Understanding Social-Emotional Development: How Children Learn to Connect, Play, and Cope
When we think about child development, we often focus on talking, walking, or learning at school. But underneath these skills is something even more important: social-emotional development – the way children learn to understand themselves, connect with others, and manage life’s challenges. At Learn For Life, our paediatric occupational therapy services help children build these essential skills through evidence-based and play-focused interventions.
Social-emotional development helps children to:
-
feel safe and regulated in their bodies
-
connect and form relationships with others
-
communicate needs and intentions
-
cope with frustration and challenges
-
play, imagine, and problem-solve
Children learn these skills through exploring, interacting, and connecting with the world around them. Development happens most effectively through relationships and guided support, and when children have opportunities to discover and build on skills over time. This explains why social and emotional growth occurs in stages, with each skill building on the one before.
1. Feeling Calm and Ready to Engage
Before children can learn or play, they need to feel regulated in order to be calm enough to pay attention and interact. Some children may need help with managing big emotions, coping with noise or change, or staying calm during transitions.
2. Building Connection and Relationships
Children begin to learn that people are safe and enjoyable. They start to enjoy shared play, smile and laugh with others, and seek comfort and connection. This stage is about relationships, not words, and lays the foundation for later communication and learning.
3. Back-and-Forth Interaction
Children begin to engage in turn-taking and reciprocal interactions, often through gestures, movements, facial expressions, or sounds. Examples include rolling a ball back and forth or using actions to show what they want. Communication doesn’t have to be verbal to be meaningful; what matters is the give-and-take interaction.
4. Problem-Solving Together
Children use interactions to solve problems and cope with challenges, asking for help, persisting when things are tricky, and staying engaged when things don’t go as planned. This stage builds flexibility and resilience, showing that learning happens in real-life situations.
5. Imagination and Emotional Play
Children begin pretend play, using imagination to explore ideas and emotions. They might feed a doll, act out daily routines, or express feelings through play. This supports emotional understanding, creativity, and social thinking.
6. Understanding Feelings and Thinking About Others
Children start to understand cause and effect emotionally, recognize that others have different thoughts and feelings, and reflect on experiences. This stage supports friendships, problem-solving, and independent learning.
Why Some Children Need Extra Support
Every child develops at their own pace. Some children may struggle with:
-
regulating their emotions
-
coping with sensory experiences
-
participating in play or interactions
-
adapting to transitions or challenges
These difficulties can make it harder to access later skills like learning, socialising, or independence, even in children who are very capable in other areas.
How Occupational Therapy Supports Social-Emotional Development
Paediatric occupational therapists help children by meeting them where they are developmentally, instead of pushing skills before the foundations are ready. OTs focus on helping children to:
-
feel calm and safe in their bodies
-
engage with others through play
-
build emotional regulation skills
-
develop flexible thinking and problem-solving
-
participate in everyday activities at home, childcare, or school
OT Support Might Include:
-
Play-based therapy that follows your child’s interests
-
Sensory strategies to support regulation and attention
-
Support for transitions and routines
-
Coaching parents to support emotional development at home
-
Building play, interaction, and coping skills in a safe and supportive way
Social-emotional development influences how children experience the world, connect with others, and approach learning. Our Occupational therapists use developmental frameworks to support emotional readiness that allows skills to grow with confidence. If your child needs support with emotional regulation, play, or social skills, our paediatric occupational therapists in Adelaide can help. Contact Learn For Life today to book an assessment.