BG I work with speacial needs children every day. Childrens services are very liberal and trying to put them in any home that will take them. I would like to give a word of advice. There are two types of speacial needs children, ones with natural disorders, such as downs syndrome, sickle cell, congenial heart defects etc, these are remotely normal children given their circumstances, and then there are the substance abuse victims. The children suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome, and "crack babies" are the majority of speacial needs children that are up for adoption. These children while appearing normal on the surface ARE NOT!
Some suffer from respatory problems that are sometimes downplayed, or even unlisted to place a child with a family. And so far all of them I have met suffer from some type of nurological disorder. Which usually manifest as the inableity to feel pain, emotional instability, agression, and irritability. You end up with toddlers that are mad at the world, with invulnerability to pain, and constantly attacking other children. When two get into a fight it is very bloody. Two of our kids was gone for the weekend and they came back in stitches. They got into a fight and had to be taken to emergency. One was almost blinded because his sister tried to gouge out his eyes. These kids are only 2.
I sincerely doubt anyone would want to raise a child like this unless you are willing to become a trained professional and a parent. Many of their adopted parents are adopting them simply for free sevices and extra money. I am not trying to scare you but it is very difficult to control a child suffering from substace abuse. It can be done. I do it every day but most people that adopt are not expecting their new baby to sucker punch them. Sadly it is not the kids fault. Their nurological growth was distorted by what ever their biological parents ingested. Some are still going through withdrawls, or on medication to cope with it. They are wonderful bright, children with they are not trying to maim each other.
