The Fantastic Plastic Brain ​Brain plasticity refers to the degree to which the brain can change.

Brain plasticity refers to the degree to which the brain can change.  Throughout life the brain adapts and rearranges itself as it adjusts to changes in the environment, including disease, damage, experience, and other impacts. ​

During the first years of life and adolescence we see the greatest degree of brain plasticity.  This is not surprising given the rapid development of synapses and synaptic pruning that occurs during the first years, and the reorganizing that occurs during adolescence. ​

The brain can change later in life, but the potential for change is greatest in the early years. Because of brain plasticity, when injuries occur to the brain early in life, children can recover from these injuries to a greater degree than when injuries occur later in life.  For young children, when a part of the brain is damaged, other parts of the brain may begin to take over the function of the damaged part.

Although brain plasticity provides a safety net for brain development, it is very important for young children to have experiences that will contribute to optimal brain development while the brain is most plastic.  It is also why children whose brains are stressed by damage, environmental factors or other conditions should receive treatment or intervention as early as possible.

Prepared by
Cheryl Stewart and Eva Postma, MOTAL Board Members
In conjunction with
BRICK Consulting Group
brickconsultinggroup.org