Psychomotor development of a child under six years of age with experience of relational trauma – KORP diagnosis report

Abstract

This article is about assessing the psychomotor development of a child who has experienced relational trauma up to the age of 6. This allows you to determine what level of development the child is at, develop a therapeutic plan, measure and document the child’s progress in this area, and ensure clear communication within the therapeutic team. The presented study used a tool standardised and normalised in 2014-2016 on a population of 905 Polish children: the Psychomotor Development Assessment Cards – KORP, which assesses a child’s psychomotor development in several spheres. From October to December 2023, 12 children up to 6 years of age placed in foster care in the Pomeranian region were surveyed, and in-depth interviews were conducted with their actual guardians. The main problem formulated in the question: In what areas does the psychomotor development of a child under the age of 6 who has experienced relational trauma proceed according to age norms, below norms or above age norms? The answer is unequivocal: the development of a child under the age of six who has experienced relational trauma is not in line with age norms but below them (incredible emotional and social development, development of behavioural functions and development of communication and speech). It would be worthwhile in the future to use the KORP test to study the development of children up to the age of 6 from biological families at risk of experiencing potentially traumatic relationship experiences, i.e. from families with problems of domestic violence, addiction, mental disorders, and to compare the psychomotor development of children at risk of experiencing relationship trauma with the psychomotor development of children living in relational health.