Adoption Related Websites of Interest

This is a list of Web sites that may be a benefit to parents and clinicians. For questions and/or comments on this page, please email me at Teena McGuinness

Adoption Related Sites

Russian Adoption: This page focuses on medical issues related to adoption from Russia. At this site you may obtain information about Russian medical terminology, and links to bulletin boards where your specific questions about adoption from Russia can be posted.
Attachment Disorder Links: Adoptive families often encounter a full spectrum of attachment issues. To learn the difference between attachment disorder and the continuum of attachment difficulties, parents must educate themselves. To learn more about attachment-specific issues from a variety of websites.
FAS - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Links: A list of sites and researchers concerning prenatal fetal alcohol exposure.
Dr. Dana Johnson and the International Adoption Clinic at the University of Minnesota.: The International Adoption Clinic counsels prospective adoptive parents, screens adopted children after arrival, and provides ongoing follow-up and referral. Located at the University of Minnesota Hospital, the clinic can link you with top specialists who can address your concerns in such areas as infectious desease, development, nutrition, ophthalmology, psychology and cardiology. The International Adoption Clinic is not designed to replace your family doctor or pediatrician and the routine care they give. Instead, the clinic staff assists your regular physician by providing special expertise. A caring, professional staff will make sure your adopted child is free from treatable disease, will recommend ways to deal with problems that affect your entire family, and will help your child reach his or her full developmental potential.; For the Clinic's recommendations for viewing videos of children being evaluated for international adoption, in PDF format, Click Here! or Click here to view in your browser.
University of Washington Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit.: The best website on fetal alcohol syndrome and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder is at the University of Washington Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit. Ann Stressguth's 20 year program of research is featured. You can read the introduction to her book Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Guide for Families and Communities. There are other important articles, too.
Eastern European Adoption Coalition: is a website that disseminates a variety of pertinent information to the adopive families of Eastern European and former USSR children. They maintain several lists including aparentruss, a listserve of 1500 adoptive families.
Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption: Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption is a support network for adoptive families with children from the former Soviet Union with chapters throughout the U.S. Our families have found that there is no roadmap to guide new parents of adoptive children from the former Soviet Union, so we've turned to the real experts -- other families. We can help you prepare for your adoption experience and support you after you return home. We offer the following services: Network of support for adoptive parents; Cultural and ethnic events; Newsletter and lecture series; Forum for advocating adoption from the former Soviet Union
Sensory Integration International: SENSORY INTEGRATION INTERNATIONAL is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation concerned with the impact of sensory integrative problems on people's lives. They bring together professionals, individuals, families, and researchers who want to know more about sensory integration. Their goal is to improve quality of life for persons with sensory processing disorders. We advocate early intervention to prevent a sensory inefficiency from becoming a debilitating social or health condition. We aim to enhance wellness in the general public by promoting awareness of sensory processing and its relationship to health. Many internationally adopted children have benefitted from sensory integration therapy.
An Overview of Bowlby's Attachment Theory: This site is part of the home page for the Attachment Research Center in Buenos Aires and gives an overview of Bowlby's attachment theory. Additionally, a review of attachment from an evolutionary point of view is provided with a critique of Bowlby's theory.
Dr. Boris Gindis Home Page: Composed of independent professionals, the BGCenter brings together a unique set of people and resources to match each individual referral, and to provide a full range of requested services. Our center is a rapidly growing agency providing services for Russian-speaking clients. Our team includes a child psychiatrist (bilingual / Russian), a pediatric neurologist (bilingual / Russian), a licensed psychologist (bilingual / Russian), and NY State certified bilingual speech/ language pathologists, educational evaluators, and social workers. Among our customers are school districts, adoption agencies, courts, state agencies (including VESID, ODD, Early Childhood` Intervention) and, of course, individuals and families.
A Nurse's Humanitarian Efforts in the Former Soviet Union.: The New Russia by Barbara Harper. This is an article from the International Journal of Childbirth Education (August,1994-reprinted with permission) describing a nurse-midwife's humanitarian efforts in the former Soviet Union.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - Family Album Snapshots: To read a parental account of parenting a child with alcohol-related birth defects and a letter to the president describing the far-reaching effects of this disorder. Please visit - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - Family Album Snapshots
Fastforward Software Home Page: Visit this site to learn about the cutting edge research which is helping kids with sensory processing deficit/language learning impairment overcome their difficulties through Fastforward, a video game. Click on "Scientific Basis" to learn more about this important work.
The Parent Network: The Parent Network for the Post-Institutionalized Child is a group of parents, clinicians, and researchers who seek to help the thousands of children who are adopted from orphanages around the world. They offer information, conferences, and referrals. Their newsletter (published quarterly) costs $20 per year (six issues). Their FAX number is (770) 979-3140. Click Here to view the Overview of the Post-Institutionalized Child(Click Here to send an email to The Parent Network)
The importance of using positive adoption language: The use of positive adoption language (PAL) helps to eliminate the emotional overcharging which for many years has served to perpetuate a societally-held myth that adoption is a second-best and lesser-than alternative for all involved--that in being part of an adoption one has somehow missed out on a "real" family experience. The use of this vocabulary acknowledges those involved in adoption as thoughtful and responsible people, reassigns them authority and responsibility for their actions, and, by eliminating the emotionally-charged words which sometimes lead to a subconscious feeling of competition or conflict, helps to promote understanding among members of the adoption circle. The author of this article, Pat Johnston, is an adoption educator and adoptive mom with many years experience. She is also founder of Perspectives Press, the infertility/adoption publisher.
The Yabloka Children's Fund Home Page: The Yabloka Children's Fund is a non-profit organization with offices in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Their mission is to provide medicine, medical supplies and other desperately needed developmental supplies to children's hospitals and orphanages throughout Russia. They have chosen the name Yabloka, which means apple in Russian, for their humanitarian efforts because it is a universally recognized symbol of good health and nutrition. This is truly a worthy cause. You may contact the via email at: The Yabloka Children's Fund
Theraplay®: What is Theraplay? Theraplay® is a short-term, therapist-directed play therapy for children and their parents. It is designed to enhance attachment, raise self-esteem, improve trust in others and create joyful engagement. Theraplay is based on the natural patterns of healthy interaction between parent and child, and is personal, physical and fun. Theraplay interactions focus on five essential qualities found in parent-child relationships: Structure, Challenge, Intrusion, Nurture and Playfulness. Theraplay sessions create an active and empathic connection between the child and the parents, resulting in a changed view of the self as worthy and lovable and of relationships as positive and rewarding. Parents are actively involved in the treatment and empowered to continue on their own the health promoting interactions of the treatment sessions.
International Medical Clinic Home Page: The International Medical Clinic in Moscow is a western style medical clinic located in the center of Moscow. The medical staff includes two Canadian and one American family physician as well as several Russian physicians. They are familiar with reading medical evaluations from Russian institutions and putting them in context. Their web address is: http://www.imc.ru
SABB Development Center Home Page: The SABB development center in Bethesda, MD emphasizes the neuro-physiological abilities necessary to achieve academic, job-related, sports-related and personal success. An optometrist and occupational therapist provide services in optometric vision Therapy, occupational therapy, or both if clinically indicated. All patients who receive services are carefully screened for possible referral to other professionals. This center has evaluated numerous internationally adopted children. An email address is provided at the website for specific questions about behavioral optometry and sensory integration

For a description on what vision therapy is and how it relates to sensory integration. Please visit What is BEHAVIORAL OPTOMETRY & OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY?

International Adoption Medical Consultation Services Winthrop-University Hospital Home Page: Dr. Jane Ellen Aronson provides an excellent overview of some of the specfic medical issues in international adopted children as well as information on contacting the international adoption clinic at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, NY. Her email address is: JAronmink@aol.com

Adoption Quarterly:: is a journal that seeks to facilitate dialogue between researcher and practitioners in the adoption field, resulting in better service to children and families, and more rational social policy and professional practice. Their website is: www.adoption-studies.org

ZERO to THREE:: This organization is devoted to promoting education regarding the importance of the first three years in a child's life. Their mission is simple: to help children best navigate their first three years of life in order to develop a solid intellectual, emotional and social foundation. It is geared to both parents and professionals. Their web address is: http://www.zerotothree.org/
Rebecca Nelson, M.A.

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