Emotional Trauma May Hurt Toddlers' Later Learning

One thing we know for sure is that during the early years of life a child's brain is beginning to develop and form neural pathways that create new connections and learning capabilities for children. Additionally, during these early years the child's personality and view of the self and world are greatly affected by the early attachments to others and their relational experiences. Trauma during these early ages requires the young brain to incorporate and create connections that allow the child to process this information. Unfortunately this may lead to the development of inappropriate coping skills, or even desensitization to traumatic experiences which could put the child at greater risk later in life. Further, beyond the physical implications of early trauma on the brain, these abusive experiences can drastically alter the child's ability to relate to others, particularly if the offender is a caregiver. As it has been stated before, children are extremely impressionable at an early age, and this should be understood to have physical and sometimes irreversible effects.

Lindsey Troup of IL 1:15PM April 10, 2012