Beyond Words Ep. 18 | Brain-to-Brain Synchrony and Attention in Early Development with Dr. Sam Wass

In this episode of Beyond Words, Garrett Oyama speaks with Dr. Sam Wass, developmental neuroscientist, about how attention, arousal, and social interaction shape the developing brain.

They explore how infants regulate attention in real time, how stress and environmental context influence learning, and what brain-to-brain synchrony between parents and children reveals about communication. They discuss neural entrainment, shared book reading, and the role of co-regulation in supporting language development. Along the way, they connect laboratory neuroscience to everyday parenting and clinical practice, reframing language learning as something deeply embedded in attention, physiology, and relationships.

Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@GarrettBeyondWords

Get ASHA CEUs: https://www.speechtherapypd.com/courses/brain-to-brain-synchrony