The self-regulatory affective touch: a speculative framework for the development of executive functioning

• Early tactile experiences are the most direct experience of contact with surrounding physical and social environment. Affective touch interactions may promote vagal activity, representing scaffolding for early autonomic self-regulation. Newborns’ self-regulation is based on balancing internal physiological needs responsiveness to external stimulations. Basic facets successfully subserve development executive functioning. Sensitive periods soon after birth seem be crucial mapping brain networks enable healthy sensory responses in adulthood. at core interpersonal neonatal period represent a self-regulation, which then becomes part more complex patterns exchanges functions across first years life. In present article we reviewed recent studies that investigated behavioural stimulations development, supporting our claim affective an essential emerging self-regulatory skills important cascade effects infants’ socio-emotional cognitive developmental trajectories.