ABSTRACT
Genetic abnormalities lead to cognitive and behavioural deficits in developmental disorders by disrupting the normal development and functioning of the brain. Brain development is the result of a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors that depend on the exquisite timing and sequencing of a cascade of events. The process begins early in embryological development with the formation of the neural tube and does not end until late in adolescence (see Chapter 3). The environment plays a significant role at all stages of brain development, and the notion of plasticity is crucial in considering brain development in both normal children and children with developmental disorders.
