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Common Issues Faced by Children and Families in Intercountry Adoption

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International Adoption and Clinical Practice

Abstract

Families who adopt children internationally are faced with a number of concerns about the child’s development, behavior, and overall health and wellbeing. Pre-adoption placement settings (i.e., institution vs foster care) each have their own set of circumstances that can contribute to the developmental outcomes of the child. Increasingly, children who are adopted internationally are older in age and often have special healthcare needs, including neurodevelopmental disabilities and medical conditions, such as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Attachment Disorders. Children with developmental disabilities and special healthcare needs require significant developmental interventions and behavior supports when they are preparing to enter school. Primary care providers are encouraged to educate families who are considering intercountry adoption about the potential unique challenges they may face.

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Correspondence to Heidi Schwarzwald .

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Schwarzwald, H., Collins, E., Gillespie, S., Spinks-Franklin, A. (2015). Common Issues Faced by Children and Families in Intercountry Adoption. In: International Adoption and Clinical Practice. SpringerBriefs in Public Health(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13491-8_3

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