LSCI within a Developmental Therapy-Teaching (DTT) Framework
LSCI is a natural partner with the Developmental Therapy-Teaching (DTT) approach to social and emotional learning. Together, LSCI and DTT share a priority for young people under stress and draw from a solid information and evidence base for recommended practices to support the development of each individual — DOING, SAYING, RELATING, and THINKING — with a changing focus for each age and stage of development. From little kids to teens, LSCI and DTT match practices to young people’s developmental needs, recognizing each individual’s journey as a pursuit of identity. Briefly, key LSCI and DTT mutually share these key foundational practices:
- LSCI GOALS lead to responsible behavior through a sequence of emerging stages of social-emotional development.
- The SEQUENTIAL STEPS in LSCI provide a structure for the learning process to stay focused.
- During LSCI, indicators of changes from DEPENDENCE TO INDEPENDENCE provide markers for guiding the developmental process with targeted practices.
- A young person’s view of ADULT AUTHORITY is a major ingredient for LSCI strategies that lead to increased social-emotional gains.
- RECOMMENDED PRACTICES support resolution of naturally occurring developmental anxieties that change with each stage of development.
- VALUES as motivators for social and emotional change are powerful forces for positive change during LSCI.
- ROLES OF ADULTS as agents for change shape children’s responses to crisis events and shape the outcome of each LSCI.
The link to the pdf white paper on Universally Recognized Content in Developmental Therapy-Teaching (DTT) details these foundational practices. Together, LSCI and DTT mutually blend intrinsic resources for dynamic interventions in today’s changing educational technology and learning environments.The sequentially developing stages of social and emotional development are illustrated in The Developmental Therapy Institute website. It also contains information about the key content foundations, resources, teaching practices, and evidence of effectiveness.
www.developmentaltherapyinstitute.org/learn.
The Collaborative for Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) defines social emotional learning (SEL) as the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.
The LSCI approach integrates social emotional learning (SEL) instruction as part of its consistent six-stage process that guides adults in helping young people find solutions for challenging problems. Read on to learn how LSCI supports the CASEL 5–the five core competence areas that articulate what young people need for academic success, school and civic engagement, health and wellness, and fulfilling careers (CASEL, 2022.)
- SELF-AWARENESS: The LSCI Conflict Cycle expands a young person’s ability to understand the connection between their unique set of perceptions, thoughts and feelings and their behavior during stressful situations.
- SOCIAL AWARENESS: Through its Timeline, Insight and New Skills stages, LSCI helps young people increase their awareness of the perspectives of others and builds empathy for peers and adults, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
- RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING: LSCI promotes responsible decision-making by systematically guiding young people to reflect on their behavioral choices and social interactions.
- SELF-MANAGEMENT: Through its trauma-informed lens, LSCI helps young people better understand their perceptions, feelings, and thoughts in ways that allow them to make long-term changes in behavior.
- RELATIONSHIP SKILLS: Based on the belief that young people need to feel heard and understood, along with the knowledge that relationships are the agents of change (Perry & Szalavitz, 2017), the LSCI process cultivates growth, insight, and long-term change into the lives of children, adolescents, and families (Long, et al, 2021).

Reference:
CASEL. (2022). CASEL’S SEL FRAMEWORK: What are the core competence areas and where are they promoted? [White paper]. Retrieved on September 25, 2022. https://casel.org/casel-sel-framework-11-2020/?view=true
