What is Emotional Literacy and Why is it Important?

by Caity Liechty, MSW Intern

Do you ever feel like your jaw or back is incredibly sore or tense for no reason?

Have you ever found yourself feeling completely blindsided by anger or sadness or anxiety?

Do you ever feel like an emotion you’re experiencing is too big to deal with?

Many people with autism struggle to understand their emotions. They experience difficulty in: 

• 1) naming their feelings,
• 2) knowing where the feelings came from, and
• 3) figuring out how to deal with the feelings.

These are the three key elements in what is called emotional literacy. The self-awareness required to learn emotional literacy can be a tall order, especially when introspection is not something that comes naturally. And yet it’s a skill that can be learned by anyone with the right amount of patience. Emotional literacy is an important skill for everybody, but we pay particular attention to it in the world of autism because it is a foundational building block of good social skills and interpersonal relationships.

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