Social Relationships and their Impact on Early Brain Development Bonny J. Forrest, J.D., Ph.D. Chief Operating Officer, Jewish Family Service

Overview  Basics of Brain Development  Infant-Preschool Mental Health Framework  Genetics and Environment  Self-Regulation and Cognitive Skill  Development of Relationships

Early Brain Development

Major Areas of the Brain

Neurons: the Connectors

More than We Need: Experience Dependent Pruning Infant Child

Early Brain Architecture

Infant mental health is: The healthy social and emotional development of a child from birth to 3 years; and a growing field of research and practice devoted to the:  Promotion of healthy social and emotional development;  Prevention of mental health problems; and  Treatment of the mental health problems of very young children in the context of their families. Zero To Three; Selma Fraiberg Infant Mental Health

Parent-Child Interaction with Infant or Toddler Parent who supports optimal development:  Is sensitive to child’s cues  Responds to child’s distress  Takes advantage of simple, everyday activities to stimulate learning The child can influence interaction through:  Clarity of his or her cues  Responsiveness to parent  Activity level

Ecosystemic/Continuum Model of Prevention, Assessment, Diagnosis, and Intervention parent environment child TERTIARY Child protection and out-of-home care SECONDARY Home visiting services Therapeutic services Infant-sensitive adult education and support services for parents PRIMARY Community awareness regarding infant needs Pre-and postnatal mental health services Early childcare and education Access to child care, parental leave, family-friendly work environments

Genetics and Development  Stress and environmental factors during pregnancy affect genetic expression  Genetic expression plays an important role in determining attachment patterns: genetic predisposition  Genetics interact with the environment to shape behaviors

Early Experiences Shape Brain Development: Interaction and Regulation  Infant’s ability to regulate biological and behavioral rhythms and emotions, using environmental cues  Parents support the child’s developing regulation system through caregiving actions  Early parent-child interactions lay basis of self-regulation skills that become internalized by the child:  Directing attention  Identifying goals  Monitoring Child’s actions  Correcting Child’s actions  Modeling strategies

Cognitive Skill  Through relationships, exploration of the environment, and play infants gradually begin to feel effective and competent  Important cognitive processes contribute: causality, object permanence, imitation  Development of Self-Regulation enhances Cognitive Skill  Tools of the Mind-Preschool Curriculum

Basic Infant Emotions  Need a response from caregiver to learn to ultimately verbalize  Task is for caregiver to help them learn to express

Social Milestones: Building Blocks of Attachment  Newborn: scans parent’s face; increasing eye contact  6 weeks: begins to smile and coo responsively  4 months: learns about others/ begins to be aware of strangers  7 months: stranger anxiety  9 months: separation anxiety; turns to caregiver for comfort when distressed  Bond that develops between a child and important caregivers  Develops through repeated interactions between child and caregiver  Strong influence on many areas of development  Influenced by temperament, neurobiology, and environment

Example: Depressed Caregiver Response to Infant and Impacts Caregiver:  Express less positive and more negative affects  Less attentive and more disengaged  When engaged are more intrusive and controlling  Fail to respond adaptively to infant emotional signals Child:  Shorter attention spans  Less motivation to master new tasks  Elevated heart rates  Elevated cortisol  Reduce EEG activity right frontal cortex

Example: Lack of Social Experience and Impact on Brain Development

Example: Experience Shapes Connectivity

Nature and Nurture  Socio-emotional competence develops within and because of relationships  Socio-emotional development affects all other areas of development  Socio-emotional development has long lasting impact  Early brain development provides the template for these phenomena