This chapter reviews the limited available data about the maturation of olfactory function in the context of the emergence of disorders of neurodevelopment. It explores how the neurobiology of each of the disorders may lead to the observed deficits in olfactory abilities. The chapter discusses the relationship between olfactory memory and limbic/emotional processes. Understanding the normal maturation of olfactory abilities is relevant to understanding the nature and timing of the disturbances in neuropsychiatric disorders. The chapter also discusses the implications of these principles to disorders of childhood and adolescence. The nature and degree of deficit may also be informative about the nature of any proposed neural compromise. To date, the available studies to inform these hypotheses are limited and further work should focus on longitudinal studies of olfactory abilities from childhood to adulthood in individuals at high risk for various disorders of neurodevelopment.