The social-emotional development domain consists of the following three strands: Self, which includes self-awareness and self-regulation, social and emotional understanding, empathy and caring, and initiative in learning.
Receiving touch can help children self-regulate over time because it is modeling a sense of safety and calming that will be internalized. Being hugged or consoled when upset can also help reduce intense limbic firing in the brain.
The foundations focus on four domains: social-emotional develop ment, language development, cognitive development, and perceptual and motor development.
Activity in the brain creates tiny electrical connections called synapses. The amount of stimulation an infant receives directly affects how many synapses are formed. Repetitive and consistent stimu- lation strengthens these connections and makes them permanent.