My child has special needs, but where did they come from? Are they hereditary? Could it be that one or both parents were afflicted with special needs?
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Perhaps there was parental substance abuse during the pregnancy that caused my child’s special needs. Certainly, I’ve seen other children with similar problems, which were known to be caused by exposure to drugs and alcohol while in utero.

Could my child’s special needs be caused by the lack of a stimulating environment during those first three critical years of life? Perhaps it was the lack of nurturing, lack of unconditional love, and lack of consistency during infancy, which caused my child’s problems.

Yes, perhaps it was one of these, or perhaps it was a combination of all of these, which caused my child’s special needs. I can spend hours, days, or years, hypothesizing about the real cause of my child’s special needs, or I can follow the advice of a wise man.

My favorite pediatrician, who had the nerve to retire and move to the hills of Tennessee to make pottery, once told me it no longer mattered what the cause was. Why would it not matter? There is no quick cure for learning disabilities regardless of the cause.

Once the children are in school with their learning disabilities, medical special needs, or physical limitations, the answer is the same. The parents will need to advocate for their child’s special education. You will need to seek specific services in response to your child’s limitations.

There is no magic pill, just thousands of hours of hard work and travel to and from different therapies. Traveling to speech therapy, physical therapy (PT), vision therapy, occupational therapy (OT), or countless others you seek in desperation to help your child overcome challenges and limitations.

Check out related topics.

Read more on childhood disorders
Read more about foster care adoptions.
Read more on older child adoption
Adopting Special Needs Children