ArticleJournal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines2023
The adult outcome of childhood quasi-autism arising following extreme institutional deprivation.
Article in Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Developmental Care in the Early Years in Pediatric Intensive Care Patients as a Strategy to Mitigate Pediatric Post-Intensive-Care Syndrome: A Narrative Review.Journal of intensive care medicine · 2026Review
- Childhood post-adoption experiences and the long-term trajectories of deprivation-specific neurodevelopmental problems: a longitudinal study of the English and Romanian adoptee cohort.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2026Article
- Developmental outcomes across foster care, adoption, and child welfare services: a mini review.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Review
- What Is Distinctive About Autism Arising Following Severe Institutional Deprivation? A Direct Comparison With a Community Sample of Early Diagnosed Autistic People.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2025Article
- Early childhood deprivation and the impact of negative life events on mental health in later life: a test of the stress sensitization hypothesis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRutter and colleagues' seminal observation that extended early life exposure to extreme institutional deprivation can result in what he termed quasi-autism (QA), informed both our understanding of the effects of adversity on development and the nature of autism. Here we provide the first detailed analysis of the adult outcomes of the group of institutionally deprived-then-adopted children identified as displaying QA.
methodsTwenty-six adult adoptees identified with QA in childhood (Childhood QA+) were compared to 75 adoptees who experienced extended institutional deprivation (>6 months) but no QA (Childhood QA-), and 116 adoptees exposed to Low/No institutional deprivation. The outcomes were child-to-adult developmental trajectories of neuro-developmental symptoms (autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), disinhibited social engagement (DSE) and cognitive impairment), adult functioning, life satisfaction and mental health.
resultsChildhood QA+ was associated with elevated and persistent trajectories of broad-based autism-related difficulties, ADHD and DSE symptoms and low IQ, as well as adult mental health difficulties and functional impairment, including high rates of low educational attainment and unemployment. Life satisfaction and self-esteem were unaffected. Autism-related communication problems, in particular, predicted negative adult outcomes. Childhood QA+ was still associated with poor outcomes even when ADHD, DSE and IQ were controlled.
conclusionsEarly and time-limited institutional deprivation has a critical impact on adult functioning, in part via its association with an early established and persistent variant of autism, especially related to communication difficulties. Apparent similarities and differences to non-deprivation related autism are discussed.
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