A Pilot Study of Improving Self-Regulation and Social Interaction with Peers: An “Exciting School”

Abstract

Social interaction skills are related to successful academic performance and mental health. One of the key elements of socio-emotional competence is self-regulation. The main aim of this study was to analyze the effect of a self-regulation program at a primary school on the social interactions of neurotypical children and children with special educational needs, from the teachers’ and parents’ perspectives. A pre-post study was conducted. The children (n = 107) followed 10 sessions, each one of 50 minutes, for ten weeks, between January and April 2021. To assess the changes in children’s social interaction, the Peer Social Maturity Scale was administered to the teachers. After the intervention, parents completed a questionnaire designed ad hoc to understand the effectiveness of children’s emotional self-regulation. The results showed a statistically significant improvement in peer interaction skills. The families were satisfied with the program, due to the improvement in their children’s knowledge about their own emotions and those of the other people, and the learning strategies to regulate their emotions. Likewise, parents indicated that it would be necessary to complement the program with teaching and emotional regulation strategies for them. The “Exciting School” program could help improve the social skills of school-aged children.

A Comprehensive Analysis of the Relationship between Play Performance and Psychosocial Problems in School-Aged Children

“…Knowing which specific play-related factors correlate with psychosocial problems in children may help to tailor, play-based and evidence-driven interventions that comprehensively address the social and cognitive aspects of the proposed activities. However, occupational therapy-structured and evidence-based programs to promote mental health and development in schools are scarce in Spain although research indicates that they could be effective for promoting social play skills and self-regulation in typically developing school-aged children [ 57 ]. Using an interdisciplinary approach that includes both teachers and suitable health professionals may contribute to achieving adherence and positive outcomes, as teachers are able to identify social difficulties in children [ 58 ], and occupational therapists are experts regarding activity and performance analysis and play-based intervention [ 1 , 4 , 16 ].…”

Competência Social Em Adolescentes: Um Estudo Com Pacientes Que Passaram Por Avaliação Psicológica

“…). Em comparação com simples conhecidos, os amigos preocupam-se mais com o bem-estar um do outro, são mais afetuosos e fisicamente mais próximos e, também, implicam mais entre si, sendo importante ser seletivo na escolha de pessoas com quem se relacionar de forma mais estreita Como coloca a CASEL, relacionamentos entre pares exige que o indivíduo aperfeiçoe a capacidade de ser um bom ouvinte, coopere com os outros e resista à pressão social negativa (ROMERO-AYUSO et al, 2022;SCHOON, 2021).Habilidades motorasAs habilidades motoras são fundamentais para a adaptação do indivíduo aos objetos e situações do meio em que está inserido. A aquisição de um amplo espectro de habilidades motoras, possibilita ao indivíduo um domínio do seu corpo em diferentes posturas estáticas e dinâmicas; locomover-se pelo meio ambiente de diversas formas como andar, correr, saltar; e ser capaz de manipular objetos e instrumentos como jogar bola, arremessar uma pedra, chutar e escrever, e, portanto, favorecem sua participação algum esporte ou sua colaboração com alguma tarefa doméstica.…”