Social-emotional learning programmes can be effective for typically-developing children and young people in improving their social-emotional skills. This systematic literature review, evaluating peer-reviewed literature from 2007 to 2018, investigated whether these programmes are also effective for children and young people with learning…

This research paper summarises the findings of a small-scale study that explored the experiences of emotional literacy support assistants (ELSAs) and the children with whom they work. Eight ELSAs and seven children were interviewed and a thematic analysis of the transcripts elicited key themes. The findings indicated that the ELSA-child…

Nurture Groups (NGs) are a short term, psychotherapeutic intervention aiming to provide reparative attachment experiences for children within an educational setting. The social skills of 16 children (aged between 6.0 and 9.75 years) were assessed through teacher ratings and children's self-report to hypothetical and challenging social situations.…

The Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) programme is an example of an individualised intervention to support pupils experiencing a range of social and emotional needs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore parents' constructions of several aspects of the programme: its aims and how these are achieved; its impact on children,…

Considering the prevalence of speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and the known association with poor academic performance and social, emotional and mental health, it is surprising that two-thirds of children with primary SLCN go unidentified. Although educational psychologists (EPs) are well positioned to support schools in improving…

Studies examining the well-being of British children find that about 5-10% are at risk of developing problems. This study aimed to examine the emotional and behavioural development of six to eight year olds in an area of socio-economic deprivation in Glasgow (Scotland) and compare this with UK norms. Furthermore, it aimed to look at overlap…

Children who leave care into adoption and special guardianship are often considered by schools and local authorities to have found their "happy ending." Yet there is growing evidence that the impact of prenatal and early trauma, abuse and neglect does not disappear upon placement in a permanent family. Rates of social, emotional and…

The research was designed to add to the UK-based literature around the Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) curriculum, a whole school emotional literacy and social competence intervention. Seven semi-structured interviews were carried out with class teachers and pastoral leads. Questionnaires were designed to explore a number of…

This is a psychometric analysis of an instrument to assess the socio-emotional development of school students, How I Feel (HIF), developed as a situational judgment test, with scoring based on expert judgments. The HIF test was administered in grades 4-9, 1999-2005. Internal consistency, retest reliability, and year-to-year stability were…

This paper focuses on the social and emotional needs of children and young people who are refugees. It was inspired by casework undertaken by the author involving a 13-year-old boy who was a refugee from Montenegro. A vignette of the case is presented in addition to a review of relevant literature to illustrate and discuss the various sources of…

Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) is a curriculum designed to promote social and emotional thinking in primary aged pupils. Research in the US has indicated that where used there has been an increase in emotional understanding and a decrease in behavioural difficulties. This study relates to 287 children (114 from intervention…

Significant adults who support and teach children are only too aware of the effects of adverse experiences on intellectual, social and personal development. Less easily predicted, however, is a small number of young people who, despite many negative experiences, seem to make a considerable success of their lives. In this paper, the intriguing…