What is the socio-emotional level?

An analysis of emotional development describes how people become increasingly aware of how they experience emotions and gain control over them. Emotional development is closely related to social development. Emotions play an important role in interactions between people (for example, in dealings with peers or adults) and how people adapt to their physical and social environment.

An emotion is characterised by physiological responses, subjective feelings, cognitive processes related to those feelings and the desire to take action. Obviously, emotional development determines how people cope emotionally. Challenging behaviour is often (partly) due to a discrepancy between socio-emotional and cognitive development. The main problem areas in emotional development are: access to emotions, the modulation of duration and intensity, changes in emotion and the integration of conflicting emotions, the recognition of and conformity to cultural expectations about emotional expression, the verbal regulation of emotional processes and problems with the management of reflexive emotions.

As with the cognitive level, overestimating or underestimating the emotional level means that people will not be dealt with in line with their abilities. This can result in demands that are too high (too much or too difficult) or too low (too little or too easy) or a lack of understanding, irritation and inadequate stimulation.