Traumatized+children+and+adoption+-+notes+from+Dr.+Ronald+S.+Federici

Dr. Ron Federici, Neuropsychologist ( [] ) Interview http://www.beyondconsequences.com/asktheexpert/drfederici/drfederici.html and Web site []  Physical/emotional neglect or abuse; cold, uncaring atmosphere, nutritional issues · Neuropsychological evaluation often is last resort: Intellectual, attention, memory, learning, thought process organization, language, perception (facial recognition, body language), personality profile - holes and gaps in ·  Deprived environments slow down brain growth and development/brain becomes weaker (prenatal, postnatal, prematurity, alcohol, toxic exposure, malnutrition, visual problems, head injury, ear infection) - brain struggling to improve · Trauma: anxiety, depression (survivors - not good in talk therapy - talking, relationships not done) · Interaction very important · Institutional autism (regress to infant phase of child development: all by self - is a coping mechanism to survive) · De-institutionalize a child (post adoption) · Level of severity much higher in foreign countries (or not dealt with) - in this country more resources · For every 4 months overseas institution - 1 month loss of brain development · Experts needed and a lot of family attention · Children demand a lot of attention · Don’t look at chronological age - but look at developmental age · Pediatrics - Adoption trauma medicine · Brain developed in a healthy matter (understand what people are, many families over-stimulate a child, need to be trained - love, hope, don’t hit) - slow systematic fashion—take time, accept where child is at and work where they are (not levels and beliefs) · Parent gets into crises - expectations of child unreasonable and not understanding where child is at (each child is different) <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;">· Natural parent-child cycle is to provide an abundance of nurturing, stimulation, developmental activities and active involvement by all immediate and extended caretakers (attachment is a developmental process) Notes on 7/22/2009
 * <span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;"> First work on foundation: safety, security, bonding, attachment
 * Structure, gradual introduction, stimulation and lots of repetition, role modeling (all skills - require constant training via repetition, role playing/rehearsal on most everything they do food, dealing with both human and animal relationships including how to touch, love, personal space, boundaries, eye contact, tone of voice, self-control, delay gratification, etc.)
 * <span style="font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;"> Kids from deprived/abusive settings(study of adopted kids—especially foreign orphanages)
 * Behavior - children don’t know how to act in a loving/caring atmosphere—only known another kind of atmosphere (rules aren’t the same)
 * Often Social, emotional, and cognitive (especially speech, language) delays