Socio-emotional competences, cognitive development, attention and behavioural problems: A study with late adopted pre-schoolers

Research data address that the experience of neglect and life in institution poses children at risk for insecure and disorganized attachment patterns and negatively affects social-emotional and cognitive adjustment. After the adoption placement a recovery was reported but a wide heterogeneity in developmental outcomes has been also found. The present study aimed at addressing late adopted children's attachment and subsequent development in a period of two years from the adoption placement. In the current proceeding, preliminary data are reported. Results showed that, compared with normative-data, in late adopted pre-schoolers disorganized and insecure attachment patterns were over-represented though a recovery was detected when the comparison involved data from institutionalized children. Cognitive development was within the normative range; however a significant delay was found concerning attention abilities and emotional comprehension; conversely only a minority of children (all but one classified as disorganised/insecure concerning their attachment pattern) were at risk for behavioural problems.