Until very recently, scientists believed that the human brain developed fully during childhood. In the past decade or so, new brain-scanning technology and accompanying research have demonstrated that brain development continues throughout adolescence and even into young adulthood. We now know that adolescence is a very active period of neurodevelopment when the brain continues to mature. This period of increased brain plasticity (second only to early childhood brain development) offers a second window of developmental opportunity for adolescents and those interested in their well-being and positive development.
In this issue of Youth Development Today, I invite you to delve into this topic and explore its implications in your professional work.
-Konrad