Sentences with phrase «toxic early environments»

Not exact matches

Neuroscientists have conclusively demonstrated in recent years that when children spend their early years in environments that subject them to toxic levels of stress, it can impair the development of certain mental capacities that matter a whole lot when they get to school — the ability to manage strong emotions, to process complex instructions, to bounce back from disappointments.

Dr. Samuel Meisels, director of the University of Nebraska's Buffett Early Childhood Institute, agrees that a school culture focused on high - stakes tests is exactly the type of environment that we should avoid for children who experience toxic stress.

A healthy environment is crucial for infants» emotional well - being and future physical and mental health.1 2 Experiencing severe adversity early in life can alter a child's development and lead to toxic stress responses, impairing brain chemistry and neuronal architecture.3 For infants, severe adversity typically takes the form of caregiver neglect and physical or emotional abuse.

The good news is that the damaging effects of toxic stress can be prevented or reversed if the child is placed in a supportive environment with caring adults as early in life as possible.

«We can systematically teach these skills and provide an inoculation to some of the toxic environment,» Duncan told reporters at the Education Writers Association conference at Stanford earlier this month.