This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences.

This talk will start with a very brief description of what child temperament is and how it develops over time. Particular attention will be given to how a child's temperament can pull from the environment certain qualities that often serve to accentuate traits and propel them to become more extreme. The role of a parent will then be discussed, including issues of labelling children and the important task of being able to "override" natural but sometimes suboptimal parental responses. Finally, there will be a short investigation into what we know about the boundaries between what are called temperament or personality traits and what are called psychiatric symptoms or disorders.