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Home > Adoption and School Issues > Adoption and School Issues-Specific Educational Concerns Associated With Adopted Children
Adoption and School Issues
Factsheet for Families
5. Specific Educational Concerns Associated With Adopted Children A number of articles have been written over the years saying that adopted children are more likely than nonadopted children to have learning disabilities, particularly attention deficit disorder, with or without hyperactivity (see bibliography). It is not within the scope of this factsheet to try to help you diagnose whether your child has a learning disability. The subject is so complex, and there are many other resources available to inform you about them—your local school district, the State board of education, and national support groups on specific disabilities are a few. For the names and addresses of some support groups for parents of children having developmental and/or learning disabilities, order Information Gateway's free factsheet "Adopting Children With Developmental Disabilities." It is within the scope of this factsheet, however, to discuss why experts believe adopted children are diagnosed with learning disabilities at a higher rate than nonadopted children, in order to help you help your child if he is so diagnosed. One theory explaining why adopted children are diagnosed with more learning disabilities is the genetic component, that is, people who choose adoption for their children or whose parental rights are terminated may themselves have learning problems. Another contributing factor may be the prenatal environment of the child. If a child's birthmother did not have adequate nutrition, or if she drank alcohol, took drugs, or smoked cigarettes during her pregnancy, these environmental influences may have some effect. Abuse or neglect, if it caused physical injury, neurological damage, or emotional distress can also play a role in producing learning disabilities. Another contributing factor may be that adoptive parents tend to be extremely watchful of their children. If a child shows the slightest sign of a problem, they tend to seek professional help; thus, adopted children may simply be diagnosed as having learning problems sooner than other children.
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