Even though many adopted children are able to adapt to their educational and social environments without any issues, the reality is that some adopted children have special needs. The spectrum of special needs is broad and can encompass physical, cognitive, emotional and development issues, as well as cultural, racial and adoptive identity.
Even before a child joins an adoptive family, the future parents play the role of advocate. To ensure the best possible transition for their future child, prospective parents should put supports in place from the very beginning and educate friends and family about the needs of the child. Recognizing that advocacy is a process, adoptive parents of children needing support must communicate effectively, help establish child-centred plans and find support for themselves.
Communicating an Adopted Child’s Needs to School
For most adoptive families, school is one of the first places they need to be an advocate for their child, especially during the transition to a new educational setting. The key to supporting their child in a classroom environment is to be proactive and build a relationship with the child’s teacher early in the school year before any issues arise. Other strategies for working with school personnel include:
- Sharing details of the child’s needs as required, but being careful around divulging private details of the child’s history that are not relevant
- Learning to be assertive without anger when communicating what supports need to be in place for the adoptee
- Documenting meetings, phone conversations, assessments, outcomes and strategies put in place for the child
- Attend meetings with solutions for helping the child succeed in an academic environment rather than just offering complaints
It is also just as important to talk to teachers and principals when a student is doing well and offer positive feedback when the child finds success as a result of the efforts of the school.
Promoting Child-Centred Advocacy in Adoption
Whether it is a school setting, community service, therapy or health program, it is crucial that adoptive parents always have their child’s best interests at heart. This includes planning for the future as well as working with the child’s immediate needs. To do this effectively, adoptive parents need to view themselves as part of the same team as teachers, doctors, therapists and other professionals.
Oftentimes, this requires the adoptive parents to be in the role of educator, as they may be more informed of strategies and interventions that could work for their child. This role could also be ongoing as the adoptee gets older and needs different supports in place and puts the onus on the parents to be pseudo-experts on their adoptee’s challenges.
Adoptive Parents Supporting Each Other
In being an advocate, there is the risk of burning-out for adoptive parents. When it seems like an endless battle it is sometimes difficult to keep a focus on the child’s needs and not engage in a political struggle with a school or agency. To help keep perspective, adoptive parents need to look for support from other advocates or adoptive parents. There are also many American and Canadian organizations that help parents advocate for their kids. Adoptive Learning Partners also offers and on-line course for adoptive parents on how to be an effective advocate.
Being an advocate for an adopted child is a challenging, and when done effectively, rewarding experience. Through communication and persistence, child-centred advocacy can make a world a difference to a child in many areas of life.
Source:
Fostering Perspectives Website. “Advocating in School for the Children in Your Care” (accessed August 2, 2011).
Angela Krueger - As an adoptive parent and PRIDE adoption trainer, Angela uses her insights to help others on their adoption journey.
