What has the brain got to do with it?

Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system and the brain. In recent years, scientists have been able to look more closely at the way the brain responds. They use something called ‘brain imaging’ which literally means they take pictures of someone’s brain to see how it works in different situations and at different times of our lives.

Scientists have discovered that our brains are quite unformed when we are born and go through a lot of growing during the first three years of life. They have also discovered that most of the development that happens in that time comes from what we experience through our relationships with our parents and carers and the immediate world around us. 

Watch this video by the Anna Freud Institute about brain development and early childhood:(20+) Watch | Facebook

What is Resilience?

The early brain development is like the foundations of a house. Once they are firmly in place everything else can be built on top. Neuroscientists have discovered that if the foundations of our brain development are strong when we are little then we are more likely to have positive relationships when we are older and be able to cope with the stress of life’s ups and downs. We call this resilience.

Scientists have also discovered that the brain has ‘plasticity’ which means it can be developed at a later stage. So if for some reason a child or young person has not developed good enough resilience in the early years we can train our brains to respond better in difficult situations.

The Brain Explained

Here is a short film of children explaining about the different areas of the brain, what they do and the stress response linked to the way we behave.