Longitudinal comparisons of families who have adopted children with mental retardation

Families with adopted mentally retarded children were contacted 3 years after original study to assess longer term adjustment. Data from 80% of the original sample indicated continued good family adjustment on a number of measures, including the Holroyd Questionnaire on Resources and Stress. Only 2 of 44 children were no longer living with their adoptive/foster parents for reasons related to adjustment difficulties. In contrast, 12 of the families had adopted or were fostering additional children, 11 of whom had handicapping conditions. These data indicate a positive prognosis for adoption as a desirable option for the rearing of children with mental retardation.