Dr. Thomas Boyce will discuss “Unlocking the Science of Sensitive Kids” on Feb. 7, at Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church’s First Friday Forum. Admission is free.
It’s no secret that some kids struggle more than others, even siblings – and the next speaker at The First Friday Forum will explain why.
Dr. Thomas Boyce will discuss “Unlocking the Science of Sensitive Kids” on Friday, Feb. 7, at 1:30 p.m., at the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church (LOPC) sanctuary, located at 49 Knox Drive, Lafayette. It’s also available online.
Boyce will cover why siblings differ, even though they share the same parents and environment, and why some children appear to flourish, despite facing serious obstacles, yet others wither when confronted with stress.
Some children, Boyce believes, are dandelions and can grow anywhere, no matter the conditions while others are orchids, with exceptional biological sensitivity to their social environments and higher risks of illness and developmental disorders. Boyce will look at how that happens, and how nature, nurture and the timing of genetic and environmental influences interweave during childhood to form the people we become
as adults.
Boyce is professor emeritus of pediatrics and psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, and previously taught at the University of California, Berkeley, and at the University of British Columbia.
He is the author of the book “The Orchid and the Dandelion: Why Some Children Struggle and How All Can Thrive.”
First Friday Forum at LOPC brings together experts to discuss important topics affecting the Lamorinda community. The free forum is open to the public and offers an opportunity to engage with leaders in science, health and education. For more information or to view online presentations, visit lopc.org/first-friday-forum.
Mike Rusk can be reached at mikerusk@comcast.net.
