Exploring the psycho-social and cognitive development of adopted children from their parents’ perspectives

Abstract

The aim of this research study is to explore the adoptive parents’ perceptions of the psychosocial and cognitive development of their adopted children. This study highlights any difficulties the children may have faced and how these developed over the years. Through a positive psychology lens, particular attention will be given to protective factors, their strengths, resiliency, and support systems which might have helped them face any difficulties, and facilitated their development. A qualitative approach was preferred, and purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit the five adoptive parents: three adoptive mothers, with two adopted children each, and a married couple (mother and father) who adopted one child. In total, four stories of the development of seven adopted children were narrated. Information was gathered using narrative inquiry which was then analysed through thematic analysis. The findings highlighted the positive perceptions of parents regarding their adopted children. The presence of certain difficulties seems to depend on the time spent in the Home, the conditions in the Home, genetic predisposition, and, in the case of international adoption, the difference between the children’s ethnicity and the ethnicity in the country they move to once adopted. Notwithstanding the presence of certain difficulties, children in my sample demonstrated great resilience, strength, and catch-up growth through facilitating and protective factors such as being placed in a more enriching environment, developing strong ties with their parents, adopted siblings, extended family, and peers, and finally experiencing warm, caring, and helpful parents and teachers, who provided them with support when needed.