In general, maltreated children's storytelling is as complex as that of their nonmaltreated counterparts; however, maltreated children have more difficulty representing nice interactions as they mature. Implications for learning are evident; if young children are less able to attend and respond to positive narratives, they may be at risk for difficulties with concentration and learning in both home and school settings. These difficulties do not arise from generalized developmental delay or primary organic difficulties, but from the selective inattention that maltreated children learn to give to routine events that are positive. In contrast, the maltreated toddler, not yet able to engage in representational mapping, must address each new situation as unique. Because younger maltreated children cannot hold people and events in groups related to positive and negative contexts, they are hypervigilant in the face of all new stimuli as a result of their negative life experiences.
Cognitive and emotional differences in young maltreated children: A translational application of dynamic skill theory
