As a child psychologist, I see a direct connection between academic achievement and a child’s ability to build meaningful friendships, manage their emotions, and tolerate distress.
When a child is emotionally dysregulated, they are less available to learn. When individuals with ADHD get triggered and do not have the skills to regulate emotions effectively, they enter a fight-or-flight state.
The amygdala is activated, and the body releases stress hormones like cortisol. This autonomic response can hijack the prefrontal cortex and sabotage the ability to focus, process new information, and regulate emotions.The brain becomes unable to engage higher-order executive functioning skills and learn.
This is why social-emotional skills are a critical precursor to learning, and a linchpin for academic success.Over the past 30 years, educators have increasingly embraced social-emotional learning (SEL).
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