The clear social gradient associated with children's vocabulary, emerging literacy, well - being and behaviour is
evident from birth to school entry.1 These trajectories track into
adolescence and correspond to poorer educational attainment, income and health across the life course.2 — 10 Neuroimaging research extends the evidence for these suboptimal trajectories, showing that children raised in poverty from infancy are more likely to have delayed brain growth with smaller volumetric size of the regions particularly responsible for executive functioning and language.11 This evidence supports the need for further effort to redress inequities that arise from the impact of adversity
during the potential developmental window of opportunity in
early childhood.
We contend that childhood temperament shapes the manner in which individuals perceive their surroundings, which influences their social interactions in a reciprocal manner and eventual social and mental health outcomes.17 This dynamic is particularly
evident in
early adolescence during which the emergence of the peer group as a more salient influence on development coincides with sharp increases in psychopathology, 16 particularly SAD.6, 15,18 Temperament also shapes vital cognitive processes, such as attention and certain executive processes which provide the foundation from which children perceive and respond to social cues in the environment.