The Effects of Isolation on a Child's Social Development

Even though you might want to isolate your child from pain or hurt feelings, she needs social experiences to help her learn important life skills. Isolation is not always parent-driven. Some children might experience isolation due to emotional or developmental disabilities, as researchers at the University of California̵7;s graduate school of education and information studies, led by B. Chamberlain, discovered in 2007, while others might have medical conditions that require isolation. However, all children need social interactions to develop properly.

  1. Communication Skills

    • Though your child's social interactions as an infant were likely limited to parents, caregivers and family, she should interact with different people as she grows. Even though her preschool teacher might not respond as gently as you have been to her request for a third snack, she will learn proper social graces, such as how to ask nicely, wait her turn and practice self-control. Young children also need to interact with other children, as stated in a piece on socialization as a milestone on BabyCenter.com. If she never plays with a child her age, she will not learn that ripping a toy out of another child's hands is an unacceptable way to get what she wants. Older children also need social interactions to learn conversational skills and communication techniques that might be different (but no less important) than those used in your own home.

    Social Awareness

    • Because she may be the center of your world, an isolated child might believe that she should be treated as such in other places. There will likely come a time when she wants to have a friend over to play or approach another child on the playground. If she has not previously interacted with other children, she might be too aggressive, or overly passive. Isolation from peers is common in children with disabilities, such as autism, who are often observed to have lower levels of peer and social acceptance, according to Chamberlain and associates. These children might struggle with "normal" communication techniques, making it more difficult for them to develop socially.

    Emotional Skills

    • Not only may an isolated child might lack the emotional skills to handle rejection, she might also become fearful of new situations or assume that other children will not like her. She could also be overly dependent on parental approval. If you were unexpectedly forced to leave her with extended family or friends for a short while, she might not have the emotional strength to handle even a brief separation. When it is time for her to attend school, she might feel extreme anxiety when she has to separate from you, as teacher Carolyn R. Tomlin reports in an article published on earlychildhoodnews.com.

    Cognitive Abilities

    • An isolated child might not easily take instruction from other people. Researchers at Boston Children̵7;s Hospital discovered that severely neglected or isolated children lack proper brain development, leading to reduced cognitive and social abilities in adulthood. It might be difficult to recognize developmental delays if she does not interact with other children her age. If she is kept in isolation until she is of school age, she will not have the opportunity to learn early academic skills from other children or teachers. Her learning might suffer if she is preoccupied with her lack of social skills, Dr. Kenneth Shore reports, in an article on the Education World website.

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