In September Barker staff, along with employees from other local adoption and foster care agencies had the privilege of attending a pre-screening of the movie Instant Family. To say that this movie is well done is an understatement. We laughed, we cried and we saw the work that we do come to life on the big screen with this accurate, yet funny depiction of some of the joys and challenges that can come with older child adoption.
How Childhood Trauma Could Be Mistaken for ADHD
Anyone who works in child welfare or has fostered/adopted from the child welfare system knows that an overwhelming percentage of children in foster care are diagnosed with ADHD. In fact, children in foster care are three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. While it has become a common diagnosis, researchers and clinicians have recently begun to study the relationship between ADHD symptoms and trauma. Lack of resources and time allows children in foster care to slip through the cracks and creates a tradition of overmedicating without getting to the root of the cause. Below is an article originally published in 'The Atlantic' explaining the relationship between trauma and ADHD symptoms, and what clinicians can do to prevent misdiagnosis.
Parenting Teens and Tweens - What They Really Need
So what does parenting a tween or teen actually entail? What do behaviors of these kids actually look like?
Comfort Cases Founders Share Their Adoption Story
Watch this amazing clip of Comfort Cases founders Rob and Reece tell their story of adoption from foster care.