Assessment for adoption. A follow-up study.

Abstract

SummaryA total of 156 babies were assessed for suitability for adoption in the first year, almost all of them at the age of six months, and a further 36 infants, different ones, were first assessed in their second year. They were all graded at the time of examination, and were followed up by psychologists at school age, mainly at the age of six or seven years. The I.Q. score at school was related to the grading given in infancy.The mean I.Q. score of those placed in the first year in grade 1 (Possibly above average) was 109.1; of those placed in grade 2 (Average) was 107.3; of those in grade 3 (Doubtful) was 99.8; of those placed in grade 4 (Retarded) was 84.1. Similar figures were obtained for the 36 only seen in the second year.Analysis of the figures shows that there was a tendency to underestimate the potential of the babies, but this could be partly explained by the fact that many had suffered emotional deprivation. On the other hand only two of 110 babies thought to be average or possibly better had an I.Q. at school of below 80.Twenty‐one infants of a mentally defective parent had a mean I.Q. of 100.1, indicating the importance of not rejecting such infants as being unsuitable for adoption.It is concluded that although there never can be a high correlation between tests in infancy and the subsequent career of a child, because of all the environmental factors which will influence him, nevertheless assessment in infancy is of considerable value for the purpose of assessing babies for suitability for adoption.