1. Social/Emotional Development Understanding Children’s Behavior: Supporting the Individual Needs of Infants and Toddlers Kadija Johnston Developed by Kadija Johnston. © WestEd, The Program for Infant/Toddler Care. This document may be reproduced for educational purposes.

2. Understanding S/E Development How do we define social/emotional development? What are indicators of the presence of emotional/social well-being? What contributes to social/emotional development going well?

3. S/E Development Defined The thoughts/feelings/expectations one develops about self. The thoughts/feelings/expectations one develops toward others and the world.

4. Indicators of Health The capacity to trust. The capacity to relate. The capacity to take pleasure in ourselves and others. The capacity to feel effective and the ability to expect this.

5. Three Commonalities The sense of self/other starts to develop from the beginning. Initially, these views of self and other are developed in relationships. Accumulated experiences develop into a lens of expectation. We perceive what we expect to receive.

6. Developmental Contributors The quality of early relational experiences. Both infant and adult are active contributors. The infant is more greatly influenced by the quality of the relationship because he has no other experience with which to compare it.

7. Capacities for Relatedness Infants actively seek stimulation. Babies’ favorite stimuli are all that is human. Babies have the ability to discriminate. Infants develop expectations and preferences based on how they are treated.

8. What is Being Conveyed? Adapting to the infant’s cues supports his ability to: Express intention. Share -- turn-taking. Communicate verbally. Develop a sense of effectiveness. Internalize a benign view of the world.

9. Program Guidelines 3.4D Consider children’s emotional experiences in all planning Ranking priorities Are all feelings accepted? How do we support development of relationships?

10. Articles to Use in Trainings Lovely articles from Concepts for Care Being Held in Another’s Mind Working with Traumatized Young Children The Emotional Basis of Intelligence Infant Mental Health Socialization & Guidance with Infants and Toddlers