Sanford Health

Social Emotional Program

One job a child has in “growing up” is to learn how to control oneself in a social setting in order to get along with others. It is normal for children under three years old to struggle with impulse control and socially acceptable behaviors. As children develop and learn, adults in their lives can guide them to self discipline and socially acceptable behaviors. Adults can help children learn these social/emotional skills by providing an age appropriate environment that encourages social emotional learning.

The Social-Emotional Program at Sanford Children’s CHILD Services provides education and assistance to help adults provide an environment where children’s social emotional learning is encouraged. Services available through our Social Emotional Project include:

 

Services:

  • Temperament assessments and consultations for children, caregivers and parents. By better understanding WHY people react the way they do to the world around them, it’s easier to accept their behavior, respect their concerns, and plan for their individual needs.
     
  • Environmental observation of child care settings.   Social-emotional experts offer suggestions to help create environments that can adapt to each child’s individual needs.
     
  • Social-emotional tools. Specific strategies assist caregivers and/or parents in their role of helping children develop the ability to understand their own feelings and skills in getting their needs met appropriately.
     
  • Team consultations.  A Family Life Educator works with parents and child care providers to help develop an individualized plan for shaping behaviors based on individual and situational circumstances.

 Trainings:

  • Training opportunities for licensed or registered child care providers.
     
  • Class instructors strive to help caregivers obtain information and confidence in one's ability to provide quality care for children

Technical Assistance:

  • CHILD Staff are available to do an on site observation.  This observation provides the means to develop an action plan to assist child care programs with program improvement efforts.

Aricles:

 

 To access services contact us at (605) 333-0698 or email us at childsrv@sanfordhealth.org 
 

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Temperament FAQ’s

What is temperament? Where do the characteristics come from?
Temperament is behavioral style: the how of behavior rather than the what or why. Temperamental differences are present at birth; they influence how children behave toward individuals and objects in their environments and how they are affected by the environment. Temperament characteristics explain in part how individuals with many stresses may do well while some with little or no stress have difficulty.

How do temperament characteristics affect parenting?
While some infants are mild and joyful others are irritable and cry persistently. Easy babies are so pleasant to care for they may receive (and give back) loads of affection and attention. The fussy, spirited child may scream and kick when given attention. As development unfolds, the fussy child may feel aversive to the caregiver and may receive less nurturance and affection. This is a striking reality for some parents who have an easy baby followed by a feisty one (or vice-versa). Many parents feel guilty and wonder if they have done something to harm their child because the spirited ones are so much more difficult to raise.

Are spirited infants and children more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems?
Temperament may make certain children in certain environments more likely to have these problems. These 'risk factors' occur when there is a mismatch between the child's temperament and some demand in the environment-a poor fit between the child's temperament and the expectations for behavior in the situation. 'Easy' babies and children may have 'protective' factors where mismatches are rare and the rate of conflict is low.

Why should a standardized questionnaire be used to determine temperament?
The primary caregiver nearly always has the most experience with the infant or child and is the expert on their behavior, However, the primary caregiver is rarely aware of the major categories of temperament and the boundaries between some of the overlapping dimensions. Ratings using an age specific questionnaire can focus the caregiver's experience and give a temperament profile that is likely to be more valid than general impressions.

What is the relationship between temperament and ADHD?
Certain normal temperament characteristics are similar to those regarded as behavioral symptoms of ADHD. Activity level, distractibility adaptability and persistence are normal personality characteristics but hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention are facets of ADHD. It is very likely that many children are being diagnosed with ADHD when in fact they do not have a neurobehavioral disability.

Can temperament affect my child even though I know my child has ADHD?
All children have temperaments. Even children who have been diagnosed with ADHD may have temperamental characteristics that create "poorness of fit" issues. Assessment and environmental changes to address temperament issues can still be very helpful in many cases.

7/31/2008

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