Flexibility of Thought and Behaviour

Often children with attachment difficulties have experienced a chaotic start in life. Some children have been passed from one caregiver to the next and other children have lived with parents who had very unpredictable behaviour. These experiences mean that the child never had the opportunity to settle into a regular routine from waking up in the morning until going to bed. Now that the child is in a permanent home, they might be cautious that things are not going to change for them again. What type of behaviours might you expect to see because of this?

Some children experience neglect in their childhood which can be emotional and physical. Physical neglect means not providing a child with the basic necessities of life, such as food and water. Select the behaviours that you think might be associated with this early experience.

Children who have been moved through the care-system might not have owned many personal possessions or toys and often had to share toys with other children. What behaviours do you think might be a result of this?