Socioeconomic deprivation and the development of neuropsychological functions: A study with “street children” in Ecuador Graham Pluck, Daniel R. Banda-Cruz, M. Victoria Andrade-Guimaraes and Ana F. Trueba Quito Brain and Behavior Laboratory, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador ABSTRACT Socioeconomic status (SES) is known to have a considerable influ- ence on the development of neuropsychological functions. In parti- cular there is strong evidence for less efficient development of prefrontal-cortex-related functions in children raised in low-SES households. “Street children” are a common feature of low SES in many low- and middle-income countries, and some researchers have suggested that the unique life experiences of street children may drive their neurocognitive development. This study compares a group of 36 former street children in Quito, Ecuador with a control group of 26 never street-connected schoolchildren. All children were assessed with a range of neuropsychological tests. Although the street children group performed significantly below the level of the control group on all measures, they did not demonstrate a general- ized lower ability. By controlling the effects of fluid intelligence it was found that there are relatively independent effects on visuospatial ability and executive planning ability. Furthermore, the executive function test scores in general are significantly less affected than the other cognitive functions and may be temporary effects caused by recent substance abuse within the street child sample. The find- ings generally support results from other countries suggesting that low SES is associated with negative effects on neuropsychological development. However, they also suggest that the local social and economic context, such as in the case of street children, might mitigate the harmful effects of low SES on the development of some executive functions. ARTICLE HISTORY Received 9 February 2016 Accepted 5 February 2017 KEYWORDS Child poverty; Homeless youth; Executive function; Intelligence; Socioeconomic status. Variation in socioeconomic status (SES) is a feature of all developed societies, though with some geographical variation in degree. The link between SES and the neurocog- nitive function of adults is reflected in many diverse clinical observations, from the high rate of neuropsychological impairment in homeless adults (Pluck, Lee, David, Spence, & Parks, 2012) to the increased risk of dementia in adults with a low level of education (Evans et al., 1997). Indeed, SES factors can impact the performance and therefore the interpretation of neuropsychological tests in general (e.g., Scazufca, Almeida, Vallada, Tasse, & Menezes, 2009). CONTACT Graham Pluck gpluck@usfq.edu.ec College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Diego de Robles y Vía Interoceánica, Cumbayá, Ecuador CHILD NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, 2018 VOL. 24, NO. 4, 510–523 https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2017.1294150 © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group