Sensory and cognitive plasticity: implications for academic interventions

- The brain systems supporting academic skills are poorly understood.
- Research on visual plasticity can guide approaches to studying cognitive plasticity.
- We discuss parallels between visual and cognitive intervention approaches.

Research in neuroscience has great potential for transforming education. However, the brain systems that support academic and cognitive skills are poorly understood in comparison to the systems that support sensory processing. Decades of basic research have examined the role that brain plasticity plays in the genesis and treatment of developmental visual disorders, which may help to inform how cognitive training approaches can be tailored for students who experience environmental disadvantage. In this review, we draw parallels between visual and cognitive intervention approaches, and suggest research avenues that could inform educational practice in the future.