Definition:
When a special needs child is adopted, that adoption is called a special needs adoption. There are many children with special needs awaiting adoptive homes. Many foster care adoptions are considered special needs. The needs vary and how a child becomes classified as having a special need is different from state to state.
Common special needs conditions and diagnoses include:- age, often older children
- race
- serious medical conditions
- emotional and behavioral disorders
- history of abuse or neglect
- medical or genetic risk due to familial mental illness or parental substance abuse
