NJ ARCH - Articles for Professionals

Below is a list of articles recommended by NJ ARCH for adoption professionals. 
Included is a brief description of the article’s content and potential uses.  These articles
will have an icon in the Title Box that indicates the article is available through the NJ ARCH
Library, free of charge.  Simply click on the icon to go to the online article request form.
Please note that some of the articles are from websites; if you would like to access these
articles, please click on the web address to be taken directly to the article page.


 

Please click on a category below to go directly to that listing:

 

General Adoption

Mental Health

Sexual Issues

Child Welfare

Child Behavior

Child Development

Adoption Support

International / Interracial / Intercultural

Search and Reunion


Birth Families

Foster Care

 

 

 

"General Adoption"
 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

The Adopted Child

www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/adopted.htm

 

April 1999

Notes

Brief description of statistical trends of adoption in America.  Includes types of children in need of adoption and the issues they face.  Good overview, concise, without in-depth information.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

 

Grief and Loss

 

 

Notes

Excerpt from book.  Talks about the common causes of grief and loss, how people deal with these emotions and suggests innovative methods for combating grief and loss.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Keefer, Betsey and Jayne E. Schooler

Just the Facts Ma’am: Why Do Children Need Them?

Book Title: Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child

 

Notes

This chapter includes the topics: unrealistic fantasies of adoptive parents and children, identity confusion, “magical thinking,” divided loyalties, fears, disconnectedness, and trust issues.  Also includes a short case study.  All topics focus on the importance of honesty towards adopted or foster children.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Post Adoption Counseling Services, Children’s Aid and Family Services, Inc.

The Impact of Loss

 

Book Title: Insight Into Adoption… By Barbara Taylor Blomquist

 

Notes

Emphasizes the sense of loss experienced by adopted children.  Offers several key parenting skills that parents can use to specifically help children cope with loss.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Keefer, Betsy and Jayne E. Schooler

The Ten Commandments of Telling: Principles to Consider

Book Title: Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child…

 

Notes

Excerpt from the book listed above, has ten simple, one-sentence guidelines aimed at helping parents with the issue of telling their adopted child about their situation.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Fahlberg, Vera Ph.D.

Post-Adoption Services: Perspectives Press Fact Sheets

Book Title: A Child’s Journey Through Placement

 

Notes

A paper developed from the book listed above that can be used for training or general information.  Includes the following topics: child risk factors, parent risk factors, the role of the family, the role of the social worker, the role of the mental health professional, and the needs and forms of post adoptive services.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Wright, Pamela Darr, M.A., M.S.W., L.C.S.W., and Peter W. D. Wright, Esq.

Your Child’s IEP: Practical and Legal Guidance for Parents

www.wrightslaw.com/advoc/articles/iep.guidance.pf.html

 

Notes

An easy to read and comprehensive article about all aspects of the IEP process including testing, legal rights, child’s progress, case law, and other helpful hints.  An excellent resource.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Chalker, Maxine, M.S.W., L.S.W.

Post Adoption Depression Syndrome: Defining It, Helping Clients Cope

   

Notes

A brief, simple and honest article highlighting the common issues faced by families after the emotional adoption process.  Offers some insight about post-adoption concerns, including what to expect and how to cope.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Jeff Katz Listening to Parents: Overcoming the Barriers to Adopting Children from Foster Care
(view article here: click icon below)
Evan B. Donaldson, Adoption Institute Special Study
Notes
The vast majority of potential parents who are recruited – well over 90 percent – do not ultimately wind up adopting a child not because they don’t want to, but apparently because they decide not to deal with a system they perceive as too frustrating, bureaucratic and just plain unfriendly. This comprehensive study lays out detailed recommendations for changing the system and improving children’s prospects of finding permanent, loving families.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Minnesota Adoption Support and Preservation Adoption Friendly Curriculum
(view article here: click icon below)
Fact Sheet  
Notes
This brief Fact Sheet provides ways school curriculums can be more sensitive to the issues and feelings facing adopted children in schools.  Simple and easy to use checklist included.


 

 

"Mental Health" 

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Carlson, Eve and

Lita Furby, Judith Armstrong, and Jennifer Shales

A Conceptual Framework for the Long-Term Psychological Effects of Traumatic Childhood Abuse

Child Maltreatment

Vol.2 No. 3 August 1997

Notes

Describes major sources of traumatic stress and suggests typical responses to that stress.  Attempts to make predictions between types of abuse and expected long-term symptoms.  Also includes biological factors, developmental factors, and abuse severity.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Suggestions for Nurturing Your Child’s Mental Health

http://www.mentalhealth.org/

 

Notes

Simple, easily understood 12-point list of suggestions for parents in order to help any child maintain good mental health.  Includes issues of responsibility, safety, emotional expression, setting examples, and discipline.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Attachment Center at Evergreen, Inc.

Symptoms of Attachment Difficulties

 

 

Book Title: Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew by Sherrie Eldridge

 

Notes

Includes 6 symptoms for children from birth to one-year-old.  Thirteen symptoms for children aged 1 to 5.  Eighteen symptoms for children aged 5 to 14.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

U.S. Office of Special Education Programs

Identifying and Treating Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder

http://www.ed.gov/teachers/needs/speced/adhd/adhd-resource-pt1.doc

 

 

Notes

A comprehensive article (16 pages) complete with data and analysis that examines the following: causes of ADHD, identification of ADHD, legal requirements of educational services for students with ADHD, treatment options, and effects of ADHD on school performance.

 

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Mercer, Jane PhD. Attachment Therapy: A Treatment Without Empirical Support
Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice Winter 2002 - Vol. 1 No. 2
Notes
Attachment therapy (AT) is a mental health intervention for children that involves physical restraint and discomfort. Practitioners base its use on the assumption that rage resulting from early frustration and mistreatment must be provoked and released in order for the child to form an emotional attachment and become affectionate and obedient. Death and injury have resulted from AT, which has nevertheless been supported by some state agencies. AT practitioners have claimed that research evidence supports the effectiveness of their techniques. In the present paper, the research evidence is examined with respect to research design and statistical analysis, and it is concluded that AT remains without empirical validation.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Juffer, Femmie and Marinus H. van IJzendoorn Behavior Problems and Mental Health Referrals of International Adoptees
JAMA May 25, 2005 Vol. 293 #20
Notes
This article compares literature and research regarding the mental health adjustment of adopted children.  It compares the nature of adjustment between children adopted domestically and internationally.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

  Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
   
Notes
Short article about a research study of foster children with PTSD.  Includes additional resources.


 


 

"Sexual Issues"

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Family Services of Peel

A Menu of Choices for Women Who Were Sexually Abused as Children

 

 

Notes

Provides a step-by-step guideline for conducting support in individual or group setting around sexual child abuse issues.  Acts as a how-to outline for topics to be covered and exercises.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Gil, Eliana PhD.

Age-Appropriate Sex Play Versus Problematic Sexual Behaviors

 

 

Notes

Helps professionals and parents recognize and appropriately respond to sexual behavior in children.  Mostly easily understood, some jargon.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Heiman, Marsha Ph.D

Reducing Liability Risks in the Treatment of Potential Survivors and Victims of Sexual Abuse

 

 

Notes

Reflective work of a private practicing professional.  Intention of article is to “open a dialogue” in the community to work on a more practical unified approach in dealing with issues of sexual abuse.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Cavanaugh Johnson, Toni

Clinical Evaluation

 

 

Notes

Offers a sample interviewing process for clinicians working with children with sexual behavior problems.  Gives sample questions and explanations of the appropriateness of each question.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Summit, Roland, M.D.

The Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome

Child Abuse and Neglect

Vol.7 1983 p.177-193

Notes

Suggests that “societal definitions of ‘normal’ victim behavior [in child abuse cases] are inappropriate and procrustean.”  Offers a deeper analysis of pain suffered by children who are victims of child abuse and maltreatment.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Berliner, Lucy and Benjamin E. Saunders

Treating Fear and Anxiety in Sexually Abused Children: Results of a Controlled 2-Year Follow-Up Study

Child Maltreatment

Vol.1 No.4 Nov. 1996

Notes

Highly technical case study, including research statistics.  Specific goal of the study was “to determine whether the addition of specific interventions designed to reduce fear and anxiety to a standard group treatment program…would result in greater reduction in these symptoms.”

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Becker, Marla G. and Richard P. Barth

Power Through Choices: The Development of a Sexuality Education Curriculum for Youths in Out-of-Home-Care

Child Welfare

Vol.LXXIX

No.3

May/Jun.2000

Notes

A fairly detailed profile and analysis of a successful pregnancy/STD/HIV prevention curriculum.  Includes an overview of recent trends, the curriculum, and the policy issues and implications of the work. 

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Berliner, Lucy and Diana M. Elliot

Sexual Abuse of Children

Book Title: Aspects of Child Maltreatment

 

Notes

One chapter excerpt from the book listed above.  A detailed analysis and discussion of the following topics: incidents and characteristics of abuse, effects of sexual abuse, mediating factors, and treatment issues.

 

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Faller, Kathleen Coulborn

Interviewing Children Who May Have Been Abused: A Historical Perspective and Overview of Controversies

Child Maltreatment

Vol.1

No.2

May 1996

Notes

Reads like a literature review and includes a detailed discussion of the “ability of an interviewer to conduct a competent interview, the competence of a child to describe actual events, interview structure and process, decision making about the likelihood of sexual abuse.

 

 

 

"Child Welfare"

Author

Title

Journal

Issue

Keck, Greogory C. and

Regina Kupecky

Adopting the Hurt Child: Hope for Families with Special Needs