Chapter 5 of the course textbook discusses the brain development of the child in early life as well as the impact of accidents and maltreatment. The required article by Perry (2009) illustrates and defends an approach to child maltreatment based on neurodevelopmental analysis that seeks to understand and treat abuse victims with reference to the areas of the brain affected.

Based on these readings, account for or respond to each of the following in your initial post:

1) Analyze the findings of the Perry study, addressing the strengths and shortcomings of the neurodevelopmental approach. Are there limits to this sort of approach, and if so, what alternative approach might add something to a neurobiological analysis?

2) Offer a real life experience, alternative study, or recent news report that in some way illustrates or casts light upon Perry’s findings.

From the above Discussion, response to classmate discussion by comparing and contrasting your respective responses to the Perry study and illustrative examples, offering constructive criticism of your respective arguments and conclusions. Additionally, identify any insights you have gained as a result of reading the responses of others.

                                                           Classmate’s Discussion

After reading Perry’s study on his neurodevelopmental approach, I was shocked to see how these aspects really do tie into our lives. The major strength I believe that Perry has with his analysis is that he breaks down each individual molecular process from start to finish. You can really see how trauma and neglect can play a role in the mental state of those around you. The shortcoming that I found was that there was not enough therapeutic evidence of how this different diagnosis can be treated.

I believe that there are limits to this approach, simply because there is no way of knowing everything that there is to know about the human body and nervous system. We have advanced tremendously in this department, but there is always more that we may learn later down the road that was never discovered before. 

An alternative approach to Perry’s theory would be to specify age, gender, etc. and the progression throughout the early years of their lives. I would like to see this broken down a little more to pinpoint the diagnosis more precisely.

Every day of my life is a real-life experience to neurodevelopmental functions. The children that I see during sessions struggle from mental and physical abuse from a very early age. Some might have even experienced trauma prior to being delivered. I can see how these instances can influence their lives in the present day, and also during infancy. Reading findings such as these can really be an eye opener when you see someone with autism or anxiety. While we think all neurological issues can be fixed with medicine or therapy this is not always the case. Some issues go much deeper than we can fathom and that will always be the mystery of the human brain.

Mossler, R. A., & Ziegler, M. (2016). Understanding development: A lifespan perspective. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Perry, B. D. (2009). Examining child maltreatment through a neurodevelopmental lens: Clinical applications of the neurosequential mode of therapeutics Links to an external site. Links to an external site.. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 14(4), 240-255.