Parenting during early childhood plays a powerful role in shaping brain development and children’s readiness to learn. The BrainPALS study explores how responsive caregiving interventions can influence brain growth and function in toddlers born preterm. This session will share emerging findings from the BrainPALS project and connect them to practical strategies for supporting healthy brain development during the toddler years. Participants will also gain an understanding of typical patterns of brain growth during this developmental period and how sensitive caregiving experiences shape neural connections that underlie learning and emotion regulation.
and social-emotional growth.