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

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Summary: Everybody considering adoption should read this book!
Review: I wish I had read this book for my first adoption 3 years ago, now with my second adoption it is a life saver! Sure answered some questions and made us feel less anxious!

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Summary: Thanks for all of the great feedback from all of the readers
Review: I'm glad that so many people-parents and professionals alike- continue to share great things about ADOPTING THE HURT CHILD. People across the world have been in touch saying things like,"Thanks for writing this book-it saved our family ...it , for the first time, told me that I wasn't crazy!"Almost everytime I have a seminar, people come up to me saying, "I adopted a child X number of years ago, and I only wish that I had had this book." This kind of feedback is touching.Hopefully, as the number of adoptions continue to increase as a reuslt of the Adoption and Safe Family Act, ADOPTING THE HURT CHILD will continue to guide and support parents in their efforts to help heal the hurt child/children they adopt.

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Summary: Great book with a lot of helpful information
Review: If you are a parent thinking about adoption. This is the book for you. This book takes you through all of the steps of adopting a hurt or non-hurt child. It takes a look at all aspects of adoption, your point of view and the child's point of view too. Parts of this book will help you understand what a hurt or non-hurt child feels when being adopted. This book mostly focusses on the hurt child, but it is still a good book to read for anyone thinking of adopting, because if you can adopt a hurt child, adopting a non-hurt child is a piece of cake. This is a must read.

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Summary: Dead-on
Review: My wife and I adopted a 5 and 7 yr old from Russia in Sept 2004. They have been diagnosed as mildly RAD, but RAD nonetheless. RAD is Reactive Attachment Disorder for those of you just beginning a path to adoption of older children. I can say from first-hand experience of the past six months that what Keck has written is true, verified and helpful in many ways. I would highly recommend this as a read while you are CONSIDERING adopting older children, domestic or otherwise. It is best to be prepared and accepting of the conditions that you will likely face before you suddenly realize what's going on with your child(ren). Between Keck and Nancy Thomas (When Love is Not Enough), your preparation for dealing with the behaviors that will sooner or later emerge will be rewarded in your ability to maintain some sanity in your home. You are also welcome to view our online story at http://www.hakpenguin.com/adoption_news.cfm

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Summary: A MUST read prior to adopting!
Review: Of all the adoption books I've read, this one has been the most informative. Although many the case studies may be a bit scary, one should know the types of hurt these children experience. It also explains all the behaviors a child may experience due to the many upsets in their life, and techniques a parent should explore to eliminate the ones that are destructive (mentally, physically or socially). The adoption terms are fully explained so no one every feels lost. I have recommended this book to several friends who are considering adopting.

Rating:
Summary: A MUST read prior to adopting!
Review: Of all the adoption books I've read, this one has been the most informative. Although many the case studies may be a bit scary, one should know the types of hurt these children experience. It also explains all the behaviors a child may experience due to the many upsets in their life, and techniques a parent should explore to eliminate the ones that are destructive (mentally, physically or socially). The adoption terms are fully explained so no one every feels lost. I have recommended this book to several friends who are considering adopting.

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Summary: The families and children continue to inspire me
Review: The families and children that I have worked with over the years continue to amaze me in their dedication and love. Families can get better, children can become part of the family. When I began to work in adoption there was so little help and now there is so much to offer in books,websites etc. Take care of yourselves and thank you for all the support.

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Summary: A Must Read for Anyone involved in a Difficult Relationship
Review: This book is a must read for anyone involved in a difficult relationship due to childhood issues or anyone thinking about adopting a child. I purchased it because my husband and I are thinking about adopting a Special Needs child. This definitely helps you to think long and hard about your possible parenting capabilities with a child with Special Needs. I definitely related to the Dreams and Realities Chapter, which has caused me to really evaluate what I am hoping to accomplish in my life with this adoption. Additionally, the chapters on identifying specific behaviors was a real eye opener for me. Although my ex-husband did not come from an adoptive family, I believe he had a lot of the characteristics of a child with Attachment Difficulties. I may have been able to help him, if I had thought of his problems at this level rather than dealing with our problems through marital counseling (how sad to discover this too late.)This is just simply an honest, informative book helping to educate people before taking such a major step in life. Also, this book provides possible answers to the difficult situations we may face in the future. I completely admire the total dedication to a child's needs that this book focuses on.

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Summary: Great Reference Book
Review: This book is full of information about all of the "big words" and labels that are used to describe the hurt children involved in older child adoptions. The process and journey of the children are described with specific examples to give you an almost first hand look at various explanations for the children's challenges behavioral and otherwise. I recommend this book to all those potential parents of adopted children. I would, however, recommend reading "Our Own" by Trish Maskew before you read Keck and Kupecky's book. Keck and Kupecky, while extremely informative, may scare potential parents into changing their mind. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book. However, as I was reading, I remarked to my husband that I was glad I read this book second, because I would have been scared into thinking we would not be able to handle all the challenges Keck and Kupecky wrote about. I will surely keep this book handy when reading referrals once we reach that part of our journey.

Rating:
Summary: Great Reference Book
Review: This book is full of information about all of the "big words" and labels that are used to describe the hurt children involved in older child adoptions. The process and journey of the children are described with specific examples to give you an almost first hand look at various explanations for the children's challenges behavioral and otherwise. I recommend this book to all those potential parents of adopted children. I would, however, recommend reading "Our Own" by Trish Maskew before you read Keck and Kupecky's book. Keck and Kupecky, while extremely informative, may scare potential parents into changing their mind. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book. However, as I was reading, I remarked to my husband that I was glad I read this book second, because I would have been scared into thinking we would not be able to handle all the challenges Keck and Kupecky wrote about. I will surely keep this book handy when reading referrals once we reach that part of our journey.