The Instrument for Systematic Assessment of Parent Attachment Behaviors (ISAPAB) can be used to help families in need of information and support concerning parent-infant interaction. The ISAPAB is based on the assumptions that parent attachment behavior can be placed on a continuum from most optimal to least optimal, and that critical behaviors…

Notes that open adoption is less typical in adoptions of special-needs children; presents a model for openness in special-needs adoptions. Notes that the primary benefit of openness for an adopted child is loss minimization and maintenance of familial connections even in cases of abuse or neglect, as children continue to form significant…

Notes that successful child placement depends on engaging birth or previously adopted children during the adoption process, yet other children are often overlooked when parents are adopting a special-needs child. Presents a model which recognizes dynamics of strength and vulnerability and applies that model to preparing and supporting the adoptive…