"The study adds to a growing body of evidence that shows how poverty afflicts children's brains. Researchers have long pointed to the ravages of malnutrition, stress, illiteracy and toxic environments in low-income children's lives. Research has shown that the neural systems of poor children develop differently from those of middle-class children, affecting language development and "executive function," or the ability to plan, remember details and pay attention in school."


What are the toxic environments? Oh yeah! Some of these children are born with fetal alcohol syndrome, drug addictions, and malnutrition from the mother abusing chemicals during pregnancy. Of course neural systems develop differently in these children.

This is an insidious problem, but very difficult to address because of cries of racism.

Poverty in and of itself does not CAUSE low intelligence. There are many factors at work here.