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Social-Emotional Comparative Paper
Article Critique One: Social and emotional learning for children with Learning
Disabilities: Implications for inclusion.
Summary
Students who have been diagnosed with a Learning Disability (LD) have a hard time
expressing their feelings. It’s important for addressing the social and emotional needs of those
who have a learning disability. Students who have LD are known for having behavioral problems
and low self-esteem and efficacy in the classroom.
Analysis
When discussing social-emotional skills in special education, students who have a
learning disability (LD) face challenges including social, emotional and behavioral issues. These
skills are important to establish positive social interactions and non-verbal aggressive behaviors
to their peers. Students who have special needs must learn how to recognize their thoughts and
emotions. There are many challenges that affect students with LD. These challenges include,
social rejection and isolation, low self-efficacy and self-esteem, difficulty recognizing and
interpreting emotions and social situations, higher levels of behavioral problems, increased risks
of anxiety and depression. Social-emotional learning programs can be beneficial to students who
are diagnosed as LD. When it comes to SEL programs, they need to be accompanied and
supported in the classrooms while promoting social and emotional learning practices. Being a
collaborative partner with the parents of a student with LD on shared goals to support the
student’s social and emotional development and inclusion is key to support the social and
emotional learning for the student.
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Social-Emotional Comparative Paper
Reflection
As a teacher of children with special needs, I have witnessed firsthand the effects of students
who have a problem expressing their feelings. One of the classes that I teach is called “Social
skills”, and this is a class where we work on social interactions to understand other’s feelings and
emotions. We work on the proper way to interact with our peers. This article points out that
having a good rapport with the student will help support their goals of working on social
emotional skills.
Article Critique Two: Why Social-Emotional Learning is Important in Special Education
Summary
Social-emotional learning can teach students social and emotional skills that help them
see other people’s perspectives. This program has gone on to help students in forming
relationship with their teaches and peers, finding sources that best support them and doesn’t
judge them. An SEL program has been vital in helping students achieve their goals especially the
ones with significant behaviors.
Analysis
In special education, teaching students the benefits of seeing things from other people’s
perspective is beneficial in seeing different perspectives. These skills help students maintain
appropriate relationships with anyone they may have encounters with. Students with special
needs learn how to recognize and control their impulsive behaviors from being a part of an SEL
program. Students can do this by practicing self-calming techniques and understanding their own
strengths and recognizing when they need assistance. In addition to the self-calming techniques,
students can also do the following yoga and movement task cards, activities to de-escalate
emotions, use fidgets and nose canceling headphones. SEL programs help students strive to
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Social-Emotional Comparative Paper
improve their behaviors and get higher grades. Students who participate in SEL can build their
own social and emotional competence which allows them to build better relationships with their
peers and teachers.
Reflection
Being a special education teacher, I have seen firsthand the positive impacts that social
and emotional skills have on students. In my classroom, we have a social skills class where we
work on communication skills and do role-playing activities to work through scenarios so
students can respond in appropriate ways. Students who have special needs don’t always know
how to respond in specific situations. The article does a create job elaborating on how important
it is for special needs students to have a safe place and feel welcomed. In my classroom, I greet
every student at the door, and we start with saying good morning and they we either do a fist
bump, high-five or hug. After everyone has arrived, we talk about how everyone is doing this
morning and work together as a class to work through our moods. Whenever we talk about our
moods, each student has their moment to talk and other must listen and ask questions whenever
it’s appropriate. This allows for practice of recognizing others’ feelings and determining how
they would feel in that same situation.
Article Critique Three: Teaching Explicit Social-Emotional Skills with Contextual
Supports for Students with Intensive Intervention Needs
Summary
The author Bierman et al points out the importances of social-emotional learning and
self-regulation skills for those students who are at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders.
The article mentions that students who have a difficult time showing regulation of emotions have
frequent displays of irritability and are easily impacted by anxiety or anger and find it difficult to
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Social-Emotional Comparative Paper
calm down. Bierman continues to address the importance of coordinating social-emotional
learning in the school setting.
Analysis
The research study analyzes how social-cognitive and emotional factors contribute to the
social difficulties that students who Emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD’s) face. Students
who struggle with social-emotional learning struggle in the following areas: have poor
interpersonal relationships, difficulty imitating and sustaining friendships, peer exclusion or
victimization, and emotional distress, including anxiety and loneliness. Bierman goes onto
emphasize and address the need for school-based interventions that targets skill deficits
undermining social-emotional functioning, behaviors interfering with classroom engagement.
Conversely, Bierman goes onto state the important role in supporting social competence which
leads to supportive student-teacher relationships, quality of peer interaction and classroom social
influences and teacher management style.
Reflection
I have spent 7 years in education, 5 years as a para and 2 years teaching and I have
discovered that students who have special needs have a harder time grasping the concept of
social and emotional skills compared to their peers in the general education setting. To me, this is
no surprise considering the severity of needs they have. Students who have special needs, have a
harder time expressing their emotions than students who are in the general education setting. As
a special education teacher, it is our job to build those student/teacher relationships and teach
them communication skills to maintain relationships amongst their peers.
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Social-Emotional Comparative Paper
Conclusion
Comparison
The three articles discussed the importance of having positive social-emotional skills in
the classroom and how it impacts students with special needs. All three articles mentioned how
students with special needs have difficulty with expressing their feelings towards others. Article
1 focused primarily on social rejection and isolation, low self-efficacy and self-esteem, difficulty
recognizing and interpreting emotions and social situations, higher levels of behavioral
problems, increased risks of anxiety and depression that students with disabilities face whenever
it comes to social and emotional. On the other hand, article twos focus was on the importance of
teaching social and emotional skills to build relationships with peers and teachers. Finally, article
three points out the need for school-based interventions that targets skill deficits undermining
social-emotional functioning, behaviors interfering with classroom engagement.
Biblical Worldview
“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth,
judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy” (NIV Proverbs 31:8-9). This bible
verse addresses those who can’t advocate for themselves. This verse teaches you to stand up for
the people who can’t stand up for themselves and demand justice for them. As a special
education teacher, it is a blessing to be able to teach students with special needs and teach them
that it’s okay to be different and that they’ll be accepted for who they are. Special needs students
are unique in their own ways and should be treated the same as those who don’t have special
needs. As a special education teacher, I make it my goal every day to make sure my students feel
accepted and wanted.
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Social-Emotional Comparative Paper
Resources:
Banks, A (2022, June 16).CWhy social-emotional learning is important in special education:
Insights to behavior. https://insightstobehavior.com
Bierman, K. L., & Sanders, M. T. (2021). Teaching Explicit Social-Emotional Skills with
Contextual Supports for Students With Intensive Intervention Needs.CJournal of Emotional and
Behavioral Disorders.,C29(1), 14–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1063426620957623
Cavioni, V., Grazzani, I., & Ornaghi, V. (2017). Social and emotional learning for children with
Learning Disabilities: Implications for inclusion. International Journal of Emotional
Education, 9(2), 100–109.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 byCBiblica,
Inc.®CUsed by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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