Social Emotional

1. Social Emotional Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: Navigating Complex Social Environments Maine Educational Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Conrad Strack M.S. Ed. Public School Outreach Consultant Conrad.Strack@MECDHH.org

2. Goals • Develop an understanding of the relationship that incidental learning and communication access has on social/emotional growth • Gather suggestions and ideas to help mitigate the extra challenges that Deaf and Hard of Hearing face in accessing incidental learning

3. Topics • Importance of social/emotional growth • Social/emotional growth takes place where, how • How Deaf / Hard of Hearing needs differ from hearing classmates

4. Topics • Deaf needs, Hard of Hearing needs • Encouraging social/emotional development • Opportunities available through MECDHH

5. How important is social growth? • School success • College success • Work success • Relationship success

6. How does social development happen? • Books? Classroom? • School hall, cafeteria, recess? • Friends? Family? • Social Media? • Communication?

7. Communication • Formal classroom communication (teaching) • Informal/Incidental communication (between peers / classmates and at home)

8. Deaf or Hard of Hearing needs differ from those of their hearing classmates? • Brief interactions with other students • Smaller vocabulary base especially pragmatic language due to missing incidental learning • Limited number of communication contacts • Communication often superficial in nature • Less access to social groups

9. Differences continued • Use of a different language (ASL) • Not hearing or mishearing what was said • Using assistive technology that no one else in their class or family has – helps in class • Less exposure to TV, radio, music, etc. • Fewer friends

10. Differences can lead to: • Frustration in dealing with hearing loss 24/7 • Anger at being different, struggling to understand what is said, missing information • Feeling embarrassed • Becoming extremely tired from working twice as hard to make sense of fragmented language

11. Differences can lead to continued: • Not asking questions due to embarrassment, struggle or fatigue • Withdrawing because communication is a struggle • Isolation • Low self esteem • Emotional health

12. Two types of learning • Effortful (Intentional) Learning • Learning that is consciously undertaken, with intention of retaining information for later use • Incidental (Unintentional) Learning • Acquisition of information without directed effort

13. Incidental learning • Foundation for inferential learning and executive functioning • Incidental learning forms the neural and cognitive basis on which formal academic learning is built • The brain is designed to learn incidentally

14. How does the social needs/opportunities of students who are deaf differ from those who are hard of hearing?

15. Deaf social development • Has its own subculture in US and world • Has its own language – Pride • Has its own sports programs, community, events, social gatherings (all wonderful opportunities for informal social learning) • Students are visibly “different”

16. Hard of Hearing social development • Same language as family • Hearing assume hard of hearing are the same as hearing • Limited positive role models • Language, socialization and incidental learning can be a struggle • Inconsistent access to pragmatic/social rules

17. Encouraging communication with deaf and hard of hearing students • Small group work • Allow student to go to peers/classmates for help • Lunch buddies • Involvement in organized clubs, sports teams *** • Teach ASL as a class • Encourage all informal communication • Permit use of social media **

18. Encouraging communication with deaf and hard of hearing students • Formally teach incidental learning • Explain to class how to include hard of hearing student • Encourage friends • Formally teach social skills/emotional skills • Push student out of comfort zone

19. Encouraging Self-Esteem and Confidence • Belonging to a group, club, team • Having a unique skill • Develop advocacy skills • Encourage sense of worth • Feeling competent • develop hobbies • Encourage taking risks and challenges

20. MECDHH Programs • W.I.S.E. • Kids Like Me (1st-5th grade) • Kids Like Me (6th-12th grade) • Participation in GBSD school sports activities • Special Events at GBSD • Student Awareness Programs • Social/Pragmatic language skills class

21. How important is social/emotional development? • More important than academic ? • EQ > IQ

22. Summary • Need for Social/Emotional growth • Importance of incidental learning • Providing access to incidental learning • Every student is different

23. “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death” • Albert Einstein

24. Social/Emotional growth should commence at birth and cease only at death • Conrad Strack

25. Resources • Self-Science:The Emotional Intelligence Curriculum, Karen McCown • Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman • Social Intelligence, Daniel Goleman • Executive Functioning in Education: From Theory to Practice, Linda Meltzer • Building Emotional Intelligence: Techniques to Cultivate Inner Strength in Children, Linda Lantieri, Daniel Goldman • Family Learning Day, Amy Szarkowski, BCH, June 21 • Successforkidswithhearingloss.com

26. Those that know………….. Do • Those that understand …….Teach • Aristotle