Just Ask Baby’s Chief Scientific Advisor is the highly respected David Elkind, one of the leading thinkers, researchers and teachers on child development in his generation.

David Elkind has spent his life bringing together and advancing the work of some of the greatest thinkers on child development from around the world, including Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson.

David Elkind is currently Professor Emeritus of Child Development at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. He was formerly Professor of Psychology, Psychiatry and Education at the University of Rochester. Professor Elkind obtained his doctorate at U.C.L.A. and then spent a year as David Rapaport's research assistant at the Austen Riggs Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He was a National Science Foundation Senior Postdoctoral Fellow at Piaget's Institut d' Epistemologie Genetique in Geneva. His research has been in the areas of perceptual, cognitive and social development where he has built upon the research and theory of Jean Piaget.

Professor Elkind has published research, theoretical articles, book chapters and 18 books. He has also written children’s stories for Jack and Jill, and been published in the New York Times Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Parade and Psychology Today. Recent articles include Computers and Young Children, The Authority of the Brain, The Cosmopolitan School, On Becoming a Grandfather, and Thanks for the Memory: The Lasting Value of True Play.

Well known for his writings, he is probably best known for his popular books, including The Hurried Child, a 25th anniversary edition of which was released in 2007, along with Professor Elkind’s newest book, The Power of Play: Learning What Comes Naturally.

A member of many professional organizations, Professor Elkind is also on the Editorial Board of numerous scientific journals, and a consultant to state education departments, government agencies and private foundations. He lectures in the United States, Canada and abroad. He’s also appeared on The Today Show, The CBS Morning News, Twenty/Twenty, Nightline, Donahue and the Oprah Winfrey Show, has been profiled in People and Boston Magazine and co-hosted the Lifetime Television Show, Kids These Days.

At university Professor Elkind fell in love with psychology. His doctorate was in clinical psychology, where he was trained as a Freudian. He took his postdoc with David Rapaport, a noted Freudian scholar who introduced Professor Elkind to Jean Piaget.

Professor Elkind has three sons and four granddaughters. He enjoys gardening, sailing and has recently taken up pottery.

Read about various aspects of child development and the day-to-day decisions all parents are faced with. Plus, share your experiences, opinions, and insight! Go to Professor Elkind's Blog.