Resilience can be defined as a set of attributes that reinforce the strength and fortitude a child will need to confront the overwhelming obstacles within their daily life. Some characteristics that are often associated with resilience include; social, optimistic, energetic, inquisitive, helpful and attentive.
For children who have language, speech or social communication difficulties, these moments of strength and fortitude can be limited. Because these children are often working harder to reach a set goal and may receive negative feedback when they do not reach this goal. Their peers may also influence their resilience as these children are often seeing their peers reach these set goals more easily. Although this may sound specific to the school environment, resilience is also important within the social or community environments including, at home, within a friendship group or when doing a hobby or sport. For example if a child is at a sporting event and is having difficulty communicating with the other children they may become discouraged. This feeling can then carry over to other social situations the child may be involved in.
Therefore to build upon this skill we need to ensure we are providing the following;
1. A sense of academic success
2. A feeling of value within the community around them (home, school and social events)
3. A feelings that they have made a real contribution to their communities
4. A sense of empowerment
This can be achieved by providing positive feedback when the child performs well, but also focusing on the positive when they may be having difficulties. We can also ensure we are not continuously giving the child tasks that challenge them but also tasks that we know they can perform well, so they feel that sense of success and empowerment. We can also achieve resilience by maintaining the knowledge that even if at first we don’t succeed or we have difficulty we can always try again!
