This morning, we attended a seminar hosted by the Vanderbilt International Adoption Clinic. The speakers consisted of a pediatrician, therapist, and psychologist - all of whom were very informative. They will work in conjunction with our pediatrician, Dr. Eastham, to diagnose and effectively treat our new child for any ailments. Our child will have a cursory exam in Ukraine when applying for a Visa, however more in-depth testing is recommended. In order for a child to be eligible for international adoption, a medical condition must be diagnosed, therefore many children receive very creative diagnoses but are actually relatively healthy by our standards. We want our child to receive the best possible diagnosis and treatment options available, therefore we do anticipate utilizying the clinic's services.
One interesting tidbit of information that we received is that our new child will more than likely not respond to falls or injuries like Ashton does. For example, if the child falls, he or she may jump-up and state that he is okay when in reality what he really needs is TLC. Children raised in orphanages have learned to self-soothe and rely mostly on themselves because caregivers do not have time to give them the TLC that they crave. When Ashton takes a minor fall, we tell him that he's okay and he's a big boy - he doesn't think anything about it. Our new child will need to be paid attention to because he or she has never had that type of attention. This will be one way in which we hope to bond with our child. Think about it, this child is leaving the only life that he or she knows and is entering a whole new world of strangers - he or she doesn't know who to trust, much less love.
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