James P. Comer, M.D., a Yale University child psychiatrist whose seminal work on how early-life experiences relate to educational experiences, delivered the keynote address at a conference on early-intervention mental health services held in October under the auspices of the Los Angeles Child Guidance Clinic.

Before an audience of some 400 psychiatrists and mental health professionals, Comer stressed the importance of one’s early experiences and asserted that such encounters can predict how well one does in school and later in life. Too many children enter kindergarten or first grade not ready to learn, he observed, and interventions that ensure a good start in life for all children will go a long way toward addressing the many inequalities that exist among today’s preschoolers.

Comer likewise espoused the conviction that children’s mental health is the responsibility not just of their parents but of all adults. Yet providing the necessary support and guidance, he believes, is extremely challenging because of dramatic changes that have occurred in society and technology in recent years.