Funciones ejecutivas en niños y adolescentes en acogimiento residencial con medidas de protección

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This Thesis analyses the executive functions in children and adolescents in residential care. The presence of significant differences in the executive functioning is explored, while taking into account such variables as gender, age and time spent in residential care. METHOD: The research sample is made up of 73 minors, both children and teenagers, aged between 7 and 16 years old and residing in public care centers in the region of Extremadura. The reason for foster placement may be abuse or the implementation of any other protection measure. The population participating in this research have undergone standardised neuropsychological tests that meet the required reliability and validity criteria, i.e. The Five Digits Test (FDT), The Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome in Children (BADS-C), and the The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-5). RESULTS: The neuropsychological evaluation shows that these children and adolescents have difficulties in their executive functions. They show mental rigidity, scarce ability to face cognitive stress and also have problems in controlling their attention span and the speed with which they can process information. CONCLUSIONS: This Thesis seeks to contribute to the knowledge of this group of individuals and, more specifically, to the identification of their potential alterations, difficulties, lacks and needs.