Brief Overview of the Study.
The Longitudinal Adoption and Institutionalization Study (LAIS.US) focuses on the degree and extent of recovery after early adversity, as well as on developmental processes, lifestyles and rearing contexts among a sample of people who suffered early adversity and required some child protection measure. It was launched in 2006 and funded through four R + D + I projects through the Spanish national science plan. This study employs a longitudinal design, by which a number of people with a wide range of protection pathways have been studied in three developmental periods: when the initial data were collected, subjects were between 4 and 8 years of age (T1), between 8 and 13 (T2) for the second wave and between 13 and 18 years of age (T3) for the third wave. The longitudinal sample is composed of three sub-groups: a group of international adoptees, a group of children in residential care in Spain and a community group. A number of developmental dimensions were analyzed, including physical and neuro-psychological development, executive function, cognitive development, and emotional development (especially attachment). In addition, the study analyzed both psychological and social development, as well as the family, school and peer micro-systems (with the participation of more than 1500 children including the classmates of those included in the longitudinal study). This study represents a novel approach integrating a multi-informant longitudinal follow-up (the subjects themselves, their mothers, fathers or caretakers and their teachers) with a multi-method approach (psychometric, sociometric, and anthropometric techniques as well as self-reports, narratives and observation).
Currently, the LAIS.US study is in its fourth wave of data collection, focused on the transition into adulthood (T4: 18-24 years of age). It covers a wide range of human developmental topics (physical and mental health, emotional well-being and relational health) and analyzes family context characteristics. Emerging adulthood facilitates our approach to new topics (for example, identity, search of origins and access to adult roles) that are in line with new concerns of international adoption research. The longitudinal design is expanded to incorporate young people with various protection measures (international and national adoptions or family and residential foster care) together with their adoptive and foster parents. This research represents a novel approach to the previous phases since it will provide solid evidence regarding the consequences of early adversity, the possibilities and limitations of recovery from it and some practical implications. Our findings, disseminated in journals, at conferences and at scientific meetings, have already provided clear implications for the social transfer of knowledge.