One size doesn't fit all: Profiles of isolated children in early childhood

Abstract

Peer isolation poses risks to children's social-emotional and academic development, contributing to internalizing and externalizing problems and school adjustment difficulties. To deepen scholarly understandings of peer isolation in early classroom settings, the current study examined the co-occurrence of child characteristics associated with isolation, including children's language ability, executive function, social skills, aggression, and peer victimization. The sample included 1275 children in 94 classrooms from preschool to grade three. Using a peer-nomination task, 254 children were identified as isolates who were at the bottom quartile on the “play most” peer nominations. Among the isolates, a multilevel latent profile analysis identified four heterogeneous profiles: low executive function, victimized and low social skills, aggressive and victimized, and average. These profiles were compared regarding children's language and social skills from the fall to the spring of the academic year. The findings caution against using a one-size-fits-all strategy to support the development of isolated children.