Society’s First Line of Defense

An Interview with Developmental Psychologist Deborah Phillips

Fortunately, though, an ever-growing body of evidence tells us that some programs really do work, creating a powerful defense against these risk factors. The federal Head Start program is just one example. Brand-new research findings on this preschool program’s impact (from the Congressionally mandated Head Start Impact Study) are very encouraging, showing that Head Start 3-year-olds outperformed their peers on six of nine early-learning tests. They also seem to have better health, fewer behavior problems, and less hyperactivity than similar kids. The conclusion: Head Start sets even very poor children on a path toward lifelong positive outcomes in physical and mental health, educational achievement, economic productivity, and responsible citizenship—bettering their odds for a much brighter future.

What else does the scientific knowledge suggest for public policy? How do we “close the gap,” as you refer to it, between what science tells us and what we’re doing for children?

First and most important, let’s focus on the aspects of childhood development that we know we can do something about. Without attention to those issues, you’re basically taking young children and tying their hands behind their backs from the start—expecting them to somehow develop normally against all odds. Start with aspects of development like hearing, vision, prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs, and other potential problems that can often be detected very early in life. Absent attention to these basic and potentially profound issues, a child is unable to fully absorb the supports she needs for healthy development. For kids with any of these impairments, early intervention can make a huge difference. The earlier we identify a problem and introduce the right supports, the better the odds we can mitigate the damage. We may not be able to ‘cure’ the problem, but we often can address it in a way that results in a more promising future.

Hearing and vision problems, for example, can often be corrected if identified ­early. Physical and occupational therapy can give selected children specially tailored exercises that foster their early growth. And this kind of intervention is important for lots of other reasons as well. Parents who learn early about a child’s disability can develop appropriate expectations, find helpful supports, and become informed and strong advocates for their child.

All developmental stages are important, but when we’re thinking about public-policy priorities as a society, our first line of defense should be to invest in early (that means prenatal and early postnatal) intervention, detection, and prevention. It’s not too dramatic to say that, for many young children who experience these early delays or insults, what’s at stake is quite literally the difference between a normal, healthy child and a child with mild to more serious disabilities. By catching these problems early, we can save lives, prevent mental retardation, and open up futures. And, in so doing, we save society a lot of money and families a lot of unnecessary pain.

You were one of the leading advocates for creation of the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. What do you hope the Council might accomplish, and how could it make a difference in the lives of children?

By fostering communication among its diverse members—psychologists, neuroscientists, and economists—I am confident that the Council will identify the cutting edge where scientific work needs to go next in order to inform effective policy and practice for young children. By opening up channels of communication between the producers and users of scientific evidence, I am hopeful that insights about early development will play a larger role in policy formation at local and state levels. And, by helping those of us who study children understand the perspectives of non-scientists, I hope we can become far more accomplished and effective at sharing our own excitement and knowledge about child development with the public, and especially with parents, teachers, therapists and others who spend their days with young children.

And in the end, if we succeed in getting the public to view all of these issues more seriously, I’m hopeful it will build strong support for policies that really put our children first.

The interviewer: Dorian Friedman is the policy editor at The American Prospect and a former associate editor at U.S. News & World Report. She is based in Washington, D.C.

For information about commonly used terms in Council publications, see Definitions.