ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the development of the young brain and nervous system. Plasticity allows a child’s brain to create neuronal connections in response to the environment. As learning takes place, the brain wires itself to react from past experience. The three levels of the brain, the brainstem, midbrain, and cerebral cortex are described. Responses to stress, including grief and trauma, involve all three layers and quickly translate into learned behavior patterns. When a child confronts grief early in life, the brain creates pathways that generate specific emotions, thoughts, and actions. These early connections play roles in subsequent behaviors, traits, and motivation. Additionally, this neuropsychological information explains several symptoms of mental health problems, including anxiety disorders and PTSD.
