Identifying Learning Problems in Adopted Children
When you made the choice to adopt a child, you took a leap of faith at least one bound beyond that taken by other parents. And, if your child is challenged by learning or attention problems, your parenting path may now seem strewn with "speed bumps" caused by these overlapping issues.
Learning disabilities (LD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) are certainly not unique to adopted children. But as an overlay to adoption, they present unique challenges - and questions. For example, where does your child's pre-adoption history fit into the mix, along with genetics and her current environment? And how can you begin to interpret her personality or learning style when so much of her history is missing or incomplete?
Still, remember this: as the care-giving parent, you know your child best. Many highly capable adoptive parents who encounter LD and/or AD/HD for the first time often doubt their own parenting abilities until they understand the complexities of these disorders. Combine your intimate knowledge of your child with the information that follows. This may help you better identify, understand, and manage any learning difficulties your child has.
High Rates of AD/HD and LD Among Adopted Children
The Barker Foundation, the nation's first cooperative adoption agency, conducted a 1996 survey with the parents of 500 adopted children. Thirty percent of these children had some type of learning or attention problem. A 1991 New Jersey study by Brodzinsky and Steiger also 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.
Could these kinds of numbers partly reflect a hawk-like vigilance common to caring adoptive parents, who are likely to follow up on any apparent problem? Possibly. Another reason may be that adopted children tend to have "externalized," or more visible, types of psychological problems. These might show up, for example, in the hyperactive and impulsive behavior often seen in AD/HD. Because parents find such behaviors more challenging, they often seek professional help sooner.
Potential Contributors to Learning Problems in Adoptees
Studies like those cited above have led researchers to further speculate about the causes of learning and emotional challenges in adopted children. Any of the following factors may contribute:
Your child's pre-adoption history:
- Poor prenatal care, including drug or alcohol exposure
- Complications at birth
- Malnutrition, neglect, abuse, or time spent in foster care or an orphanage
- Genetics
Your child's post-adoption history:
- Trouble learning a second language if adopted as an older child from a different country or culture
- Anxiety caused by dealing with having been adopted and the concept of birth parents having "given her away"
- Insecurity due to being a different race or simply having a different physical appearance than her adoptive parents
- Attachment problems, which are believed to result from a lack of reliable protection and nurturance early in life. This condition, which may disproportionately affect adopted children, interferes with a child's ability to form secure emotional bonds with her adoptive parents.
Early experiences that can lead to attachment disorder may also have a profound impact on a child's learning. That's because the brain pathways responsible for social perceptions, emotion, and empathy are the same ones that regulate communication and organization of memory. Higher levels of certain brain chemicals caused by chronic stress or trauma can damage a part of the brain called the hippocampus, making it hard to create and retain memories needed for learning.
Of course there are several factors other than adoption that may contribute to learning problems. Genetics may play a crucial role, particularly when it comes to AD/HD; there is a five-fold increase in the incidence of AD/HD among first-degree relatives. And don't overlook a broad range of other potential factors, including your child's current school situation, home, or social life.
