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
- De facto: is a term meaning “in actual fact”, “in deed” or “actually”, regardless of legal or normative standards. In a legal context, the phrase refers to an action or a state of affairs which must be accepted for all practical purposes, but which has no legal basis. A “de facto family” is a “psychological family” in which members have ties to each other even though they are relatives by birth or marriage and do not have a legal document recognizing their relationship.
- Decree of adoption: A legal order that finalizes an adoption.
- Dependent child: A child who is in the custody of the county or State child welfare system.
- Developmental Delays: Are delays in a child’s developmental progress measured against other children’s mastering of skills at the same age. Areas where there may be delays include, motor skills, walking, toilet training, talking, etc.
- Developmental disability: A severe, chronic impairment, with onset before age 22 and which is likely to continue indefinitely. Creating substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life activity: self care, language, learning, mobility, self-direction, potential for independent living and potential for economic self-sufficiency as an adult. The condition can be attributed to one or more mental or physical impairments which require specific and lifelong or extended care that is individually planned and coordinated.
- Disclosure: The release or transmittal of previously hidden or unknown information.
- Disruption: An adoption placement that ends before it is legally finalized, resulting in the child’s legal custody reverting back to the agency or court that made the original placement and the child returning to foster care and/or to another adoptive placement.
- Dissolution: An adoption that fails after finalization, resulting in the child’s legal custody reverting back to the agency or court that made the original placement and the child returning to foster care and/or to another adoptive placement.
- Dissociative disorder: Is a condition, often caused by trauma, in which a person disconnects from a full awareness of self, time, or external circumstances as a defense against unpleasant realities or memories.
- Down syndrome: A genetic disorder, caused by the presence of an extra chromosome, which results in physical and mental abnormalities. Physical characteristics include a flattened face, widely spaced and slanted eyes, smaller head size and lax joints. Mental retardation is also typical, though there are wide variations in mental ability, behavior, and developmental progress. Possible related health problems include poor resistance to infection, hearing loss, gastrointestinal problems, and heart defects.
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)