SPECIAL
PARENT
adopting
children
with
special
needs
R
esearching adoptions leads
to a realization – all adoptive children, in their own
way, have special needs.
There are, of course, the
children whose needs are
immediately recognizable – those who
have physical disabilities such as Down’s
syndrome, those with medically correct-
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 | (201) FAMILY
able conditions like a cleft palate, or those
adopted out of foster care who may have
experienced trauma and loss, resulting in
emotional and behavioral issues.
Then, there are others with needs
that may not be readily apparent. While
some prospective parents consciously
make a choice to adopt a child who
would not otherwise be adopted, many
others eventually come to accept that,
practically speaking, if they want to
adopt a child, they may need to expand
their parameters to include adopting
one that comes with special needs.
Robin Fleischner, an attorney specializing in adoption, who practices in both
New York and New Jersey, usually
works with prospective parents looking
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WHAT PROSPECTIVE
PARENTS
SHOULD KNOW