Last week we discussed what causes clubfoot. Depending upon what caused the clubfoot and the severity of the clubfoot, there are different levels and types of treatment. For example, if a child has clubfoot because of the child’s position in the womb, then the foot may be adjusted through physical therapy. Nearly all children with clubfoot are treated with serial castings and braces. Those who have other complications, such as spina bifida, may need surgery. Yet, one study showed even children with other medical issues may be able to be also treated through castings and braces, [reference 1] although some studies show that they probably need more intensive treatment. [2]
Treatment usually begins at 1 week old to 2-and-a-half years old.[2] Most children are treated with the Ponseti method, which involves serial castings. These are casts that are put on every week to few weeks; each time the castings go on, they slowly change the position of the foot. [1] For example, a child may have 6 castings done between one and 3 months old. Of course, if your child is in China, he may not be receiving such treatment.
Once the series of castings are done , the child will usually wear a foot adjunction brace to keep the foot in proper position — much as people wear retainers after having braces on their teeth. Like a retainer, these shoe braces are initially worn nearly all the time and then just at night. Continue reading
Many of the more than 2,000 children who are on the China special needs list have clubfoot. In general, it is condition that can be readily treated and treatment may begin while the child is still in China.
physical evaluation to rule-out certain physiological and neurological problems. There are self-reporting tests, based on your child’s behavior, which you can take to determine if your child meets one or more criteria of an SPD. EEGs and other brain imaging tests holds promise for making a diagnosis—especially of an auditory processing disorder.
Many children adopted internationally have what are known as Sensory Processing Disorders (SPDs). These children have problems processing and appropriately responding to stimuli, such as touch and noise. The SPDs can affect children’s behavior and emotions and may impact their ability to learn and socially function. SPDs are found in 5-10% of non-disabled children and in 40 to 88 % of children with disabilities. It is also more prevalent in children with ADHD.
Overall, children from China do very well. In one study in looking at children adopted into Canada from China, in which the children on average were 13 months old when they arrived home, they were doing as well as other children in Canada at three years old. (Incidentally, these children arrived home about 10/11 years ago, when orphan conditions were not as good as they are today.) The children’s receptive language skills—even at a very young age—were just as good as other children. The good news is that children’s receptive language skills—which is the ability to understand what others are saying and respond—are related to positive cognitive and social development. Also, by the time the children were about three years old, they had caught up with their peers in their ability to talk, called expressive language skills[. 
If you listen to the webinar “Food for Thought” on Adoption Learning Partners, featuring Dr. Dana Johnson, you will see that parents are very concerned how the nutritional status of their children may affect their cognitive abilities [1]*. What the parents are really asking is, “Will my child be smart, even if my child had a less than optimum diet while living in the orphanage?” The answer is usually “Yes,” but there are a few things you should know.
Many children who are adopted internationally have sensory processing issues, which can affect their eating habits. The problem can arise from an overall lack of stimulation in the orphanage or it may be due specifically to what and how the child was fed.
On November 30, 2010, President Obama signed the International Adoption Simplification Act. This Act provides the same waiver for required vaccination documentation for Hague Convention adoptions as is available for non-Hague adoptions. Effective immediately, I-800 families can follow the same procedure as used by I-600 families to apply for a vaccination waiver by completing a DS-1981 (Affidavit Concerning Exemption from Immigrant Vaccination Requirements) which must be signed and notarized. The DS-1981 can be downloaded from: 
Ben, who is 28 years old and works in a large church ministry in SC, was adopted shortly after birth and learned of his adoption story from his parents when he was four years old. He has dealt with feelings of grief and loss. In addition he has had a desire to know more about his birth family.