Social-emotional development includes the child’s experience, expression, and management of emotions and the ability to establish positive and rewarding relationships with others.

Children experience, express, and perceive emotions before they fully understand them. In order to recognize, manage, and communicate their emotions and to perceive and understand the emotions of others, children need to build the skills required to do so.

These growing abilities help children to become competent in negotiating complex social interactions, to participate effectively in relationships and group activities, and to gain the benefits of social support essential for healthy human development and functioning.

Socio-emotional challenges include: