Computational modeling of the Bucharest Early Intervention Project reveals that children who experienced early institutional care show fundamentally altered trajectories in how recurrent neural circuits supporting cognitive control mature during adolescence. The analysis demonstrates that deprivation before age two creates lasting disruptions in the brain's computational architecture, even when children are later placed in high-quality foster care. This finding represents a significant advance in understanding critical periods for neural development. Unlike previous studies that focused on static brain measures, this research captures the dynamic unfolding of circuit-level changes across adolescence. The implications extend beyond early adversity research to fundamental questions about brain plasticity windows. While interventions like quality foster placement can improve outcomes, the computational modeling suggests certain aspects of neural development may have constrained recovery periods. This work provides neurobiological validation for early childhood investment policies and highlights why timing matters in development. The research methodology—using recurrent neural network modeling to understand cognitive control circuits—offers a new framework for studying developmental trajectories that could be applied to other forms of early adversity or intervention studies.