Social & Emotional Resilience

Social and Emotional Resilience and the Utah School for the Deaf

The social and emotional resilience learning of students has been acknowledged as a valuable skill that spans from kindergarten to 12th grade, focusing on understanding and managing emotions and developing self-reliant skills that are necessary for success in adult life.  For Deaf students, social-emotional learning plays a critical role in addressing potential information gaps that may have occurred earlier in their lives.

At the Utah School for the Deaf, we follow the Utah State Board of Education, USBE social emotional learning outcomes and objectives to support students holistically, academically, and personally. Teaching emotional resilience to Deaf Students requires specific techniques, considerations, and approaches.

Bauman and Murray (2014) introduced the concept of “Deaf gain,” highlighting the benefits of the experiences of Deaf individuals that can positively impact both Deaf and hearing communities. This approach emphasizes honing communication skills, using examples and stories, incorporating visual aids, engaging in role-playing, and empowering students by involving them in teaching roles.  Neil Glickman (2017) shares effective teaching strategies such as starting lessons with stories, including visuals, introducing coping skills through examples, and encouraging students to self-assess their abilities.

The Utah School for the Deaf’s Portrait of a Learner (PoL, 2025) provides a roadmap for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students to develop vital life skills from early education to post-high school programs. The USD Portrait of a Learner focuses on four key areas: Deaf identity, Excellence, Autonomy, and Foundations, tailored to meet the specific needs and objectives of the students.

Through special adaptations specific to deaf and hard-of-hearing students USBE’s emotional resilience objectives for the six outcomes proposed by the USBE.  The USD Emotional Resilience Curriculum is designed to cater to the needs of Deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The USD Emotional Resilience is envisioned as a dynamic document that will evolve with additional information such as lesson plans, ASL videos, and activities over time.

Evaluating student learning outcomes is crucial to assess the effectiveness of emotional resilience lesson plans and objectives. Stakeholder feedback is incorporated to refine and improve lesson plans and expectations continuously.

May this curriculum offer you guidance in educating our students. If you have any questions or feedback, reach out to the Associate Superintendent of the Deaf, Dr. Michelle Tanner, at michellet@usdb.org. 

References

Bauman, H. D. L., & Murray, J. J. (Eds.). (2014). Deaf gain: Raising the stakes for

human diversity. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.

Glickman, N. (2017). Preparing Deaf and Hearing Persons with Language and Learning 

Challenges for CBT: A Pre-Therapy workbook. New York: Routledge.

Utah School for the Deaf Portrait of a Graduate. (2024). An Illuminated Path for D.E.A.F. 

Success! Utah School for the Deaf.