Critical period

• P- a limitation of this theory is Bowlbys idea of a critical period
• E- for Bowlby, damage was inevitable if a child had not formed an attachment in the first two and a half years. However, there is evidence to suggest that good quality aftercare can prevent most of this damage.
• E- for example Kewchova (1976) reported a case of Czech twins who had experienced very severe physical and emotional abuse from the age of 18 months up until they were 7 years old. They experienced this abuse by Their fathers wife and then they were fostered into a loving family and received exceptional care and fully recovered the damage by adolescence
• L-this means that lasting harm is not inevitable even in cases of severe privation and the ‘critical Period’ is therefore better seen as a ’sensitive period’