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Family functioning of adoptive children with special needs: implications of familial supports and child characteristics
- Authors:
- LEUNG Patrick, ERICH Stephen
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 24(11), November 2002, pp.799-816.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Adopted children with special needs status are much less likely to remain permanently placed with an adoptive family than children from conventional adoptions. Many intact families with special needs children are more likely to return to substitute care options such as foster care. The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of the adoptive child's behaviour, characteristics of the adopted child and parents, type of adoption, and familial support upon family functioning. Lower levels of family functioning are associated with higher levels of support from the relatives, school and professional helpers (teachers, social workers and therapists). Furthermore, the data also show that sibling adoption, older the age of the adopted child, and a higher number of legal contacts are associated with lower family functioning.