When are these windows of opportunity?
Timing is everything. Bonding experiences lead to healthy attachments and healthy
attachment capabilities when they are provided in the earliest years of life. During the first
three years of life, the human brain develops to 90 percent of adult size and puts in place the
majority of systems and structures that will be responsible for all future emotional,
behavioral, social and physiological functioning during the rest of life. There are critical
periods during which bonding experiences must be present for the brain systems responsible
for attachment to develop normally. These critical periods appear to be in the first year of
life and are related to the capacity of the infant and caregiver to develop a positive
interactive relationship.