones of Regulation, Stephen’s portfolio includes the company’s digital, marketing, and sales strategies. Stephen graduated from Hamilton College and has MA degrees from Teachers College Columbia University and the NYU Graduate School of Education.

Emily Walz, M.S., Ed

Director of Instruction

Emily Walz is a licensed Special Education Teacher (M.S.Ed- Special Education LD/EBD/DCD) with 15 years of teaching experience working with unique learners in New York City and the Minneapolis/St Paul metro area. In her teaching career she has worked predominantly with elementary and middle school learners with special needs in both resource/inclusion and self-contained settings and has come to specialize in social emotional learning. Emily has held the role of school-based Social Emotional Learning Coordinator and is deeply passionate about the impact that SEL instruction has on equity and inclusion in schools. In her role at The Zones of Regulation, Emily is primarily working toward developing resources and capacity around implementing The Zones schoolwide as well as training and consulting with schools and districts in the U.S and abroad. She lives on a sunny corner in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her husband and two sons.

Hannah Money

Lead Graphic Designer

Hannah Money brings over 10 years of graphic design experience to the Zones team. She started as a part-time contractor, and quickly moved into a full-time position. She has learned so much about the education world, and her passion for The Zones and its mission has continued to grow. As the Lead Graphic Designer, Hannah has been involved in projects including the logo and graphics design, updating branding materials, creating resources, and ensuring The Zones of Regulation is a cohesive and recognizable brand. She is excited to be a part of this amazing team helping The Zones continue to grow.

Elizabeth Sautter, M.A., CCC

Collaborative Trainer

Elizabeth Sautter, M.A. CCC, is a licensed speech and language pathologist and social-emotional coach. She is the co-owner of Communication Works, a private practice offering speech, language, and social support in California. She is the author of Make Social and Emotional Learning Stick and developer of Make it Stick Parenting, an online course for parents of neurodivergent children (elizabethsautter.com). Elizabeth works closely with the Zones of Regulation team as a Collaborative Trainer and has co-authored The Zones of Regulation Storybook Series and games.

What People Are Saying About The Zones of Regulation

Videos, Podcasts & Interviews

Uzma Akser Coaching and Consulting, interview with Emily Walz, Director of Instruction

April 2023

The Nuts and Bolts of The Zones of Regulation

View

Jabbed Education Podcast Featuring Leah Kuypers

November 2021

Fostering Self-Regulation & Emotional Control with Zones

Listen

School Behavior Secrets Podcast Featuring Leah Kuypers

November 2021

The Zones of Regulation: How to Help Kids Manage Strong Emotions

Listen

Full Prefrontal: Exposing the Mysteries of Executive Function Podcast Interview Featuring Leah Kuypers with Sucheta Kamath

October 2020

Get In The Zone!

Listen

Make Social and Emotional Learning Stick, Interview with Leah Kuypers

June 2020

How To Get Your Child To Talk About Their Feelings Instead Of Acting Out Or Shutting Down

View

OT School House Podcast Featuring Leah Kuypers

October 2020

Discovering the Zones

Listen

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