Ross A. Thompson, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
University of California, Davis
p
@
rathompson@ucdavis.edu
Presentation to the Policy Retreat for Early Childhood Advisory Council Leadership
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, June 19-20, 2008, Denver
Neuroscience,
developmental psychology,
molecular biology,
and the
economics of human capital formation
are y
yielding
g a common focus on
development in the early years
Brain Growth in the Early Months
newborn
1 month
3 months
6 months
Brain Growth in the Years that Follow
Human Brain Development
Synapse Formation Dependent on Early Experiences
Language
Sensory Pathways
(Vision Hearing)
(Vision,
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: C. Nelson (2000)
Supportive relationships are the “active ingredients” of healthy development
Cognitive, social,
and
d emotional
ti
l development
d
l
t
are deeply interdependent in the
early
l years
Emotional health and
social competence are a
strong foundation for
emerging cognitive
abilities
Early
y childhood stress
influences
developing
p g brain
architecture
Chronic, severe, and/or uncontrollable stressful
experiences and can lead to stress management
systems that respond at lower thresholds,
thresholds and may
impair learning and memory
Risk Factors for Adult Depression are
Embedded in Adverse Childhood Experiences
Odds
s Ratio
o
5
4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
# Adverse Childhood Experiences
4
5+
Source: Chapman et al, 2004
Persistent Stress Changes Brain Architecture
Normal
Normal
Chronic
stress
Prefrontal Cortex and
Hippocampus
Chronic
stress
Amygdala
Source: C. Nelson (2008)
How
Ho Should
Sho ld We Act
On the Science?
“The early childhood years lay a
foundation that influences the
effectiveness of subsequent
education efforts.
efforts.”
“Early
“E
l intervention programs can
improve the odds for vulnerable
young
y
g children”
From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The
Science of Early Childhood Development
(www.nap.edu)
The Mismatch Between Opportunity and Investment
Brain's "Malleability"
Spending on Health,
Education and Welfare
Age 0
3
10
70
Implications from
Developmental Science
• It is better to prevent problems from developing
than to remediate them later
• Pay attention to all aspects of early growth:
physical health, cognitive, social, emotional
• Provide opportunities for healthy growth that are
developmentally and brain-appropriate
developmentallybrain appropriate
• Incorporate close relationships into efforts to
improve children’s
children s outcomes (two generations)
• Start early, and invest with long-term yields in mind
Science Points Toward a
3-Tiered Approach to Ensuring
Healthy Development
3: Narrowly targeted
targeted, specialized services
for children experiencing toxic stress to
prevent later problems
2: Broadly targeted interventions for
children in poverty (e.g., income
supports and early enrichment) to
give
i
all
ll th
the chance
h
to
t succeed
d
TIER 3:
NARROWLY
TARGETED
TIER 2: BROADLY
TARGETED
TIER 1: UNIVERSALLY AVAILABLE
1: Basic health services and early care and education
available to all children to help build and sustain strong brains
and bodies
www.developingchild.harvard.edu
www.developingchild.net