PSY345H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Neurology, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability
Document Summary
The first years of life are crucial to the overall development of children. Anecdotal evidence in which a child was deprived of early exposure of the outside world, shows that the early years are extremely important. We also know from more and more research in neurology, the nervous system is relatively flexible when the child is young. As the child gets older, the brain gets more solidified. As a result, when children are very young, the opportunities for learning are greater. As a result, early stimulation can affect the development of language, intelligence, personality, and self-worth. Early intervention can reduce the overall impact of disabilities as well as counteract the negative effects of delayed intervention. If a child is born with a developmental delay, it is extremely important to intervene. The longer we wait, the less likely it is that the child will learn. Intensive behavioural intervention many children born with autism are non-verbal.
