In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the number of diagnoses of not only learning disabilities, but also behavioural disorders. These diagnoses have transformed much of the service provision for young people, although the emotional and cultural aspects of brain development are sometimes overlooked. Recent research in cognitive neuroscience using neuroimaging (a medical tool for mapping the brain mechanisms involved in human thinking and learning) shows that these specific disorders are correlated with social-emotional dysfunction. Thus, these problems influence the functioning and development of the young brain. At the same time, they will influence the adaptation and the present and future social success of these young people. What educational interventions does this research suggest?
