Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision

Social understanding in the early years

What is social understanding?

Social understanding involves recognising and interpreting social signals and using these to communicate and interact with others appropriately in different situations. It includes the ability to feel and understand the emotions of others as well as understand different people’s perspectives and experiences.

In the early years it is important to bear in mind the child’s age and stage of development when identifying need.

  • Identification – what you may see in the child

    • Difficulties interacting with other children, for example they may not always accept friendly approaches from other pupils or understand personal space. They may also find taking turns, waiting their turn, and/or sharing challenging.
    • Plays alone most of the time, or occasionally alongside others.
    • Doesn’t seek adult support to help solve a problem.
    • Withdraw or demonstrate fight or flight responses, such as hitting or biting.
    • Demonstrates risky and/or unsafe behaviours, for example climbing on furniture, throwing objects.
    • Doesn’t recognise or understand the consequences of their actions on others.
    • Finds it difficult to manage perceived challenges or demands.
    • Likes to control situations, such as trying to lead an activity or conversation.
    • Unable to build a special relationship or may not show awareness of others’ responses.
    • Unable to reflect on what happened and why, even with adult support.

    You may also find the social communication and expressive language information in the communication and interaction section of the framework useful.

  • Planned provision in the setting

    Based on need, some of this provision will be effective.

    • Provide opportunities to develop social skills and relationships, using an interest-led approach where possible to increase engagement, for example their favourite character.
    • Adults model positive ways to interact with each other.  Use commentary, explicit direction and model positive ways children can relate to others.
    • Adults notice appropriate interactions and comment, for example “that’s a good idea”.
    • Plan and support opportunities to engage in social interactions, for example, small world, role play making friends, playground games, simple turn-taking games.
    • Develop co-operation and interaction skills through small group sessions, for example cooking, gardening, role-play, board games, small world, jigsaw puzzles.
    • Develop social understanding through specific strategies, for example social stories, role play, books, drama and the use of props such as puppets.
    • Use visual prompts to support children to reflect on their own behaviour and that of others. This should begin with reflecting on positive moments for the child.
    • Plan playful activities for example, play games that involve leading, following and turn taking (begin with activities that involve a very short period of waiting and build up gradually from there). Provide a visual reminder of whose turn it is.
    • Modify lunchtimes. Try a quieter location for eating or try a smaller table with fewer children with adult support. It is a statutory requirement that children must be within sight and hearing of a member of staff whilst eating.
    • Carefully consider social interactions and groupings. This may include adult modelling and support with social interactions.
    • Adults adapt their language when supporting interactions. Use explicit phrases that do not assume previous social and emotional understanding. For example, it is not helpful to use phrases like “Be kind” or “Calm down”. Instead, explain what you mean by being kind. For example, “It hurts my ears when you shout” or “Gentle hands..it may hurt them if you push”. These phrases can be supported visually, through role-play, or modelled.
    • Adults adapt language to reduce the suggestion or perception of demands. Use declarative language (statements, comments or observations), or rephrasing things to offer choices so the child feels a sense of control. Limit the use of direct language such as no, stop, must and don’t and replace with indirect language such as I wonder if…, we could…, shall we see if we can…
    • Use a ‘How to Help me Regulate’ plan to outline support, intervention and activities to support the development of social understanding.
    • Support children to develop receptive language skills, particularly in relation to social interactions and the language of emotions. Explicitly teach, practise and revisit strategies to help support social interactions, for example modelling caring responses, naming and talking about a wide range of feelings, putting children’s feelings into words for them, modelling how you manage your own feelings.