From birth to two years old is marked by great cognitive, emotional, social and physical development in children, and the brain is growing at a rapid pace. Research has enabled professionals and parents to identify developmental milestones for assessing a child’s progress across time. Although children develop according to a predictable sequence of steps, they do not necessarily proceed through them in the same way or at the same time. Every child’s development is unique, influenced by genetics, prenatal development, the care he/she receives after birth, and the experiences prompted by his or her environment. So there is a wide range of what may be considered ‘normal’ development. Leading scientists will review both basic and clinical research and discuss factors that influence child development from birth to two-years old, helping us understand what to look for, how to interpret what we observe, and what, if anything, can be done to intervene if something goes “wrong.”

Presenters:
Lisa Freund, Ph.D.
Chief, Child Development and Behavior Branch
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH

Pat Levitt, Ph.D.
Simms/Mann Chair in Developmental Neurogenetics, Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and WM Keck Provost Professor of Neurogenetics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California

Lisa H. Shulman, M.D.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Director, Infant/Toddler Team, Rose F. Kennedy Center Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

This event is part of the 2015 Neuroscience and Society series, a partnership between AAAS and the Dana Foundation.