Week 2 Week Two Task: Brain Development

All children and young people develop at different rates, but the order which they advance in differs very little. Children’s development tends to progress from head to toe, inner to outer, from simple to complex and from general to specific.

Hulock, E. B. (1959). Youngster Development, New York McGraw-Hill - McGraw-Hill arrangement in brain science.

A child develops through its whole life. They can develop; physically, linguistically, intellectually, socially and behaviourally. “Physical development is the way in which the body increases in skill and becomes more complex in its performance” [Meggitt, 2000, Page 2]. Twenty five days after conception; the body of the chid has developed immensely from the small fertilised egg. Up to birth the foetus mainly develops physically however once the child is born the child then begins the long process of development. Not only do the gross motor skills and the fine motor skills develop on the baby, but the sensory development also widens on the child.

All babies and young children can show different rates of development. It is often linked to experiences during conception, pregnancy and childbirth.

When it comes to neurocognitive disorders and neurodevelopmental disorders, reaserchers have been able to diagnose symptoms of a variety of disorders pertaining to the brain and growth development. Once knowing what the symptoms are behaviors become noticed and there becomes a reason for certain behaviors in individuals allowing different treatments for these disorders..

Complete the six tables on the following pages, showing the sequence and rate of development for children and young people from birth to 19 years. (506 1.1)

Development of a child have been a thing that most of the parents have been neglecting without noticing that it is very important in the development of a child’s character and social

While the stages of cognitive development identified by Piaget are associated with characteristic age spans, they vary for every individual. I remember reading about the girl who was locked up in a room with no furniture but a mattress, and a dog for a long time. And when the authorities finally got her out, the little girl thought she was a dog. And even years later after she got help and therapy, her brain was never able to develop and be right like it should, even

Development encompasses more than just the changes the body and mind goes through, and many psychologists study the relationship between physical, cognitive, and social development. Physical development begins at conception, whereas cognitive development does not begin until the fetal stage. During this time, the brain becomes much more sophisticated, the hemispheres grow rapidly and the interconnections between

Infant learning and brain development is fragile and contingent upon numerous intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The most critical time frame for infant brain development is from the second trimester to the first three months of life (Marshall, 2011). During this time, neural pathways are forming, areas of the brain are maturing, and brain development is rapid. From infancy until the age of 3 years, neural pathways are still being formed in response to stimulation and for this reason, it is extremely important for caregivers and parents to be aware of the many factors that can influence brain development in infants (Marshall, 2011).

Technological advances in the past decade have allowed scientists to study the brain in ways that have led to new understanding about how young children develop. There is a new understanding of both the capabilities and the vulnerabilities of infants and young children and that understanding is has influenced the work of caregivers and teachers. During pregnancy, the basic architecture of the brain is formed. Although, certain experiences do influence the developing brain during pregnancy, such as maternal health and stress, intake of drugs and/or alcohol, and quality of maternal nutrition.

Successful levels and stages of development are majorly associated with the increasing efficiency and memory capacity. These explain a progression to higher stages and individual differences which increases by same age persons and cognitive performance. Research indicates that the performance of children at a given age is changeable from domain to domain such as the understanding of social, mathematical, and spatial concepts that it is impossible to place the child in a single stage. This level involves processes that define the volume and kind of information that the individual child can process. For example, reflexes arise before birth and are still present in newborns. Sometimes, prenatal development and birth complications may also be connected to neurodevelopmental disorders. Young children react to various motivations in various ways (Damon & Lerner, 2006). For example infants’ sight blurry in early stages improves over time.

The first brain division is the Cerebrum, which carries the most unique human qualities (problem solving, language, planning, reasoning, etc). It is the largest division of the brain, encompassing 40% of the brains weight. Consisting of the mirror hemispheres, the right and left hemisphere, the cerebrum is section into six lobes (frontal lobe, occipital lobe, two temporal lobes & two parietal lobes) that specialize in certain functions. The next brain division is the brainstem which is located directly at the top of the spinal cord. The brainstem serves as a conduit between the spinal cord and the brain. The brainstem is a transmitter of sensory information to the brain and away from the brain it is a key transmitter of motor information.

Genetics only cause the brain to develop to a certain point, the rest of the brains development depends on life experiences. The brain is known as being ‘plastic’, it can mould to what is happening in our environment, be that drugs, hormones, relationships or diet. The developing brain is more sensitive to change than the older brain, and the same experience can have different effects on the brain at different ages.

The second stage happens from ages one to three. This stage is called Autonomy versus shame and doubt. Toddlers start to assert their sense of independence. If caregivers encourage this self-sufficiency, the toddler will learn to be independent versus feeling shame and doubt. When you area a young child you need to learn how to be independent, so you know in the future you can get things done by yourself. I believe I grew up in a home that let me be independent. The reason I believe this is because I can do things today that I would have never seen myself doing