I can’t stop changing my mind: Early intervention and the brain

Posted by: Sabrina Rodak, editorial intern

I prefer the purple shirt. No, the green shirt. Definitely the green shirt. Wait, wait, wait, the orange one looks nice too. Although we often refer to "changing one's mind" as changing one's choice, the brain can actually change in a real, physical way.

The ability for the brain to change its physical structure is called neuroplasticity. This ability is at its peak during the early years of life, which is why early intervention is essential for treating developmentally delayed children. When I was researching for "my article on early intervention" in this week's Therapy Times, I was struck by the urgency early interventionists expressed; they emphasized the need to treat the child early so that the treatment can be most effective and long lasting.

However, the brain doesn't stop changing in infancy, as was thought in the past. Experts now agree that neuroplasticity remains throughout one's life, although at a much lower level than it was during ages zero to three. Neuroplasticity allows people to learn new things and to recover from brain injury.

The power of neuroplasticity in adulthood makes me wonder how plastic, or malleable, the young brain is. Why is intervention essential between ages zero to three if the brain remains plastic throughout adulthood? How exactly does neuroplasticity change over one's lifetime? Is the difference only the amount of adaptations the brain is capable of, or does neuroplasticity function differently at different ages?

Neuroplasticity raises questions like those above and many more. Like our young brains, neuroplasticity is a rapidly growing field that promises to discover new findings about the brain and how it changes throughout life. I am interested to see how the science of neuroplasticity can apply to early intervention and policy. While early intervention functions on the premise that the early years are a critical time to treat developmental delays, new findings may influence the type, method, or length of treatment for the child. I have high hopes for neuroplasticity; it seems magical! No, surreal! No, a better word is miraculous! There I go changing my mind again...