The Effectiveness of Social Emotional Learning for Students with Special Needs

Students with Special Needs are an at-risk subgroup both academically and socially. The demands and pressures that are put on today’s children are ever-increasing and the uncertainties of living through unprecedented times that Covid-19 plagues our society with fear and increased levels of anxiety. The need for Social Emotional Learning is needed more now than ever for all but especially so for Students with Special Needs which is the foundation for this research. This research was conducted to learn about the effectiveness of Social Emotional Learning for Students with Special Needs. A qualitative case study was conducted in one specific elementary school using a purposeful sampling of participants that were surveyed regarding their perceptions of Social Emotional Learning with their classes of Students with Special Needs. The survey was analyzed using qualitative coding and was grounded in Cultural Proficiency based on the concept of Cultural Competence. This study revealed that teachers found that Social Emotional Learning through the use of specific Social Emotional Programs or direct teaching of strategies had a direct impact on their students. There was observable improvement in their students’ ability to identify their emotions, communicate their needs appropriately, self-regulate, and increased attention levels in class. The findings from this research study may contribute to school site decisions of the implementation and adoption of specific Social Emotional Curricula and may influence future teacher practices of embedding Social Emotional Learning in their lessons in order to minimize the inequality gaps of academics and socialization skills of Students with Special Needs.