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Cited by 66Child Welfare and AdoptionChild Abuse and TraumaPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research

Sensory processing in internationally adopted, post-institutionalized children

Open access
Wilbarger, Julia, Gunnar, Megan, Schneider, Mary, Pollak, Seth·2010·Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
DOI 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02255.xPMC PMC3119572
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Abstract

Background/Methods: Sensory processing capacities of 8–12‐year‐old internationally adopted (IA) children who experienced prolonged institutional care (> 12 months with 75% of pre‐adoption lives in institutional care) prior to adoption into family environments (PI) were compared to a group of IA children who were adopted early (< 8 months) predominantly from foster care with little or no institutional experience (EA/FC) and another group of non‐adopted (NA) children raised by their birth parents in the United States. All children had estimated IQs within the normal range and did not evidence major neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., cerebral palsy, fetal alcohol syndrome, Down’s syndrome). Sensory processing was evaluated with a commonly used parent‐report measure and a laboratory assessment. Results: Children who had experienced prolonged institutionalization showed higher levels of reactivity to sensation and displayed both more aversion and approach to sensory stimuli than the other groups. The comparison groups (EA/FC & NA) did not differ on any of the sensory processing measures. Conclusions: These results suggest that early institutional rearing which typically involves both sensory and social deprivation is associated with problems in sensory modulation capacities.

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  • Orphans deprived of touch demonstrated adverse intellectual, physical, behavioral, and socio-emotional outcomes in addition to diminished capacities to modulate sensory experiences.

    “Orphans deprived of touch demonstrated adverse intellectual, physical, behavioral, and socio-emotional outcomes in addition to diminished capacities to modulate sensory experiences (Wilbarger et al., 2010).”

    From The evolved nest, oxytocin functioning, and prosocial development (2023) · cites this paper as Wilbarger et al. (2010)

    The Long-term effects of institutionalization section reports delays across multiple domains and persistent behavioral, social, and emotional difficulties in some post-institutionalized children. The Conclusions and Discussion report disrupted sensory modulation. But the paper studies institutional rearing involving both sensory and social deprivation, not touch deprivation specifically, and does not establish the full list of intellectual and physical outcomes as consequences of lacking touch. No page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Cites

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Authors
Wilbarger, J., Gunnar, M., Schneider, M., & Pollak, S.
Affiliations
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
  • University of Minnesota (US)
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2010-08-25
Volume
51
Issue
10
Pages
1105-1114
ISSN
  • 0021-9630 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-7610
DOI
10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02255.x
PMC
PMC3119572
OpenAlex
W2101142558
Cited by
66
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 5
FWCI
10.08
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
  • Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Waisman Center
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH068857, R01MH068858, R01MH061285)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P30HD003352)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Child Welfare and Adoption
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
Keywords
sensory processing, international adoption, institutional care, sensory modulation, sensory reactivity, sensory approach, foster care, sensory deprivation, social deprivation, adopted children
MeSH terms
Adoption, Age Factors, Child, Child Development, Child, Institutionalized, Family, Female, Humans, Infant, Intelligence, International Cooperation, Male, Parents, Sensation, Social Environment, Time Factors, United States

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