This is the second part of Martha Farah's article on neuroscience, ethics and poverty. … [Read more...] about The Neuroethics of Poverty (Second part)
Can we really change parenting behavior?
This question has been on our minds as we analyze the effects of a recent home visit program implemented by the Nicaraguan government (results forthcoming, stay tuned!). The Nicaraguan intervention, like most home visit programs, targets children’s first and arguably most important teachers: their parents. The curriculum aims to strengthen parents’ knowledge of early childhood … [Read more...] about Can we really change parenting behavior?
The Neuroethics of Poverty (Part one)
This post is the first part of two articles by Martha Farah about neuroscience, ethics, and poverty in relationship to childhood development. One of the strongest relations in epidemiology is between a person’s socioeconomic status (SES) and their risk of mood and anxiety disorders. In the field of psychometrics, a similarly robust relation is found between SES and … [Read more...] about The Neuroethics of Poverty (Part one)
Serve and Return: How to Build a Child’s Brain in 5 Easy Steps
Have you ever smiled back at a giggling baby or played peek-a-boo with a toddler? Did you know you were helping build connections in that child’s developing brain? At the Center on the Developing Child, we call these responsive interactions “serve and return” because they go back and forth—like players with a ball in a game of tennis or volleyball. … [Read more...] about Serve and Return: How to Build a Child’s Brain in 5 Easy Steps
An Early Start in the Most Challenging Circumstances
Ansumana sat listening intently to her teacher before playing happily with her friends when I met her earlier this year. Just three years old, she and her older brother Bandu are students at the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) early childhood class serving urban refugees in Kampala, Uganda. Their father, whom I spoke briefly with, told me they fled the Central African Republic … [Read more...] about An Early Start in the Most Challenging Circumstances