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BAAS.org posted an article that I think is important reading for any parent adopting a child who has lived in an institutional setting. The article is called Short Circuits and gives some examples of some of the trauma that babies and young children often endure, and the long-lasting sequela that many families face because of it.
From what I’ve heard, Ethiopian kids tend to have less damage than children adopted from orphanages in Russia or China. But it is a mistake for parents to assume that Ethiopian orphanages are utopia and that their children will not have issues.
Possibly the most talked-about problem that comes from orphanage life is Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). Normal attachment develops during the child’s first two to three years of life. If an infant’s needs are not met consistently and lovingly during those early years, children will often have a more difficult time attaching well to a new caregiver.
Sensory integration disfunction is another issue that traumatized children can exhibit. Kids can be either hypersensitive or hyposensitive. Hypersensitive children can seem overly reactive to itchy clothing, different types of lighting, touching, and eye contact. Hyposensitive children are always trying to amp up the excitement in their lives. They’ll get up and down in class repeatedly, always be seeking adventure, noise and movement.
Post traumatic stress disorder is a word often associated with survivors of wars, but can also be seen in post-institutionalized children. People dealing with stress can have overly stressed reactions to small traumas in life. A loud noise or a small loss can set off an extreme or disproportionate reaction in a person affedted by post-traumatic stress.
Not all children who’ve lived in orphanages will have these issues. But we as adoptive parents would be wise to educate ourselves to be prepared for the possibility so that we can more quickly recognize it if our children struggle with any of these issues.
Good resources
Book: Attaching in Adoption
Attachment Resources
Book: The Elephant in the Playroom
That is interesting–those problems have always been my biggest fears about adoption.
My adopted brother was in the care of a loving foster mother for his first nine months (she even “wore” him in the traditional baby carrier) so he was never lacking for touch and individual attention.
As the mom of a child with autism, including all of these issues and then a whole lot more, and as the mom of an adopted daughter who struggled in this area, I had a hard time reading this.