Study finds Developmental Delays among children with RAD

The Center's study, "Effects of Early Maltreatment on Development: A Descriptive study using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II." has been accepted for publication in a prestigious professional journal and will be in print this summer. The study found the following:
Children with histories of chronic early maltreatment within a care-giving relationship, Complex Trauma, or Developmental Trauma, suffer from a variety of deficits in many domains. This study explored the effects of Complex Trauma on development, as measured by the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II. This is the first descriptive study to report on the large discrepancies between chronological and developmental ages in adopted and foster children. This study found that adopted and foster children with a psychiatric diagnosis of Reactive Attachment Disorder show developmental delays in several areas. Adaptive behavior and developmental age in the Communication, Daily Living Skills, and Socialization domains was, on average, significantly below the average chronological age of the 57 children in this study. Among children in this study, the average Adaptive Behavior Composite score yielded an age equivalency or developmental age of four years four months, while the average chronological age was nine years ten months.

The article describes the implications of these findings for psychotherapy, parenting, child-welfare policy, and educational settings.

As soon as the article is published I will post information on how to get a reprint.