* Children’s brains are very sensitive to things in their environment, such as language and music. * Brain development is experience dependent. This means that a child that has an enriched, stimulating environment will have a more developed brain than those who do not. * From birth through early childhood, human brains are developing at an incredible pace. Neural connections are build more rapidly during this time than any other time in life. * Children have what are called, “critical brain periods.” This means that there are optimal time periods for some types of development to occur. If the brain is stimulated during this time, it wires itself for the future. If it is not stimulated, brain cells are taken away (this is called “pruning”). This is also known as, “use it or loose it.” * Early intervention strengthens neural structures and pathways through experience and an enriched environment while the brain is still very malleable. Hopefully, this can occur BEFORE pruning happens. Since we use it or loose it, using it early primes the brain to keep the pathways that have been exercised. * For very early intervention, music therapy is a smart choice. The brain is wide open for musical experience early in life, much like language...the earlier the better. * A great website: http://www.zerotothree.org/ Music_Therapy.htmlhttp://www.zerotothree.org/brainwonders/FAQ.htmlhttp://livepage.apple.com/shapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1
Why early intervention?