A child’s brain is not a miniature replica of an adult brain, but rather a brain in continual development, growing, at times tremendously, subject to endless modifications and connections due to the continual stimulation provided by the environment in which it develops.
It is essential to understand the development of the nervous system and its different stages in order to understand the deficits that can arise from abnormal brain development or be caused by damage at an early age. Depending upon the time when these abnormalities or damage occur (during pregnancy, the perinatal period, or infancy/childhood), the impact will vary.
Some of the disorders included in this classification can be completely resolved by appropriate intervention. Others are chronic, but an adequate intervention is nevertheless essential because it is possible to alleviate to a greater or lesser extent, and in some cases possibly eliminate, the negative consequences or symptoms caused by the disorder in question.
