Page 55 - Unit 5: Brain Shaping

Brain Shaping Answers

4. Adverse Childhood Experiences can cause damage to neural circuitry. It

can also limit new brain building.

Adverse Experiences can also raise stress chemical levels in the body and

cause them to stay permanently on high. This too can limit the building
of new neural circuitry.

5. The rat story evidences how new neural circuitry is developed through

enriching experiences and lots of practice. It illustrates how stronger
circuitry leads directly to better skills.

The rat study also teaches us how lack of experiences leads to weaker

neural circuitry and how this leads directly to poorer skills.

6. The eye-patched kitten story teaches us that if we do not use parts of
our brain, the neural circuitry will not build strongly.

It can also help to explain to children why they may struggle with some
aspects of learning and life. Knowing this can help them to realise that

their struggles are a lack of experiences and not that they are not

‘rubbish’ or ‘naughty’ (words often used by children when they struggle).