Genetics, Families, & Social Development:
The Important Contributions of Adoptive Families
Half-Day Conference for Adoptive Families and Professionals
Spence-Chapin
New York
April 18, 2008
Jenae Neiderhiser, Ph.D.
The Pennsylvania State University
Leslie Leve, Ph.D.
Oregon Social Learning Center
Workshop Outline
I.
Overview of Genetics
II.
Description of the Early Growth &
Development Study (and family of studies)
III.
Early Results from EGDS
IV.
Implications for Prevention and Services for
Adoptive Families
I. Overview of Genetics
Developmental Behavior Genetics
Behavior genetics: Exploration of the potential
influence of genes and experience upon a behavior
Focus: Individual differences & the similarity
(covariance) of relatives
Research Strategies: Twin studies, Family studies, &
Adoption studies (and combinations)
Individual Differences: Concerned with
differences among individuals within a
population
e.g. How does antisocial behavior differ in a
population of teenagers?
Group Differences: Concerned with
differences between groups within a
population
e.g. How do teenage boys and girls differ for
antisocial behavior?
Estimating genetic &
environmental influences

Examine family members who differ in degree of
genetic relatedness
 identical twins, fraternal twins, parent-biological
child, adoptive parent-adopted child

Compare similarity in family members
(correlations)

Genetic influences
 Indicated by increased similarity for increased genetic
relatedness
 MZ twins > DZ twins > adopted siblings

Shared environmental influences
 Indicated by within-family similarity
 ANY similarity in adopted siblings or between adopted
children & their adoptive parents

Nonshared environmental influences
 Indicated by differences in family members
 ANY differences between MZ twins
Covariance of Relatives
Identical Twins
Fraternal Twins
Full Siblings
Adoptive Siblings
Birth Parent-Child
Adoptive Parent-Child
G
1.0
.50
.50
0
.50
0
Es
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
0
1.0
En
0
0
0
0
0
0
Heritability: Proportion of total variance that can
be explained by genetic differences in individuals in
that population
Environmentality: Proportion of total variance that can
be explained by nongenetic (environmental)
differences in individuals in that population
Shared environment – all nongenetic influences
that make family members similar to one another
Nonshared environment – all nongenetic
influences that make family members different from
one another
Important Points about genetic and
environmental influences
Heritability does not equal immutability – it can
be changed and modified by the environment
Heritability can, and does, change over time
There is a large amount of variation that is not
due to genetic factors
“Genetic influence” on a phenotype does not imply:
-the environment is unimportant
-genetic determinism, or even a close
relationship between genes & behavior
Environmental influences are all nongenetic
influences that contribute to individual differences
May include: prenatal effects, environmental
influences on DNA, traditional environmental
factors (parenting, neighborhood, SES, etc.)
Patterns of Genetic & Environmental
Influences
Wide range of behaviors have been examined
across the lifespan
Physical characteristics (height/weight)
 Personality & temperament
 Mental health & psychopathology
 Social relationships & behavior

Sample Twin Correlations
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
Height
Weight
MZ
DZ
Genetic and Environmental Influences on
Psychological Traits
Specific Religion
Religiousness
A
C
E
Major Depression
IQ @ 18 yrs
IQ @ 10 yrs
IQ @ 5 yrs
Extraversion
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90% 100%
Genetic and Environmental Influences on
Interpersonal Relationships
Parental Positivity
Parental Negativity
A
C
E
Parental Monitoring
Sibling Conflict
Marital Conflict about
Children
Peer Group
Delinquency
0%
10% 20%
30% 40%
50% 60%
70% 80%
90% 100%
General patterns of genetic & environmental
influences on interpersonal relationships most
salient for children & adolescents
Parenting


Warmth/Support & Conflict/Negativity
 Tend to show genetic influences
Monitoring & Control
 Tend to show shared environmental influences
Sibling relationships

Mostly reciprocal in nature  due to shared
environmental influences
Peer relationships

Vary by construct, generally due to genetic &
shared environmental influences
How can we understand genetic influences on
“environmental” measures and interpersonal
relationships?
GP
Parent Temperament
Gc
Parenting Behavior and/or
Parent-Child Relationship
.50
Passive Genotype-Environment
Correlation
How can we understand genetic influences on
“environmental” measures and interpersonal
relationships?
parent influences
Child behavioral
CHARACTERISTICS
Parental CONFLICT/NEG
child evokes
FAMILY
EFFECTS
CHILD
EFFECTS
GC
Evocative Genotype-Environment
Correlations
Why do we care?
Direction of effects:
Child to parent (evocative rGE)
Parent to child (passive rGE or E)
What are the mechanisms of the environment’s
influence on child outcomes?
Mechanisms of Parenting
Gp
Passive GE
Correlation
Parent’s
characteristics
Contextual
factors
Parenting
behavior
Evocative GE
Correlation
Gc
Child’s
characteristics
Nonshared Environment in Adolescent
Development Project (NEAD)
Reiss, Hetherington, Plomin (PIs of T1 & T2),
Neiderhiser (PI T3)
Time 2 Assessment
N=384 families
Age range 13-21
2 family types: nondivorced & step families
5 sibling types: MZ & DZ twins, full, half, step
Twin/Offspring Study in Sweden

909 pairs of twin families



1 adolescent child/family (1122 yrs)



350 pairs of twin fathers (128
MZ; 183 DZ)
559 pairs of twin mothers (254
MZ; 285 DZ)
Cousin pairs w/in 4 years of age
Same sex cousin pairs (49%
boys)
Spouse/other parent


Cohabitating for at least 5 years
Over 90% of spouses are
biological parent of child
NEAD and TOSS Designs
TOSS
NEAD
1.0=MZ twin parents;
.50=DZ twin parents
Mom
Dad
Spouse 1
Child 1
Twin
Parent 1
Twin
Parent 2
Spouse 2
Child 2
Child of
Twin 1
Child of
Twin 2
1.0=MZ twins; .50=DZ twins
& full siblings; .25=half
siblings; 0=step siblings
.25=children of MZ twin
parents; .125=children of
DZ twin parents
Parenting: GE Correlation
Mothering
Positivity - NEAD
Passive & Evocative GE Correlation
Positivity - TOSS
Negativity - NEAD
Passive & Evocative GE Correlation
G
Es
En
Negativity - TOSS
Fathering
Positivity - NEAD
Mostly Evocative GE Correlation
Positivity - TOSS
Negativity - NEAD
Evocative & Passive GE Correlation
Negativity - TOSS
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Evidence for Evocative GE
Correlation: Adopted Adolescents
and Adoptive Parents
Adoptive Parents
Marital
Warmth
Adoptive Mother
-.46*
-.05
Mother’s
Discipline
.48*
Psychiatric
Disorders
.31*
.44*
Antisocial/
Hostile Beh.
Birth Parents
Adopted Child
from Ge et al., 1996
Average negative control by adoptive
parents of children whose birth
mothers were antisocial (at risk) or not
32
30
28
at-risk
not at-risk
26
24
22
20
7
9
10
11
Age (in years)
from O’Connor et al., 1998
12
Gene-environment Interplay

Two types
 Genotype – environment correlation
 Genotype x environment interaction

Genotype x environment interaction
 BOTH genetic factors & environmental
factors (typically risk) are required for a
specific outcome
 For example…
Interaction of genetic influence and family
characteristics in childhood aggression
(Cadoret, 1995)
Antisocial personality in
birth parent
No antisocial personality in
birth parent
Favorable
Unfavorable
Adverse Adoptive Home Environment Factors
(adoptive parent marital or legal problems or psychiatric d/o)
Thanks to the research teams that make
this work possible
NEAD
 Robert Plomin (IoP)
 David Reiss (GWU)
 E. Mavis Hetherington (UVA)
 Mark Feinberg (PSU)
 Erica Spotts (NIA)
 Dean Hamer (NCI)
 Jody Ganiban (GWU)
 Rich Rende (Brown)
 many other students &
postdocs

R01s MH43373, MH48825, &
MH59014 & the William T.
Grant Foundation
TOSS
 Paul Lichtenstein (KI)
 David Reiss (GWU)
 Nancy Pedersen (KI)
 Jody Ganiban (GWU)
 Erica Spotts (NIA)
 Suzanne Haddad (GWU)
 Jurgita Naruyste (KI)
 Jennifer Ulbricht (GWU)
 Lennart Martinnson (KI)
 Elias Ericksson (Göteborgs
Universitet)

R01MH54601 & Riksbankens
Jubieleumsfond (DNA
collection & genotyping)
II. Early Growth and Development Study





560 domestic adoption placements to nonrelative families (360 in EGDS-Toddler and
200 in EGDS-Phase 2)
Adoption occurred within 3 mo. postpartum
Infant free of major medical problems
3 major assessments for birth parents and
6 major assessments for adoptive families
spanning infancy through 1st grade
(EGDS-School)
Multimethod, multiagent approach
Early Growth and Development Study

9 mo, 18 mo & 27
mo in-person
assessment of
adoptive families

3-6 mo & 18 mo inperson assessment
for birth parents

Multimethod,
multiagent
approach
EGDS study design

Yoked Adoption Unit:
•
Birth mother/birth father,
adoptive mother/father,
& adopted child
BM
AM
BF
AC
AF
EGDS Family of Studies
EGDS-Toddler (PI: Reiss)
Sept 2002- Aug 2007
n = 360 yoked adoption units
7 yrs
6 yrs
4½
yrs
36- 48
mo
27 mo
18 mo
9 mo
Prenatal Period
3 mo
to
6 mo
parenting, context,
externalizing, internalizing,
social competence, birth parent
characteristics
EGDS-Phase 2 (PI: Neiderhiser)
Sept 2007 – May 2012
EGDS-School (PI: Leve)
Sept 2007 – July 2012
n = 200 NEW + 360 from EGDS-Toddler
n = 360
New: 200 cases, DNA, enhanced measurement
of birthparent experiences, prenatal exposures
New: Emergent literacy,
executive functioning, HPA
axis functioning
Recruitment locations

Three data collection sites
Pacific Northwest (Oregon Social Learning Center)
 Mid-Atlantic (George Washington University)
 Southwest (University of California, Davis)


One new site added for EGDS-Phase 2
Midwest (University of Minnesota)
 (and PI moved to Penn State)

Recruitment Strategy

Agency Recruitment
Each data collection site identifies “local”
agencies
 Collects data on number and type of placements
 Identify agency liaison once agency agrees to
participate



33 agencies in 10 states participated in
EGDS-toddlers
16 agencies participating in EGDS-Phase 2
(13 from EGDS-toddlers, 3 new)
Recruitment Strategy


Strategy to maximize linked birth parents &
adoptive parents
Adoptive family recruitment

Eligible adoptive families are mailed a letter by
agency

Includes postage paid postcard to decline contact
If no postcard received within 2 weeks of mailing
birth mother contact information is requested
 If birth mother agrees to participate study
recruiter contacts adoptive family
 First assessment – 6 mo telephone interview

Recruitment Strategy

Birth mother recruitment
If no postcard received within 2 weeks of mailing
birth mother contact information is requested
 Birth mother is contacted by study recruiter
 First assessment – Wave 1 in-person interview,
3-6 months postpartum


EGDS Toddlers/School – 360 yoked birth
mothers, 517 total (many unyoked)
Recruitment Strategy

Birth father recruitment
Contact information requested from agency after
birth mother and adoptive family agree to
participate
 Birth mothers are asked for contact information if
agency can not provide this
 Birth fathers are critical for the study (provide
50% of child’s genes)


EGDS Toddlers/School – 105 yoked birth
fathers, 147 total (some unyoked)
EGDS constructs
• Birth parents, adoptive parents, and children
• Externalizing, internalizing, social competence
• Alcohol & drug use and problems
• Temperament
• Social context (stress, social support, economic
circumstances, partner/marital relations)
• Executive functioning and literacy
• DNA and salivary cortisol samples
• Adoptive parents only
• Parenting
• Birth parents only
• Prenatal exposure to substances, toxins, stress
Assessment

Telephone Assessments (10-15 minutes)


General well-being, short questionnaires
Mailed/Web-Based Interviews (1-1.5 hrs)
Completed before in-person assessments
 Cortisol collection mailed after in-person visit


In-person Assessments (2-3 hours)
In home or convenient other location
 Computer-administered questions & interview
 Video-recorded child tasks, parent-child
interactions and marital interactions
 DNA collection

Barrier Task – designed to elicit frustration
(9 mo – Wave 1)
Clean-up Task – designed to see how
parent structures task & child
compliance

18-month old task (Wave 2)

Show video
Flower Print Task – designed to
examine coparenting (9 mo – Wave 1)
Demographics for BPs and APs:
EGDS -Toddlers
BM
BF
AM
AF
23.83
(13-51)
25.31
(15-45)
36.96
(25-54)
37.89
(26-60)
Caucasian
African-American
78
11
63
20
93
4
92
5
Hispanic/Latino
4
8
1
1
Multi-ethnic
5
5
2
2
Other
2
4
1
1
Mean age
(range)
Race (%)
Mean education level
Annual household
income (median)
People in home (mean)
Tradeschool Tradeschool College
College
$14k
$21k
$119k
3.6
3.5
3.7
Demographics (Con’t)

Adoptive Parents
1% single
 84% AM, 86% AF married
 1% divorced/separated
 9% remarried
 5% AM, 4% AF cohabitating, committed rel.


Birth Parents
77% BM, 72% BF single
 8% BM, 22% BF married
 14% BM, 5% BF divorced/separated
 1% BM & BF remarried

New Studies & Future Directions
EGDS-Phase 2 (PI: Neiderhiser, R01 DA020585)
Objectives:
(1) Collection of DNA from all members of yoked
adoption unit
• Birth parents
• Adopted child
• Adoptive parents
(2) Addition of 200 more yoked adoption units
EGDS-School: Family Process, Genes, and School
Entry (PI: Leve, R01 HD42608-06)
Objectives:
1)Examine GxE mechanisms in preschool,
school entry, and 1st grade
2) Examine hypothesized social and
neuroregulatory mechanisms specific to this
developmental period: emergent literacy, HPA
axis functioning, & executive functioning
Future Directions

Emotion regulation within the family
Applying for a grant to code the video taped data
 Emotion regulation within dyads
 Coparenting


Translate interviews
Allow recruitment of a Spanish-speaking
population
 Capture changing trends in adoption

III. EGDS results related to adoption
• Openness
• Agency satisfaction and
services
• How adoption has affected
aspects of your life
What was the level of openness in the
adoption?
• 1-7 rating of the level of openness in the adoption
very closed
closed
semiopen
moderately open
open
quite open
very open
Openness
• Most families continue to report a moderate level of
openness throughout toddlerhood (periodic phone
contact, visits, or mail exchanges)
• Openness decreased somewhat over time according to
adoptive mothers, adoptive father, birth mothers, and
birth fathers.
• For example, at 9-months of age, 59% of adoptive
mothers rated the adoption as “open” or “very open”.
This decreased to 56% at 18-months, and 54% at 27months.
How satisfied are adoptive families with the level
of openness?
• 1-4 rating of the level of satisfaction (very satisfied 
very dissatisfied in the level of openness in the
adoption)
• Most families continue to report a high level of
satisfaction with the level of openness throughout
toddlerhood
• Satisfaction also decreased steadily over time
according to adoptive mothers, adoptive father, birth
mothers, and birth fathers.
• For example, at 9-months of age, 69% of adoptive
fathers were “very satisfied” with the openness. This
decreased to 63% at 18-months, and 53% at 27-months.
How would adoptive mothers change openness?
9-months
More closed
Same
More open
18-months
27-months
How would adoptive fathers change openness?
9-months
More closed
Same
More open
18-months
27-months
What does openness relate to?
• Adoptive mother, adoptive fathers, and birth mothers
agree very strongly about the level of openness in the
adoption, about the amount of contact, and about the
amount of knowledge between parties
• Higher levels of openness are related to adoptive
mothers’ and fathers’ increased satisfaction with the
adoption process
• Higher levels of openness are related to birth mothers’
and birth fathers’ increased satisfaction with the
adoption process and positive adjustment
Ge et al., J. of Family Psychology, in press
How satisfied are adoptive mothers with the
information they have about the birth parents?
(very stable; numbers here are at 27-months)
Birth Mothers
very satisfied
fairly satisfied
fairly dissatisfied
very dissatisfied
Birth Fathers
How satisfied are adoptive fathers with the
information they have about the birth parents?
(very stable; numbers here are at 27-months)
Birth Mothers
very satisfied
fairly satisfied
fairly dissatisfied
very dissatisfied
Birth Fathers
Why did the adoptive family select their agency?
• On average, adoptive families looked at 3-4 agencies
before selecting the one they used. The primary
deciding factors were:
• The agency’s philosophy about adoption, including
openness, and the agency mission statement (83%)
• The information received about the adoption agency
from a packet, website, or meeting (69%)
• Other people’s recommendation, word of mouth, or
agency reputation (68%)
• Geographic location of the agency (53%)
• Agency staff (50%)
Why did the birth mother select their agency?
• On average, birth mothers looked at about 2 agencies
before selecting the one they used. The primary
deciding factors were:
• The agency’s philosophy about adoption, including
openness, and the agency mission statement (68%)
• The information received about the adoption agency
from a packet, website, or meeting (64%)
• Services offered, such as counseling, meeting other
birth parents, or support group (50%)
• Other people’s recommendation, word of mouth, or
agency reputation (47%)
• Agency staff (45%)
Satisfaction (‘very’ or ‘somewhat’) with services
• The information agency provided about adoption process (96%)
• Education and support services (90%)
• Ability to make recommendations for outside services like
counseling (89%)
• Staff responsiveness to requests (88%)
• Skill of the staff (92%)
• Policy about openness (98%)
• Home study process, including the length of time it took to
complete it (95%)
• Matching process (95%)
• Placement process (94%)
• Post placement services (91%)
Agency services that were most helpful
• The matching/placement process
• Educational classes
• Orientation workshop
• Specific social worker/staff member
• Availability and support of agency staff
• Counseling
• Mediation with birth mother
Services sought outside of the agency
• Legal services (19%)
• Home study from a different agency (7%)
• Infant care/parenting classes (4%)
• Support group (4%)
• Counseling (3%)
The most difficult part of the adoption process
• Waiting for a child
• Coming to the decision to adopt
• The adoption process
• General adjustment to new child (lack of sleep,
siblings)
• Coming to terms with infertility issues
• Adoption paperwork
• Cost
• Dealing with a failed adoption(s)
Nicest or most important thing someone did
during the adoption process
• Support from friends and family
• Baby shower
• The birth parents choosing us to raise their child
• Friends and family providing meals
• Friends and family babysitting
• Friends and family sharing their experiences with
adoption
How has your child affected your life? (mothers @
27 months)
Marital Relationship
Other Children
Satisfaction With Life
Improved lot
Improved slightly
No change
Slightly worse
Lot worse
How has your child affected your life? (fathers @
27 months)
Marital Relationship
Improved lot
Improved slightly
No change
Slightly worse
Lot worse
Other Children
Satisfaction With Life
IV. Implications for Prevention and
Services
• Most challenging parenting
issues
• Desired services
• Format of services
What months have been the most
challenging to parent?
60
40
20
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
Mothers
Fathers
What do adoptive parents think are the “most
challenging issues” as parents (1st year of life)
50
Mothers1st year
40
30
Fathers 1st year
20
10
en
c
fid
Co
n
m
e
Ti
e
nt
M
ng
m
lth
He
a
ng
ed
i
Fe
ee
p
0
Sl
# Reporting
60
What do adoptive parents think are the “most
challenging issues” as parents (2nd year of life)
Mothers1st year
Fathers 1st year
Mothers 2nd year
Fathers 2nd year
50
40
30
20
10
en
c
fid
Co
n
m
e
Ti
e
nt
M
ng
m
lth
He
a
ng
ed
i
Fe
ee
p
0
Sl
# Reporting
60
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Mothers 2nd year
en
t
Te
m
pe
ra
m
lity
ob
i
M
Si
bl
in
gs
ip
lin
e
Di
sc
m
s
Fathers 2nd year
nt
ru
Ta
# Reporting
What do adoptive parents think are the “most
challenging issues” as parents (2nd year of life)
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
en
t
Te
m
pe
ra
m
lity
ob
i
M
Si
bl
in
gs
ip
lin
e
Di
sc
m
s
Mothers1st year
Fathers 1st year
Mothers 2nd year
Fathers 2nd year
nt
ru
Ta
# Reporting
What do adoptive parents think are the “most
challenging issues” as parents (2nd year of life)
Desired Adoption-Specific Parenting Services
 Talking to child about adoption (how/when)
 Contact with birth parents (how much/how to manage)
 Transracial and cultural issues (how to educate)
 Blended families (how to discuss with your children)
 Stigma/responding to others’ questions
Agency services families wished the agency had
provided
• More/better education about the adoption process
• More/better support groups
• More parenting education
• More staff accessibility
• Support groups pre-placement
• More support for birth mothers
How often wanted some advice about parenting?
never
rarely
sometimes
often
Mothers
almost/all time
Fathers
Top 3 areas where parenting information would be
helpful (mothers @ 27 months)
Disciplining
Not at all helpful
A little
Somewhat
Helpful
Very helpful
Managing Toddler Emotions
Temper Tantrums
Top 3 areas where parenting information would be
helpful (fathers @ 27 months)
Disciplining
Not at all helpful
A little
Somewhat
Helpful
Very helpful
Managing Toddler Emotions
Sleep Issues
Other areas where help information and services
would be helpful (at least 1/3 of mothers said
information would be ‘helpful’ or ‘very helpful’)
• Enhancing child’s strengths (46%)
• General child development (43%)
• Adoption issues (42%)
• Child compliance (40%)
• Child hitting, biting (39%)
• Child whining (38%)
• Child temperament (37%)
• How to play with child (34%)
How would you like to receive parenting
resource information?
mail
doctor/ped
website
home visit
group meeting
check-in phone
hotline
How often would you like services?
weekly
monthly
every other month
yearly
as needed
never
Summary
• Most adoptive parents, and especially mothers, would
like more information about parenting
• Areas where information and services are most
desired are: discipline and child behavior, general
child development, strength building, and adoption
• Adoptive families would prefer these services be
delivered as an as-needed or monthly basis
• Mailed information, information from a doctor or
pediatrician, or parenting website are the most
desirable formats
• 0-2 months, 10-12 months, 18 months, and 24-months
are times when parents report the most challenges
So where do we go from here?
What kinds of services and
programs might be beneficial?
Key components of ‘evidence-based’ programs
for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers
• Teach warm and sensitive (but firm and consistent)
parenting
• Strength-building
• Prevention-based
• Work within the multiple contexts that families and
children interact in (home, school, community)
• Include both a child and caregiver components
• Include parenting groups for social support
• Weekly service delivery
• Video-based feedback
What about adoptive families?
• No evidence-based programs have been evaluated
specifically for adoptive families, although there are
evidence-based programs for foster parents
• Unique needs of adoptive families may include:
• generally well-educated and invested in parenting
• uncertainties about child’s genetic background
• transracial and cultural issues
• blended families
• interface with birth parents
• talking to child about adoption/their background
• ??
Task
Frustration
to Verbal
Infant Attention
Infant Aversive
Response
The adoptive family as a protective environment at
child age 9-months
Adoptive family
emotional arousal
HI
Children in homes with average emotional
arousal in the adoptive parents do not
attend to frustrating events, even when
there is an inherited tendency
BP Social Anxiety
Birth Mother
Externalizing Behavior
Adoptive family
emotional arousal
AVERAGE
Infant Aversive Verbal Response
The adoptive family as a protective environment at
child age 18-months
Adoptive family
emotional arousal
HI
Adoptive family
Children in homes with average emotional
emotional arousal
arousal in the adoptive parents do not
AVERAGE
show aversive responses, even when there
is an inherited tendency
BP SocialSociability
Anxiety
Birth Parent
LO
HI
Providing structured guidance reduces genetic risk
for externalizing behaviors
BEXT1
25.00
20.00
CBCL External WaveB-AM
behavior
Child externalizing
.00
High structured guidance
relates to low child
externalizing problems,
even when inherited risk
1.00
.00
1.00
HI Birth parent
Externalizing
15.00
LO Birth parent
Externalizing
10.00
5.00
R Sq Linear = 0.016
R Sq Linear = 0.317
0.00
-3.00000
-2.00000
-1.00000
0.00000
1.00000
2.00000
3.00000
Zscore: CUP:Mom->TC Command dur
Adoptive
mother structured guidance
Parenting interventions can impact
neuroregulatory functioning
Cortisol Value
0.5
0.4
Foster
care
Foster
care Int
Comm
sample
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Entry
8-9 Months Post
Entry
Time
Fisher & Bruce (2008)
The EGDS Team











Jenae Neiderhiser (PSU)
Leslie Leve (OSLC)
Xiaojia Ge (UMN)
David Reiss (GWU, Yale)
John Reid (OSLC)
Danny Shaw (U Pitt)
Laura Scaramella (UNO)
Linda Mayes (Yale)
Jody Ganiban (GWU)
Phil Fisher (OSLC)
Rand Conger (UC Davis)

Over 30 participating adoption
agencies across the US

EGDS-toddlers & EGDS-school:
R01HD042608 (co-funding by NIDA
& OD)
EGDS-Phase II: R01DA020585
(co-funding by NIMH & OD)


Too many recruiters & interviewers
to name
 Amy Whitesel
 Cristin McArdle
 Tracy VanVlack
Consultants:
 Joel Gelernter (Yale)
 Joan Kaufman (Yale)
 Steve Petrill (OSU)
 Steve Suomi (NICHD intramural)