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.
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.