Imagine you’re building a treehouse, but some kids have all the best tools and supplies while others have to make do with what they can find. Well, it turns out that a similar idea holds true for the development of our brains. Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and access to resources can impact the pace of neurodevelopment. Research has consistently shown that adverse experiences and low SES during childhood are linked to differences in how our brains develop. Recent theories suggest that these early life experiences can actually change the speed at which our brains grow and form connections. While previous models focused mainly on adversity, researchers have expanded their understanding to include SES because it plays a crucial role in shaping neurodevelopmental pathways. It’s important to note that adversity and low SES are related but not interchangeable concepts. To fully grasp these complex relationships between childhood experiences, SES, and brain development, dive into the exciting research behind this fascinating topic!

Adverse childhood experiences and access to resources in childhood, as measured by SES, have been consistently linked to children’s neurodevelopment [1–5]. Recent theories have proposed that experiencing adversity or low SES early in life may alter the pace of neurodevelopment [6–9]. While most of these models focus on adversity broadly [6–8], they have been expanded to include SES [9], given that SES likely impacts neurodevelopment via similar pathways [5,9,10] (although note that adversity and low SES are related but not interchangeable constructs) (Box 1).

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