Our brains are most malleable at the earliest ages, and are able to make the most growth while we are very young. It is important that children learn how to learn before they enter school, so that learning time in school is not wasted. Typically developing children learn naturally from their environment and exposure to new experiences.

Children with autism generally do not learn from the environment as readily,and need to be taught specific skills such as attention, compliance, and imitation before they are ready to learn in a group setting.