Adopting the Hurt Child: Hope for Families With Special-Needs Kids: A Guide for Parents and Professionals

Rating:
Summary: A must read for ANYONE involved in adoption.
Review: "Adopting the Hurt Child" is a must read for parents and professionals. Written in "layman" terms,the book approaches issues not commonly discussed by social workersor therapists. Newly discovered "attachment disorder" is a wide spread problem among adopted children. This book is my reference manual when it comes to unexplainable problems with my adopted children.

Rating:
Summary: A must read for ANYONE involved in adoption.
Review: "Adopting the Hurt Child" is a must read for parents and professionals. Written in "layman" terms, the book approaches issues not commonly discussed by social workers or therapists. Newly discovered "attachment disorder" is a wide spread problem among adopted children. This book is my reference manual when it comes to unexplainable problems with my adopted children.

Rating:
Summary: very informative
Review: A very helpful book. It helps you to realize the reality of the life of a hurt child and gives insight into living with that child. It doesn't pull punches but it is also not a negative book but tries to help the potential adoptive parent make an informed decision

Rating:
Summary: very informative
Review: A very helpful book. It helps you to realize the reality of the life of a hurt child and gives insight into living with that child. It doesn't pull punches but it is also not a negative book but tries to help the potential adoptive parent make an informed decision

Rating:
Summary: Review by Adoptive Mom
Review: Adoptive mom of 2 girls placed at ages 6&11, summer of '00. I've read most every book on parenting older adopted children, and this is the one I continually refer back to. It was helpful prior to placement to tell us what behavior to expect, and particularly helpful after placement, to reassure us that acting-out behaviors are often grief related, and how to handle tantrums, etc. with TLC. Buy it. Keep it for reference.

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Summary: Read This Before Adopting Older Children!
Review: As an adoption educator, adoptive parent of three (3) special needs children, as well as a birth mother in reunion, I recommend ADOPTING THE HURT CHILD to all prospective adoptive parents. Society tends to sugar-coat adoption, believing that adoptive parents are saints and the adopted child should be grateful to have a family. Unfortunately, particularly when adopting older children, adoptive families are not well-equipped nor adequately prepared to appropriately deal with all of the emotional, behavioral and/or psychological issues these children hold within themselves. When the child begins to act out aggressively, rebelliously or sexually, we/society, tend to criticize the child for not being appreciative of the new life he's been given, or dismiss the behavior, reverting to the old "bad blood" concept from times long past. Often, these special needs children seem to be typical to outsiders, acting out only in the home environment. ADOPTING THE HURT CHILD gives readers insight into how these children became hurt and offers sound advice on not only dealing appropriately with the child's behavior, but on seeking professional help, how to set parameters, exercise patience, creating a safe and nurturing environment and more. As an adoption educator, I utilize this book as a basis when teaching workshops on adopting special needs children and it continues to bring better understanding, as well as empathy and compassion to both the adoption professionals and prospective adoptive parents whom I train. I also give this book as a gift to all of my children's physicians and therapists so they, too, can better treat my children. This is a book written in the true sense of "the best interest of the child." I encourage you to read this book and share it with everyone in your support circle of friends, family and health professionals. Education is the best tool we have to promote understanding.

Rating:
Summary: Read this book before you adopt!
Review: Having taken in a boy three years ago when he was 15, I came to many of the same conclusions on my own, through trial and error. Through heartache, tears, prayers, and unending love and committment, we have come through our worst problems, and things are much easier. If I had onlyhad this book when I started out it would have saved me much self-doubt and questioning and given me a firmer basis to work from. It explained so manythings that I had come to intuitively, but it still helped tremendously to see them in black and white. Please read this book.. It will help you stand firm when the love and direction youare attempting to give your child seems to be thrown back in your face.

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Summary: Valuable insights
Review: I am currently pursuing the possiblility of adopting an older child (3-7). This book addresses sa wide variety of concerns and gives extremely helpful suggestions. The best book I have read so far on the topic of adopting children who are no longer infants.

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Summary: Review by Adoptive Mom
Review: I read this book from cover to cover in one sitting - and then spent a very sleepless night. I am an adoptive mother of 4 and my husband and I are currently in the process of an older child, domestic adoption. I really found the title to be misleading, because I kept looking for the HOPE in the book, but found more terror. I'm very glad I didn't read this book before adopting the 4 we have. I do think that reading the book helped me know what questions to ask during the case study review process and that it will help us know what we're getting into.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Read This One First
Review: I read this book from cover to cover in one sitting - and then spent a very sleepless night. I am an adoptive mother of 4 and my husband and I are currently in the process of an older child, domestic adoption. I really found the title to be misleading, because I kept looking for the HOPE in the book, but found more terror. I'm very glad I didn't read this book before adopting the 4 we have. I do think that reading the book helped me know what questions to ask during the case study review process and that it will help us know what we're getting into.