JAASEP SPECIAL ISSUE 2026 Part 2 of 5
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Social-emotional learning (SEL) has become a central priority in early childhood, driven by extensive evidence linking emotional competence to children’s long-term academic, behavioral, and relational outcomes (Alazahrani et al., 2019; Cibralic et al., 2024; LoBue & Ogren, 2022; McClelland et al., 2006; Ogren et al., 2018; Rautakoski et al., 2021; Zaslow et al., 2010). Yet despite this recognition, early childhood systems continue to struggle with how best to support young children’s social-emotional development in ways that are developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and feasible across diverse natural environments. These challenges are reflected starkly in persistently high rates of suspension and expulsion in early childhood settings—rates that exceed those in K-12 education (Meek & Gilliam, 2016; Stegelin, 2018; Zulauf-McCurdy et al., 2025) and disproportionately affect children of color and children with disabilities (Camacho & Krezmien, 2019; U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, 2016; Williams &Yogman, 2023). Exclusionary, discipline practices including, but not limited to suspension, expulsion, time out, and limited day undermine children’s access to appropriate early childhood experiences.
Abstract
The H-U-G-S Interaction Style is a responsive communication framework designed to strengthen young children’s social-emotional learning through predictable, attuned adult-child interactions embedded in everyday routines. Grounded in Sociocultural Theory, H-U-G-S operationalizes the assertion that social-emotional competencies emerge through guided participation in everyday activities and the child’s active engagement in culturally grounded relationships. H-U-G-S advances an equity-centered approach that affirms diverse communication styles and reduces barriers to participation. In early intervention and early childhood special education, the framework offers teams a practical way to translate individualized IFSP and IEP priorities related to communication, regulation, participation, and social-emotional development into consistent interactions across everyday routines and settings.