Lourie Center for Children's Social & Emotional Wellness

ABSTRACTThe links between exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), caregiver insightfulness and emotional availability, and the child’s social information processing (SIP) and social behavior were examined in a sample of 15 preschool children enrolled in a Therapeutic Nursery Program (TNP). Children are typically referred to the TNP due to significant delays in their social emotional development that often result in difficulty functioning in typical childcare, home, and community settings. Caregiver insightfulness was measured via an interview with the caregiver. Emotional availability was coded based on observations of caregiver–child interactions. The child’s SIP patterns were measured in an interview, and the child’s behavior in preschool was assessed by teacher reports. Higher levels of exposure to ACE were hypothesized to be related to lower levels of caregiver emotional availability and insightfulness and to higher levels of the children’s perceptual (i.e. SIP) and behavioral maladjustment. It was also hypothesized that caregiver emotional availability and insightfulness would be associated with one another and significantly associated with children’s perceptions and behaviors. Caregivers reporting higher levels of exposure exhibited lower levels of insightfulness and emotional availability. No such associations were found between the child’s exposure to ACE and the caregivers’ perceptions and behaviors. In addition, more insightful caregivers showed higher levels of emotional availability. Finally, children with more emotionally available caregivers showed more competent SIP and social behavior.

Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACE) has been found to have a profound negative impact on multiple child outcomes, including academic achievement, social cognition patterns, and behavioral adjustment. However, these links have yet to be examined in preschool children that are already experiencing behavior or social-emotional problems. Thus, the present study examined the links between the caregiver's and the child's exposure to ACE and multiple child and caregiver's outcomes in a sample of 30 preschool children enrolled in a Therapeutic Nursery Program (TNP). Children are typically referred to this TNP due to significant delays in their social emotional development that often result in difficulty functioning in typical childcare, home, and community settings. Analyses revealed some contradictory patterns that may be specific to this clinical sample. Children with higher exposure to ACE showed more biased social information processing patterns and their caregivers reported lower child social skills than caregivers of children with less exposure, however their inhibitory control levels were higher (better control) and staff reported that these children exhibited better social skills as well as better approaches to learning than children with less exposure. No such contradictions were found in relation to the caregiver's exposure to ACE, as it was positively associated with a number of negative child and caregiver outcomes.