This article, ‘Stress: The good, the bad and the ugly’ published by Keryn O’Neill for Brainwave, talks about how stress experienced by young children and their parents can affect a child’s brain development. O’Neill discusses the adverse physical and mental effects that may continue throughout life and how ongoing stressful situations faced by children can fall into one of three categories; toxic, tolerable and positive.
Read the short article here: Stress: The good, the bad and the ugly
Brainwave Trust Aotearoa is a national organisation which aims is to raise public awareness about the amazing new findings in brain research, which emphasise the importance of early experiences on infant brain development; and to educate about the important implications of this knowledge.
Brainwave’s main purpose is to spread awareness and educate the New Zealand community about the latest scientific research, from across a number of different disciplines, about early brain development. Specifically they now know that a child’s experiences, both good and bad, in the early years largely determine how their brain develops and whether they will become capable, contributing, well-adjusted adults. Children get the brain that they need for the environment in which they live, but this does not always set up the ideal conditions to thrive at school and in later relationships.
To find out more about Brainwave’s courses and advocacy work visit brainwave.org.nz