Special Needs and Adoption-Related Terms: Adoption terms and special needs words may vary from agency to agency.The terms used in this Special Needs Adoption-Related Glossary may be slightly different from one State to another.
A | B | C | D | E-F | G-H-I | J-K-L | M | N-O | P | Q-R | S | T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z
- CASA or Court Appointed Special Advocates: Trained Community members who volunteers to follow a child’s case through the foster care system and advocate for the child’s needs, serving as one constant person for the child’s case plan.
- Central auditory processing disorder: A condition in which a person may have normal hearing but, difficulty comprehending and integrating information that is heard. This disorder occurs when the ear and the brain do not coordinate fully. The causes of this disorder are varied and can include head trauma, lead poisoning, possibly chronic ear infections and other unknown reasons.
- Cerebral palsy: A non-hereditary condition which results from brain damage before, during, or after birth. Children with cerebral palsy lack muscle control in one or more parts of their bodies or may experience speech and language difficulties, depending on the area of the brain damaged. Children with cerebral palsy can possess very normal mental functions.
- Certification: The approval process, outlined by each State, to ensure, insofar as possible, adoptive or foster parents are suitable, dependable, and responsible.
- Child Abuse and Neglect, according to the Federal legislation, is at a minimum: Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation. An act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm. Child abuse and neglect typically includes physical as well as emotional abuse (which causes psychological or mental injury), in addition to various types of neglect.
- Claiming: Claiming is not the same as bonding, they may be part of the same process and flow one from another. Claiming a child is not an emotional issue it is a decision that does not happen gradually. Claiming a child is an unconditional commitment parents make from the beginning.
- Closed adoption: An adoption that involves total confidentiality and sealed records.
- Cocaine-Exposed: Prenatal exposure to cocaine often resulting in premature birth and low birth weights. At risk for developmental delays.
- Concurrent planning: A process used in foster care case management by which child welfare staff work toward family reunification and, at the same time, develop an alternative permanency plan for the child. The alternate plan may include, permanent placement with a relative, or adoption. When family reunification fails, concurrent planning reduces the time a child spends in foster care before a child is placed with a permanent family.
- Conduct disorder: A condition characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior which violates the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms or rules. A child or teen with conduct disorder may: bully or threaten others, initiate fights, by physically aggressive, cruel to animals among other behaviors. Conduct disorder may lead to the development of Antisocial Personality Disorder during adulthood.
- Cognitive Delays: Delays in the usual development of a person’s ability to process information or think logically or analytically.
- Confidentiality: The legally required process of keeping identifying or other significant information secret; the principle of ethical practice which requires social workers and other professional not to disclose information about a client without the client’s consent.
- Consent to adopt or consent to adoption: Legal permission for the adoption to proceed.
- Co-parenting: A long-term (formal or informal) agreement to support the needs of children with developmental disabilities by which extra caregivers support parents by providing ongoing respite parenting when needed.
For more information about parenting special needs children you might want to visit the Families.com Special Needs Blog and the Mental Health Blog. Or visit my personal website.
Photo credit for this blog entry: 
(no use restrictions for this photo)