Developmental patterns of socioemotional competencies in children with and without disabilities

The developmental status and socioemotional competencies of young children with disabilities have been understudied. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class of 2011 (ECLS-K:2011; N = 11,002), the present study explored school readiness and growth in four areas of socioemotional competencies: self-control, interpersonal skills, externalizing behaviors, and internalizing behaviors. A series of multigroup piecewise latent growth curve models were estimated to examine predictors of growth in these areas during early (K-2nd grade) and later (3rd-5th grade) elementary school for children with and without disabilities. Initial skill levels in each domain showed strong within-domain continuity, predicting later socioemotional competencies, while cross-domain associations were generally weak and inconsistent. Higher initial levels were also associated with slower subsequent growth, indicating that children with stronger early skills exhibited smaller gains over time. Children with disabilities consistently demonstrated lower levels of socioemotional competencies than their peers without disabilities (approximately 0.20 SD), but growth rates were similar across groups, reflecting persistent, yet not widening disparities. These findings indicate that socioemotional differences between children with and without disabilities are established by school entry and remain stable across elementary school, emphasizing the importance of early identification and sustained supports.