Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children Adopted After Early Care Breakdown

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Syndromic autism is documented in children adopted from orphanages.
• The impact of family breakdown on adopted children's neurodevelopment is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children adopted after family breakdown.
• To compare these rates with those in institutionalized populations.

Main Methods:

• Screening questionnaires for ASD were administered to families of 54 adopted children (aged 6-11 years).
• In-person phenotyping was conducted for screen-positive cases.
• Prevalence rates were compared to population norms and institutionalized samples.

Main Results:

• 39% of adopted children screened positive for ASD.
• 11% were diagnosed with ASD, and 18.5% showed Broad ASD (sub-threshold traits).
• These rates are significantly higher than general population prevalence.

Conclusions:

• Family breakdown, like institutional rearing, is associated with increased risk for ASD in adopted children.
• Findings highlight the need for specialized developmental assessments and support for adopted children.
• Implications for developmental science, clinical assessment, and policy are significant.