Date/Time: November 5, 2026 | 1:00 – 2:00 pm

Room: TAHOMA 1

Abstract: This interactive workshop introduces an Areas of Regulation framework as a lens for designing inclusive educational environments. Through embodied activities participants experience four emotional and sensory states: Frozen, Flow, Fizzy and Boiling, and examine how the environment can influence student regulation, engagement, and learning readiness. The session reframes emotional regulation as a design responsibility, demonstrating how classroom layout, furniture systems, lighting, acoustics, and transition spaces can either support or disrupt learning. Architects will gain practical strategies for translating neurodiversity research into spatial solutions that improve student autonomy, behavior, and academic participation across K–12 and higher education settings.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learners will identify four different areas of regulation and their associated emotional states.
2. Analyze how classroom and school environments influence sensory regulation and emotional readiness for learning.
3. Identify architectural strategies that support different regulatory needs within classrooms, commons, and support spaces.
4. Apply zoning, furniture integration, and sensory modulation principles to create flexible, inclusive learning environments.