Lifespan Considerations Created and Presented by Victoria Ann BakerWillford Picket Fence Dreams 2013 Disability disability noun plural disabilities 1 lack of adequate power strength or physical or mental ID: 569176
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Slide1
Disability & Adoption
Lifespan Considerations!
Created and Presented by
Victoria Ann Baker-Willford
Picket Fence Dreams 2013 ©Slide2
Disability
dis·a·bil·i·ty
noun
, plural dis·a·bil·i·ties
1
. lack of adequate power, strength, or physical or mental
ability
; incapacity.
2. a physical or mental handicap, especially one that prevents a person from living a full, normal life or from holding a gainful
job
.
3.
the state or condition of being
disabled
. Slide3
Pre existing disabilities
Non Adoption RelatedSlide4
MY EARLIST PHOTOSlide5
Daunting Diagnoses
Bilateral Congenital Cataracts.
Severe Allergies
Asthma
Chronic Bronchitis
Mild Learning Disabilities
Legally Blind
Glaucoma
MTHFR
Anxiety
Epilepsy Slide6
statisticsSlide7
Significant Impact
In an eight year average (2000-20008) calculation there were approximately 135,000 adoptions per year in the United States.
A rough estimate of children with disabilities is 11%.
In the last ten years Approximately 148,000 children in US have a disability and have been adopted. Slide8
SSA
According to SSA for a person to be considered disabled he/she
is unable to engage in any substantial gainful work activity because of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that is expected to last for 12 continuous months or result in death.Slide9
WOW!
A
pproximately 17% percent of children who are currently in foster care qualify for SSI.
Compare that to the 2% national average. Slide10
questions
WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? WHY?Slide11
Potential Questions
Children May Want to Know!
Where did my disability come from?
Was I put up for adoption because of my disability?
Will my adoptive parents get tired of taking care of me too?
If I was not disabled would I live with my biological family?
Will my children have disabilities too? Should I even have children?Slide12
Inquiring minds want to know!
NAIC (now the Child Welfare Information Gateway) estimates
that there are more than 60,000 Americans searching for birth parents or children from whom they were separated. Some may be searching out of curiosity, emotional reasons, or the need to share genetic and medical information. In many states, judges will only accept compelling medical reasons as sufficient grounds for issuing a court order to open sealed adoption records.
https://www.childwelfare.gov
/
Each judge determines what is
Sufficient grounds. Slide13
HEALTHSlide14
What you don’t Know Can Hurt You!
People with disabilities likely have more medical appointments than their peers.
Lack of Knowledge is frustrating for all involved.
Lack of Knowledge can further impair the health of a person with a disability. Slide15
We Don’t Just Look Alike!
Victoria
MarjorieSlide16
Other Similarities
I
never met my grandmother. There was forty five years between us
.
We both have a impish sense of humor
.
We have identical visual disabilities.
We have a similar seizure disorder.
We have anxiety disorders.Slide17
Knowledge is Power!
The Best
S
eizure I Ever
H
ad!
They came from somewhere.
I was like someone else.
I was not crazy.
I now had something to report.
I was safe.Slide18
Social & EmotionalSlide19
IT IS ALL CONNECTED
For a person with pre existing disabilities the social and emotional impact of adoption may lead to additional disabilities.
Singer
, L.M., Brodzinsky, D.M., and Braff, A.M. Children’s beliefs about adoption: A developmental study. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology (1982) 3:285-94.Slide20
Which Came First?
For some adoptees with disabilities there is a question if the adoption related issues led to debilitating mental and physical conditions
. Slide21
Something Is Wrong!
Mental health professionals are surprised at the alarmingly high number of their patients who are adopted. Studies show an average of 25 to 35% of the young people in residential treatment centers are adoptees. This is 17 times the norm. (Lifton, BIRCO--Pannor and Lawrence)
Adoptees are more likely to have difficulties with drug and alcohol abuse, as well as, eating disorders, attention deficit disorder, infertility, suicide and untimely pregnancies. (Young, Bohman, Mitchell, Ostroff, Ansfield, Lifton and Schecter)
Bohman
, M and Van Korring, A.. (1979) "Psychiatric illness among adults adopted as infants". Acta Psychiati Scand. Slide22
There is an Increased likelihood for disabilities for children who have been adopted.
New Jersey study by Brodzinsky and
Steiger
looked
at the high numbers of adoptees in special education. Adopted children made up about 5 to 7 percent of the children studied with neurological, perceptual, or emotional problems. Yet, they represented only 1 to 2 percent of the general population of children.Slide23
GENETICSSlide24
DNA Plays a Huge Role
Approximately
4 million babies are born each year. About 3 to 4% will be born with a genetic disease or major birth defect.
Approximately 1% of all babies will be born with chromosomal abnormality, which can cause physical problems and mental retardation.
Approximately
10% of all adults and 30% of children in hospitals are there due to genetically related problems.
There are more than 6,000 known genetic disorders.
Nussbaum
, RL,
McInnes
RR, Willard HF. Thompson & Thompson's Genetics in Medicine, 7
th
ed. 2007, WB Saunders Company, Philadelphia, PA
http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/idbd/2.cfmSlide25
SistersSlide26
This is Me! Slide27
New Options
There are options for finding out at least some medical information.
23 and Me offers a health report. In the report genetic predispositions are given.
For instance I have twice the likelihood of developing rheumatoid arthritis. It is something to share with my doctors.
www.23andme.comSlide28
My BrotherSlide29
Future generations
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MY CHILD?Slide30
NATHAN Slide31
Adoption Effects Cont…
Are my disabilities hereditary?
Did I cause my son to have Autism?
Does anyone in my biological family have Autism or learning disabilities like my son?
Are there other medical issues I should be concerned about for my son?Slide32
How to help
You Can Have a Positive Impact!Slide33
Be Person centered
I AM A PERSON ABOVE ALL ELSE!
Person Centered language model is positive and powerful
.
It is NOT about
being politically correct
.
This language style is empowering
for the person.Slide34
EXAMPLES
“I am so excited we are having a family dinner on Thursday and we are going to invite Mary and Todd and their new adopted kids.”
Being person centered means focusing on the people not the labels or conditions.
“I am so excited we are having a family dinner on Thursday and we are going to invite Mary, Todd and their kids
Ashley and Morganne. Slide35
You Can ……
Listen
Offer Real Solutions
Genetic testing
Help person get non- identifying information or other information that is available.
Search for Biological Family
Eliminate the “Shoulds”
Offer or get professional help EARLY.
Never Lie or exaggerate!
Be honest about unknowns!Slide36
MY STORYSlide37
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2013). Foster care statistics
2011
. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and
Human
Services, Children’s Bureau.
Bohman, M and Van Korring, A.. (1979) "Psychiatric illness among adults adopted as infants". Acta Psychiati Scand.
Weiss
, A. Symptomatology of adopted and nonadopted adolescents in a psychiatric
hospital.
Adolescence (1985) 19:77-88
Dalby, J.T., Fox, S., and Haslam, R.H. Adoption and foster care rates in pediatric disorders.
Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (1982) 3:61-64
Brodzinsky, D.M., and Brodzinsky, A.B. The impact of family structure on the adjustment
of adopted
children. Child Welfare (1992) 71:69-75
Singer
, L.M., Brodzinsky, D.M., and Braff, A.M. Children’s beliefs about adoption: A
developmental
study. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology (1982) 3:285-94
.
http
://
ouradopt.com/adoption-blog/nov-2009/lisas/studies-pointing-disability-levels-among-adopted-children
https://www.childwelfare.gov
/
Nussbaum
, RL,
McInnes
RR, Willard HF. Thompson & Thompson's
Genetics in
Medicine, 7
th
ed. 2007, WB Saunders Company, Philadelphia,
PA
http
://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/idbd/2.cfmSlide38
Picket Fence Dreams
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