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Suggest Treatment For Speech Disorder, Learning Disability And Aggressive Behavior In A Child

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Posted on Thu, 23 Mar 2017
Question: We are "adoptive grandparents" - actively involved with our daughter's adoption of a 9 year old child who was abused and raised by a very dysfunctional family. She has some speech and learning disorders and anger issues but we are a loving Christian family who are following the best advice available, including things like the book, "Have a New Kid by Friday" by Dr. XXXXXXX Leman. Question: With similar circumstances, do you have any statistics of success rates with such troubled children? I am very adept at Internet search (I am a retired peace officer and computer technical coordinator and programmer), but all of my efforts so far show statistics on abuse, not on recovery. This little girl has been fostered and returned 3 times. We want to make it work for her.
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Answered by Dr. Diptanshu Das (4 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Reassurance is the key

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on Health care magic.

I have gone carefully through your query. It is good to hear that you are eager to adopt a child, especially one who has been abused. I am not aware of any statistics about success rates of such children. Such statistics are hard to generate and do not serve to benefit anybody and so nobody invests in such studies. But it is not the statistics that matters, it is the factors and determinants that play a decisive role.

Imagine that you have been abused. Your mind would automatically switch you on alert that anyone and everyone might be trying to abuse you. In such a case you grow maladaptive and become a problem child declaring jihad against even the genuine attempts to comfort you as you can not distinguish which of them is actually a masked one. The key determinant of success in such cases is reassurance. How you can do it would entirely vary with each individual. Your need to try and understand her and her fears. You would need to reach out to her and to reassure her, alleviating her of her fears. Only then can you succeed.

Feel free to write back.

Regards
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Diptanshu Das

Pediatrician

Practicing since :2005

Answered : 3875 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Speech Disorder, Learning Disability And Aggressive Behavior In A Child

Brief Answer: Reassurance is the key Detailed Answer: Thanks for asking on Health care magic. I have gone carefully through your query. It is good to hear that you are eager to adopt a child, especially one who has been abused. I am not aware of any statistics about success rates of such children. Such statistics are hard to generate and do not serve to benefit anybody and so nobody invests in such studies. But it is not the statistics that matters, it is the factors and determinants that play a decisive role. Imagine that you have been abused. Your mind would automatically switch you on alert that anyone and everyone might be trying to abuse you. In such a case you grow maladaptive and become a problem child declaring jihad against even the genuine attempts to comfort you as you can not distinguish which of them is actually a masked one. The key determinant of success in such cases is reassurance. How you can do it would entirely vary with each individual. Your need to try and understand her and her fears. You would need to reach out to her and to reassure her, alleviating her of her fears. Only then can you succeed. Feel free to write back. Regards