Social and Emotional Development
Social and emotional development in early childhood refers to a child’s ability to form close and secure adult and peer relationships; experience, regulate, and express emotions in socially and culturally appropriate ways; and to learn to explore the environment. For some children, their social and emotional development is delayed and they are in need of additional support to aid their success.
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Services for social and emotional development promote a child’s ability to manage their own feelings, understand other’s feelings, and interact positively within their world.
If a child qualifies for Social and Emotional Development Services through the developmental screening and evaluation process, those services will be provided by a Behavior Interventionist in a child’s natural environment. For children ages birth through two years this is usually the home or a childcare setting. For children ages three through five years it is often a preschool or other educational setting. The goal for providing services for social and emotional development is to help a child have emotional regulation, maintain positive interactions with others and effectively engage in their environment.