وقد وصلني للتو جواب من الدكتور ستيوارت وهو كما يلي وسوف احاول ترجمته لاحقا ان شاء الله لتعم الفائدة:

I'm wondering if the answer might lie in some sort of connection b/w the neural and the psychological.
Yes, your reading of cortisolemia is accurate, although paradoxically it can also manifest in abnormally low levels of cortisol. Either way it is harmful to the HPA Axis, placing the individual in what is called an Allostatic Load Condition, in which they are highly vulnerable to stress.
No, what we see in many children who have this condition is that they perseverate as a way of self-soothing, or trying to reduce the stressors. But in that other book I mentioned, by Howe, we know that this kind of hyperfocus can lead to 'islands of genius'. It is certainly an interesting possibility and well worth exploring.
In answer to your other questions, yes, orphans characteristically have a high level of cortisol (see the studies on the Romanian orphanages by Megan Gunner).
I am wondering if the 'creative' or 'resilient' orphans have found more effective ways to self-soothe.
Your question #3 is interesting. To my knowledge it has not bee studied.
The answer to #4 is "Extremely High."
I believe the key to helping Palestinian youth, across the board, is to enhance their self-regulation. If you send Ana, whose email is above, a mailing address, we will send you a copy of my new book which explains many of these ideas.
Best,
Stuart Shanker