Toxic Stress and the Science of Child
Development: Implications for Early
Childhood Professionals
The 2013 Annual Early Childhood Conference of the
Bennington County Child Care Association & Partners
November 2nd , 2013
Todd Grindal, Abt Associates
Julius B. Richmond Dissertation Fellow
Harvard Center on the Developing Child
1
Elementary
School Teacher
(2001-2002)
Preschool Teacher
(2002-2005, 2007)
2
Outline of Today’s Activities
• Core concepts of early development
• Research on the impact of early
childhood programs
• Discuss how this material is
relevant to your work
3
My objectives for this workshop
1. Help each of you develop a deeper
understanding of the science of
child development its implications
for you work with children &
families.
2. Lean about issues related to early
childhood policy and practice in
Vermont
4
What are your objectives
for today?
(please share with the
person sitting next to
you)
Why might it be useful for
early childhood
professionals to
understand the underlying
science of child
development?
5
Core Concept 1:
Experiences Build Brain Architecture
6
Looking inside the brain
7
Experience Shapes Brain Architecture by
Over-Production Followed by Pruning
(700 synapses formed per second in the early years)
birth
6 years
14 years
8
Neural Circuits are Wired in a
Bottom-Up Sequence
Language
Sensory Pathways
(Vision, Hearing)
Higher Cognitive Function
FIRST YEAR
-8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Birth
(Months)
(Years)
Source: Nelson (2000)
9
The Ability to Change Brains
Decreases Over Time
Normal Brain Plasticity
Influenced by
Experience
Birth
10
20
Physiological “Effort” Required
to Enhance Neural
Connections
30
40
Age (Years)
50
60
70
Source: Levitt (2009)
10
Experiences Build Brain Architecture
Reviewing Key Terms
•
•
•
•
•
Neuron
Synapse
Pruning
Sensitive periods
Plasticity
11
Experiences Build Brain Architecture
Activity
Based on the information on brain
architecture, why might attending a high
quality childcare program be beneficial for
young children?
12
Core Concept 2:
Interactions Shape Brain Circuitry
Brains and Skills are Shaped by
the “Serve and Return”
Nature of Human Interaction
14
Cumulative Vocabulary (Words)
Language environment impacts children’s
language development
1200
College Educated
Parents
600
Working Class
Parents
Welfare
Parents
200
16 mos.
24 mos.
Child’s Age (Months)
36 mos.
Source: Hart & Risley (1995)
15
Early Experiences Alter Gene
Expression and Shape Development
Neuron
16
Genes Carry Instructions that Tell
Our Bodies How to Work
Gene
Nucleus
DNA
Chromosome
17
Early Experiences Leave Lasting
Chemical “Signatures” on Genes
External
Experience
Gene
Regulatory
Proteins
Epigenetic
“Signature”
Turns Gene
On or Off
18
Example 1:
Neuroscience basis
for individual differences
Early Experience Affects Differences
in Adult Anxiety in Mice
High care
Low care
Low
High
Source: Gross & Hen, 2004
19
Gene/Environment Interaction
An Example
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/conten
t/epigenetics/rats/
20
Interactions Shape Brain Circuitry
Reviewing Key Terms
•
Serve and Return
•
Gene-Environment Interaction
21
Experiences Build Brain Architecture
Activity
Imagine you are preparing to share some
information on children's brain development at
a preschool back-to-school night.
What of 3 ways children engage in serve and
return behaviors while in the classroom?
&
What are 3 ways parents could engage in
serve and return behaviors with parents
outside of school?
22
Core Concept 3:
Early Life Experiences are Built Into
Our Brains and Bodies ( for better or for
worse)
Three Levels of Stress Response
Positive
Brief increases in heart rate,
mild elevations in stress hormone levels.
Tolerable
Serious, temporary stress responses,
buffered by supportive relationships.
Toxic
Prolonged activation of stress response systems
in the absence of protective relationships.
Toxic Stress Changes Brain Architecture
Normal
Toxic
stress
Typical neuron—
many connections
Damaged neuron—
fewer connections
Prefrontal Cortex and
Hippocampus
Sources: Radley et al. (2004); Bock et al (2005)
Severe Neglect Affects Brain Power
Positive
Relationships
Extreme
Neglect
Source: C.A. Nelson (2008); Marshall, Fox & BEIP (2004)
Children with
Developmental Delays
Significant Adversity Impairs Development
in the First Three Years
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
1-2
3
4
5
6
Number of Risk Factors
7
Source: Barth, et al. (2008)
Risk Factors for Adult Heart Disease are
Embedded in Adverse Childhood Experiences
3.5
Odds Ratio
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
1
2
3
4
5,6
Adverse Experiences
7,8
Source: Dong, et al. (2004)
Caregivers Depression Can
Have a Profound Impact on Young Children
Still Face Experiment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apz
XGEbZht0
Example 3:
Early Abuse Affects Later Behavior
Source: Pollak & Kistler (2002)
Profound Neglect
Impairs Physical Growth
11-Year-Old Girl
(height-for-age = 48
month old)
Source: Johnson et al. (2000)
Positive early experiences yield
positive long-term outcomes
32
Bucharest Early Intervention Project
Children randomly assigned to leave the
institution and be placed and high quality
foster care environment


Children placed in foster care before age 2 appear to
catch up with typical children on measures of cognitive
development
These children had lower rates of ADHD, disruptive
behaviors, and depression when compared to children
who stayed in the institution
As a result of this study,
•
•
The Romanian government passed a law forbidding the
institutionalization of non-handicapped children under
age 2.
Over 27,000 foster homes have been created.
33
Long-term effects of Head Start
 Head Start closes one-third of the gap
between median and low income family
income on a summary of young adult
outcomes:






High school graduation
College attendance
Idleness (not in high school, no wages)
Crime
Teen parenthood
Health status
Source: Deming, 2009
34
Preschools in the Public Schools
Chicago Child-Parent Center (2004)
•
Children who did not receive a strong
education from PK through 3rd grade were
three times more likely to be held back and
more likely to be placed in special education
than those who had a strong PK-3 foundation.
Preparing to Succeed-Boston (2011)
•
Attending preschool erased the Latino/white
test score gap and significant reduced the
African American/White test score gap
Source: Reynolds, et al., 2004
35
The impact of attending high quality early
childhood education can be observed nearly four
decades later
36
Rates of return to human capital investment
Source: Heckman, 2006 p.1902
37
Cost/Benefit Analyses Show Positive
Returns
Early Childhood Programs Demonstrate Range of Benefits to Society
$9.20
$10
$8
$5.70
Total Return per
$1 Invested
$6
$4
$3.23
$2
Break-Even
Point
0
Abecedarian
Project
(through age 21)
Sources:
Nurse Family
Partnership
(High Risk Group)
Karoly et al. (2005)
Perry Preschool
(through age 40)
Heckman et al. (2009)
38
36 months: Adjusted means for child outcome by quality
60
Adjusted means
50
40
Low Quality
Low/Average Quality
30
High/Average Quality
High Quality
20
Exclusive Maternal Care
10
0
Reynell Verbal
Comprehension
Bracken School Readiness
Source: NICHD ECCRN, 2000
39
The best of what we do is still not good enough
40
Program Evaluation Research Helps
Identify Effectiveness Factors
Not all programs are effective.
Effectiveness factors are key to distinguishing
those programs that work from those that do not.
Our goal: to provide clearer guidance than the
usual calls for “quality.”
Source: Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2007)
41
Effectiveness Factors for
Early Care and Education Programs
• Skilled and well-compensated personnel
• Small group sizes and high adult-child ratios
• Language-rich environment
• Developmentally appropriate “curriculum”
• Safe physical setting
• Warm and responsive adult-child interactions
Source: Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2007)
42
Effectiveness Factors for Parenting Education
43
Programs:
Parenting education with modeling and/or opportunities for practice
0.5
0.4
0.3
ECE programs that
did provide
parenting
education with
modeling
0.39
0.37
0.25
0.2
0.14
0.1
0.13
0.07
ECE programs that
did not provide
parenting
education with
modeling
0
Child cognitive skills
Child pre-academic
skills
Parent warmth &
responsiveness
Grindal et. al. (under review)
43
Four Targets for Professional Development
Educator Education, ECE
Institutional/
Training,
Organizational
Well-Being
Practices
Classroom/Grou
p Setting Quality
Practices Related to
Specific Child
Outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education (2010)
44
Current Conceptual Framework for Early
Childhood Policy and Practice
Sources of Toxic
Stress
Healthy Developmental
Trajectory
Delayed Development
Supportive Relationships,
Stimulating Experiences, and
Health-Promoting Environments
45
Designing an Enhanced Framework that
Balances Enrichment and Protection
Sources of Toxic
Stress
Protective
Interventions
Healthy Developmental
Trajectory
Supportive Relationships,
Stimulating Experiences, and
Health-Promoting Environments
46
An Integrated, Science-Based Logic Model
Could Inform More Effective
Early Childhood Policies and Programs
Preconception
Prenatal
Policy &
Program
Levers for
Innovation
Caregiver &
Community
Capacities
Foundations of
Healthy
Development
Biological
Adaptations or
Disruptions
Health &
Development
Across the
Lifespan
Early
Childhood
Middle
Childhood
Adolescence
Adulthood
Source: Center on the Developing Child (2010)
47
Brain Hero!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s31HdBeB
gg4
Thank you !
49
www.developingchild.harvard.edu
50