Including the Family Context in SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) Design and Implementation: Families of Children With Intellectual Disabilities

• In Event: Promoting Inclusive Mindsets and Practices With Social and Emotional Learning

Abstract

Social and emotional skills, whether fully, partially, or not at all developed, start in the home, and are shaped by how a family emotionally functions and communicates. Social and emotional functioning is a contextualized process as a person’s development is influenced by the environments in which they participate in (Bronfenbrenner, 1977). The experiences that an individual has within a particular environment, like the family system, shapes how a person responds emotionally (Barrett et al., 2007) and plays a vital role in how an individual interacts socially, processes information, makes decisions, and copes (Eccles & Wigfield, 2002; Fridja, 1988; Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007). It is therefore imperative for the design and implementation of school based SEL programs to reflect on and be inclusive of the diverse family cultures and identities of the students they serve.

Given the importance that a child’s environment plays in how they socially and emotionally develop, SEL programs need to be more inclusive of how families may function and teach their children to emotionally communicate, whether indirect or direct. This paper examines a single microsystem, the family, to illustrate the importance of transferability of SEL skills across contexts (Zieher et al. 2023). This mixed methods study examined how 11 neurotypical siblings, ages 9 to 12, who have a brother or sister with intellectual disabilities (ID), emotionally function within their unique family context. The emotional intelligence and functioning of the neurotypical siblings were assessed using measures, a qualitative activity that examines how the sibling perceives the emotional functioning of the family and him or herself, and a semi-structured interview. A parent from each family participated in a similar qualitative activity. Results revealed that the emotional intelligence and functioning of neurotypical siblings may, in part, be influenced by the characteristics (i.e., behaviors) of the individual with ID, the emotional functioning of other family members, the upbringings of their parents, parenting styles used in the home, and interactions between family members. Neurotypical siblings also indirectly or directly described situations and reasons in which they may or may not engage in emotional discussions. Findings also suggest that social and emotional functioning in the household may differ, and in some cases even contradict, what is being taught in school based SEL programs.

The findings of this study illustrate the need for school based SEL programs to teach students to adapt and use their newly developed SEL skills among a range of people, situations, and environments that may not otherwise allow for optimal use and/or challenge the use of these skills. Using the findings from this study, the presenter will highlight the different components of the family system that impact how a child socially and emotionally develops and functions. Areas in which school based SEL curricula can be designed and implemented to be more inclusive of varied family cultures and contexts will also be discussed. Finally, SEL strategies to strengthen student outcomes and experiences using the family context will be presented.

Author

• Michael McCarthy, Yale Child Study Center