Social-Emotional Competencies

Social skills refer to the ability to perceive social cues and control emotional reactions. These skills also provide the basis for social and academic engagement. There are five core competencies of social-emotional learning (SEL) that equip individuals with a lifelong, solutions-oriented ability to navigate life’s complex challenges. Social emotional learning is how students learn techniques to process and manage emotions as well as to learn essential social skills. These competencies are critical for everything from goal setting to stress management, and they provide tools children/teens can use to express themselves authentically and appropriately. Interaction with others is at the center of social skill development and the development of language and cognitive skills. When integrated with an academic curriculum, social-emotional competence (SEC) facilitates classroom participation, cooperative interaction in small and large groups, and helps children become independent. SEC is critical for building healthy relationships, communicating effectively, and living a meaningful life. Because all of these competencies are language dependent and often learned incidentally, students who are deaf or hard of hearing may need specific instruction to incorporate these skills into their social and academic routines. The skill areas pertinent to social-emotional competence include: Self-Awareness as an individual with limited hearing, Self-Management, Social Awareness,  Relationship Skills, and  Responsible Decision Making.  In the rubric below, " Emerging" begins for the family when the child is identified with a limited hearing. Typically, “Early” refers to early elementary years, “Intermediate” is late elementary and middle school, while “Advanced” is completed by the end of high school. The subskills are listed according to a hierarchy of development. Students, including those identified later, may have learning gaps that require subskills from earlier stages to be addressed. Some subskills are listed in more than one column indicating the possible need to revisit the skills at a more sophisticated level. Subskills may be adjusted and selected as needed. Not every target may need to be addressed. Assessment of these subskills may be completed informally or formally. See the ECC-DHH Assessment section for suggestions.