“How Did I Get Here?”—Appreciating “Normal” Child Development

Harvard FAS

Understanding "normal" growth and development may seem like a relatively easy task at first. We take the nuances of developmental differences for granted because we're so accustomed to experiencing them. Nevertheless, defining normal (versus abnormal) development is a complex and controversial task. Development involves a tricky intermingling of environmental stimuli, cultural and social expectations, rapid and not always intuitive changes in brain development, temperamental differences,…