Developmentally rich activities with your child

Newsletter #54 for Internationally Adopting Parents
March 29, 2007
PAL Center Inc.

In This Issue

Course SCL1
SmartStart Program
Helping an
Internationally Adopted Child Develop a Foundation
for Learning
Toolbox 3: Ages 3-8

Q. My son was adopted from an orphanage at age 4. He was given an ADHD diagnoses and is on medication. It has been suggested that he may have an anxiety or stress disorder (PTSD) as well. Do you think that this could really be part of his problem 6 years after his adoption?

A. There is a widespread opinion that each and every child adopted from an orphanage suffers from PTSD to a certain degree. I do not happen to share this opinion and believe that PTSD can only be diagnosed if the trigger event is clearly established and consistently continues to cause an abnormal emotional and behavioral reaction in the child. Can such reactions and behaviors be observed in a patient six years after the event? Definitely, yes. Do you or your psychologist observe any of such behaviors in your child? Can you point out at a specific event or experience that cause these behaviors? If the child is not doing well enough and behaves somewhat unusually, this can be indicative of many other issues, not necessarily PTSD. A psychologist working with an internationally adopted child needs to observe and interpret the behavior patterns of the child and draw the conclusions from there. You can read more about it in my article PTSD in Internationally Adopted Children

Dr. Boris Gindis, Ph.D.

You receive this newsletter as a former client or correspondent of
the Center for Cognitive-Developmental Assessment & Remediation, or a former student
of the BGCenter Online School,
or a user of the International Adoption Articles Directory.

Latest Articles
from the
International Adoption Articles Directory

Marina Neiman
Fun pretend play kitchen toys for your little chef!
Anyone with a toddler or a preschooler knows how much they like to be under your feet, watching your every move while you're in the kitchen cooking. Watching you prepare food and move around your kitchen is probably one of the most fascinating things to children.

Chris Robertson
Personalized books - unique gifts for children on any occasion
Finding that perfect gift for a special child in your life isn't always easy. Each child has his or her own interests. One gift that's sure to thrill any child is a personalized book. Personalized books enable the child to see his or her own name in print. Children are excited when they realize that they are the stars of the book that they are reading.

From Our Database

Developmentally Rich Activities
With Your Child

Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW
Save your money and get on the floor
Good parent-child relationships cannot be bought. Good parent-child relationships are a by-product of spending not money, but time together. Many parents say they spend “quality time” with their kids, but when looked at more closely, it seems this phrase can take on a different meaning – I don’t spend much time with the kids, but when I do, I spoil them by buying them things.

Natalia Likhtik
A child at play
The world of childhood is quite different from our adult world. It is not simply a smaller version of it. It is a different world, and you have to learn to understand it. You have to learn to "read" child's behavior. Every parent needs these skills, but parents adopting internationally may need them more then others, since you will not have the advantage of understanding your child's native language.

Deanna Mascle
When, what, and how you should teach your preschooler
Young children are interested in the world around them and they are interested in what their parents know. Building on that interest to teach basic concepts is not pushing your child -- it is meeting your child's needs. One of the most important things you can do for your child is to offer an environment rich in learning opportunities.

Boris Gindis, Ph.D.
Activities to Promote Healthy Development
The most important task in the first weeks and months of adoption is to strengthen attachment with your internationally adopted child. Playing and taking care of the child’s basic needs (feeding, bathing, etc.) will constitute your major occupation at this time. Without being intrusive, try to have as much physical contact with the child as possible using shared activities