A Developmental Cascade Model of Neurocognitive Functioning: Risk, Resilience, and Implications for Children's Mental Health

Theory of Mind (ToM) and executive functioning (EF) are two neurocognitive abilities that develop rapidly over the preschool period. ToM and EF are highly interrelated, both behaviourally and neurologically, and are predictive of a host of psychosocial outcomes across the lifespan. This dissertation delineates a developmental cascade model of ToM and EF in which key social-cognitive skills in the second year of life are examined as precursors to ToM and EF through their impact on children's nascent language skills. Further, both cumulative social disadvantage and biomedical risk are investigated as risk factors that increase vulnerability to cognitive morbidity over the early years. Finally, it is suggested that these social and biomedical risks are non-deterministic, and that positive postnatal socialization experiences with caregivers may protect children against their deleterious influence. The implications for prevention and intervention will be discussed with the overarching suggestion that early programming may help to mitigate the negative cascading effects of poor early adaptation on later psychosocial health and development.Ph.D