{"id":6047,"date":"2024-03-24T14:35:08","date_gmt":"2024-03-24T18:35:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thepromiseact.org\/?p=6047"},"modified":"2024-03-24T14:41:16","modified_gmt":"2024-03-24T18:41:16","slug":"social-emotional-developmental-delay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thepromiseact.org\/social-emotional-developmental-delay\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Emotional Developmental Delay – Let’s Talk About It!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
A social emotional developmental delay is often overlooked and manifests as struggles with transitions, demands, and emotional regulation. In special education, addressing these needs involves tailored goals, related services like counseling, and accommodations such as visual schedules. Parents are crucial in promoting emotional intelligence through open communication and seeking early intervention. Children can navigate these challenges and thrive with proactive support from home and school.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n When your child enters the public school system, it can be scary\u2014even for a parent whose children have been in a \u201cstructured setting\u201d since they were six years old and eight weeks old. As a mental health professional, I’ve always worked in foster care, school settings, and early childhood development settings. I thought I had prepared for the challenges of public school, but I had not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have two children in these \u201cstructured\u201d yet caring settings where the teachers had the time to address their sensory needs. Then they entered a setting where transitions weren\u2019t a choice, not working wasn\u2019t a choice, and attempting to understand their perspective wasn\u2019t always feasible. Enter a social emotional developmental delay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Parents and caregivers can observe a social emotional developmental delay when a child does not reach expected milestones at various ages, such as three, six, or nine months. It also occurs when a child does not reach the expected social milestones (i.e., smiling, playing, interacting with others, expressing oneself, and developing strong self-esteem). <\/p>\n\n\n\n When a child enters the school setting, this can look like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When my children entered the school setting, the above is what occurred. I know you’re thinking, \u201cHad this not been a struggle before?\u201d It had, but not to this extent, why? In their previous setting, they got more support and understanding due to having less strict requirements (i.e., academics and stricter schedules) and more choices (i.e., if you don\u2019t want to do this, you don\u2019t have to). Another factor was that <\/em><\/strong>they didn’t learn the skills to navigate this strict schedule<\/em> <\/strong>because it was not something parents had seen them endure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Both of my children would eventually receive special education services; one is Autistic, and one has a speech delay. We noted the impact of social emotional developmental delay on them and began to look at how special education can help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Special education can address social emotional developmental delay in the following ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Outside of special education services, there are various strategies parents can use to promote social emotional development:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hearing that your child has a developmental delay can be scary. Still, you can address and work on developmental delays, especially by employing early intervention and starting preemptively addressing emotions and feelings at home. Then, as they get older, continue those conversations and support them. Once they enter the school setting, having a supportive school team also helps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Military children go through many transitions, and as parents, we help them navigate that stress and have a safe place to discuss and process those feelings. They never feel alone in that process. Through this support, my children are doing pretty well, and we have been able to help them continue to thrive and grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSocial Emotional Developmental Delay in Public Schools: Navigating Challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is Social Emotional Developmental Delay?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How Can This Be Presented in the School Setting?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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What Does Social Emotional Developmental Delay Look Like in Special Education? <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How Parents Can Promote Social and Emotional Development<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Overcoming Developmental Delays<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Supporting Military Children Through Transitions: Managing Stress, Fostering Growth<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
About the Author<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n