Zones of Regulation is a classroom framework developed by Leah Kuypers that groups emotions and levels of alertness into colour-coded “zones” intended to help students identify how they are feeling and choose strategies for self-regulation. The model is widely used in schools as a social-emotional learning tool. However, many neurodivergent advocates and educators have raised concerns about how it is implemented. The framework assumes that students can accurately identify and verbally label internal emotional states, which can be difficult for individuals who experience alexithymia or who process emotions primarily through sensory or bodily signals rather than language. In practice, some schools use the zones system to monitor or correct behaviour rather than to expand students’ range of regulation strategies. This can unintentionally create a hierarchy where certain emotional states are treated as “acceptable” and others as problems to fix. Critics argue that regulation support should include multiple approaches—such as movement, sensory input, and environmental adjustments—rather than relying primarily on self-reporting emotional categories.