Early Brain Development: Implications for Social Emotional Development

1. Early Brain Development: Implications for Social Emotional Development Betty Rintoul, Ph.D. Encouraging Connections

2. Role of Experience Repeated use strengthens brain connections. If connections are not used, they may be “pruned” away. The brain “grows itself” for the environment it experiences. Much of this experience-based growth occurs in the frontal cortex (the “executive brain”).

3. Recent Research Reports…. Suggest that children’s social and emotional well-being is critical to their success in school and in life. Surgeon General’s Report on Children’s Mental Health, 2000 Off to a Good Start, 2000 Neurons to Neighborhoods, 2001 Set for Success, 2002 Ready to Enter, 2002 Hardwired to Connect, 2003

4. Hardwired to Connect Commission on Children at Risk released this report in September, 2003. Collaboration of neuroscientists, doctors, and social scientists. Reflects on rising rates of mental problems and emotional distress among U.S. children and adolescents.

5. Update on Child Well-Being 6% of US children are taking psychotropic medications. 300% increase between 1987 and 1996. 300% increase for psychotropic medication for 2 to 4 year olds between 1991 and 1995.

6. Update on Child Well-Being Increase in serious emotional and behavioral difficulties in very young children, especially those involving self-regulation and communication.

7. Hardwired to Connect Concluded we need to move from special programs for “at risk” children to recognizing broad societal conditions that are contributing to growing numbers of suffering children. Crisis in lack of connectedness: Close connections to other people Deep connections to moral and spiritual meaning

8. Connection Deficits? Sample of 125 foster children under age 6 Over 80% had developmental or emotional problems 50% had both

9. Hardwired to Connect Mechanisms by which we become and stay attached to others are biologically primed and increasingly discernable in the basic structure of the brain. Nurturing environments, or the lack of them, affect gene transcription and the development of brain circuitry.

10. Nurture Affects Brain Development Nurturing touch promotes growth and alertness in babies. Presence of a secure attachment protects toddlers from biochemical effects of stress. Abused children pay more attention to angry faces – reflected in brain’s response.

11. Nurture Affects Brain DevelopmentAnimal Studies Well-nurtured pups develop into laid-back adult rats. Good foster mother monkeys can alter the development of highly reactive temperaments.

12. Hardwired to Connect Social environments can affect genes at the level of transcription to reduce genetically based risks.

13. Neurobiological Ties that BindAnimal Studies Not only do differences in maternal attention predict emotionality of the offspring, but also predict how the offspring will mother their own pups. The underlying neural systems mediating these behaviors appear to be changed by positive nurture.

15. What Research Tells Us:Aspects of Relationship with Caregiver that... Neglect of physical or emotional needs

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17. Depression, emotional stress, substance abuse What Research Tells Us:Aspects of Caregiver Well-being that...