Adoptees' 'lost language' from infancy triggers brain response

Children don't consciously remember Chinese, but their brains still react to it, fMRI shows

You may not recall any memories from the first year of life, but if you were exposed to a different language at the time, your brain will still respond to it at some level, a new study suggests.
Brain scans show that children adopted from China as babies into families that don't speak Chinese still unconsciously recognize Chinese sounds as language more than a decade later.

"It was amazing to see evidence that such an early experience continued to have a lasting effect," said Lara Pierce, lead author of the study published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, in an email to CBC News.

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12 Traditions and Customs Only Ghanaians Can Understand

As the land of countless tribes and an abundance of languages and customs, Ghana is ripe with the idiosyncrasies that make this West-African country truly unique and special.

The handshake

More than a symbol of greeting, this elaborate meeting of palms, thumbs and forefingers begins as a regular handshake then, before the two people withdraw hands, their palms slide together until their middle fingers are touching and then they turn their hands so that the palms are glimpsed before bringing together thumb and forefinger for the signature click at the end. A handshake to symbolise friendship and ease can be confusing at first, but it is simple, fun and is a great indicator of showing good spirit and familiarity to a fellow human.

‘You are invited’

We take food very seriously in Ghana and these three words are uttered when a person consuming food spots a friend or acquaintance and invites that person to join them. It is a turn of phrase and signifies that you are willing to share your food, but is very rarely taken literally. When it is though, expect the invitee to pull up a stool and fully tuck in!

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Ending international adoptions – WORLD Radio Blog

Fifteen years ago, Americans adopted nearly 23,000 children from other countries. By last year, that number had dropped to just over 4,000. Adoption advocates say it’s not because families lost interest. Government regulations—both at home and abroad—are making it much harder to place children from other countries into American homes.

Bethany Christian Services is the largest evangelical adoption agency in the United States. Last month, it announced it would end its international adoption program. WORLD Radio’s Anna Johansen reports now on what led to that decision.

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Incredible Things to Discover in West Africa’s Largest Market

If you’re looking to buy a gift for your beloved, try Kejetia Market in Kumasi, Ghana. Handmade jewelry or fabric may fit the bill or perhaps spices or livestock would be suitable?

Located in the centre of Kumasi in Ghana’s Ashanti region, Kejetia is by far one of the most colourful mazes for sales and services in the world. With some 50,000 stores and service points, food sales pavilions, second hand markets, and arts/crafts sections, it truly is a sight to behold. Here’s what to look out for when visiting.

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Valley of the Roses: discover Morocco’s floral festival

What’s more romantic than roses?

Dawn is tinting the Atlas Mountains rust-red as the rose-pickers of Hdida set out for work. Dressed in flip-flops and djellabas (full-length hooded garments with long sleeves), they follow a dusty path down to the fields and before too long are lost in foliage.

Fruit trees teeter over the trail, laden with figs, dates and oranges. Barley and alfalfa sprout from the orange earth, watered by channels beside the path. Pomegranates dangle from overhanging branches. But the women aren’t here to pick fruit; they’re here to harvest something more fragrant.

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Reconciliation Bench in Etchmiadzin, Armenia

There is an extraordinary bench in the city of Etchmiadzin in Armenia. It’s called “Hashtutyan nstaran” (հաշտության նստարան) which means “the bench of propitiatory." If you need to reconcile with a loved one, this may be just the place.

How Trauma Affects Kids in School

by Caroline Miller

Ongoing exposure to neglect, abuse, homelessness or violence causes learning and behavior problems in children. Signs of trauma and tips for helping kids who've been traumatized.

We tend to think of trauma as the result of a frightening and upsetting event. But many children experience trauma through ongoing exposure, throughout their early development, to abuse, neglect, homelessness, domestic violence or violence in their communities. And it’s clear that chronic trauma can cause serious problems with learning and behavior.

Trauma is particularly challenging for educators to address because kids often don’t express the distress they’re feeling in a way that’s easily recognizable — and they may mask their pain with behavior that’s aggressive or off-putting. As Nancy Rappaport, a child and adolescent psychiatrist who focuses on mental health issues in schools, puts it, “They are masters at making sure you do not see them bleed.”

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HelpUsAdopt Grant Deadline MARCH 1ST!!

Some exciting news to share!!!! That’s $700,000 to help build families and to pay the adoption professional’s bills.

 “We are so grateful to all of you for being a part of what we do.”
—Becky Fawcett

 Visit HelpUsAdopt.org to apply today.

The Bridge of Love Where the Romance of Padlocks Began

Who knew that the idea of placing padlocks on bridges across the world to show a couple’s never-ending love started in Serbia after World War I?

By Dragana Jovanovic

VRNJACKA BANJA, Serbia Feb. 13, 2013—  In recent years, padlocks attached to bridge railings have become tokens of couples safeguarding their love and the locks have been showing up on bridges from Florence to Montevideo, from Paris to Moscow, from Denmark to China.

Until about a decade ago, however, those locks were confined to a single pedestrian bridge in the Serbian resort town of Vrnjacka Banja.

In the legend surrounding the bridge and the padlock tradition, a schoolmistress named Nada would meet her lover, a army officer named Relja, on the bridge where they pledged their love in the days before World War I. The soldier went on to fight the Germans at the Thessaloniki front in Greece, where he found a new love and married her. Nada is said to have died of sadness and grief.

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Ali and Nino

If you’re in the mood for a bit of tragic love, the monumental moving sculpture of Ali and Nino in the Republic of Georgia is just right.

Westerners are all familiar with the tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet, but how about Ali and Nino, the doomed lovers that inspired the colossal automated statue named after them, which now stands by the seashore of Batumi, Georgia?

The story, first told in the 1937 Austrian novel, Ali and Nino, is a familiar tale of lovers who end up in tragic circumstances that keep them apart. As opposed to warring families, in Ali and Nino’s case, it was the first World War. Ali, an Azerbaijani Muslim, falls in love with Georgian princess, Nino, but sadly, after they are finally able to get together, the war hits home and Ali is killed. The author of the novel is unknown, credited to the alias Kurban Said. But despite the unknown origins, the title has become a literary classic in the area and is considered to be the national novel of Azerbaijan.

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Parenting Children Who Have Experienced Trauma

How can we parent our children who have experienced trauma. How can we discipline them in a way that will help them learn and grow. We talk with Karen Doyle Buckwalter, a clinical social worker specializing in attachment and trauma, and author of Raising the Challenging Child: How to Minimize Meltdowns, Reduce Conflict, and Increase Cooperation.

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February at Adoption Support Alliance in NC/SC area – Check Out Their 2020 Calendar!

ASA News Hello all, I apologize that it has been so long since our last newsletter!  Like you, things get hectic around here with the holidays and New Year and All. The. Things. At the end of 2019, we accepted the “retirement” of our board members, Katie Pendergrast and Lindsey Vickers.  Both have served the organization for three years. Katie was our Board Chair for one year and Lindsey has been serving from Florida since her family relocated there.  Their contributions to ASA has been invaluable to the organization. Thank you, Katie and Lindsey! At the beginning of 2020, we welcomed two new part-time staff members, Molly Mayhoff and Morgan Goodrum.  Molly is currently running our social media and communication efforts and keeping me organized. Morgan is a talented artist and designer and joined our team to help draw your attention to our events and keep everything pleasing to the eye. Welcome, Molly and Morgan! We are so very glad to have you! Our focus in January was to develop a calendar for all that we will accomplish in 2020.  We are so excited by all that we are offering! Our focus this month will be our support groups and support-ucation groups.  Important distinction- support groups are ongoing groups that happen monthly- no beginning, no end, just come when you can and pay when you attend. We’d hope to have a core group develop but no one is committed to anything! Our support-ucation groups (part support group, part education… get it?) are time-limited and topic-focused.  We want participants to commit to each meeting of the group to get the most out of the time together. We have some great new options to offer our community in these areas. Check out all the details on line and let us know you are coming via email or our events page: Support Groups Creating a Family support groups- if you aren’t familiar with Dawn Davenport and Creating a Family, you should be!  We are excited to pilot Creating a Family’s support group curriculum in two new groups. Adopted Teenagers- for teenagers who joined their family through adoption at any age Adult Adoptees- for adults who joined their family through adoption Parents of Adopted Teenagers- for parents whose teenagers joined the family through adoption Growing in Attachment- for parents having a hard time connecting with their adopted child Support-ucation Groups Mindfulness Parenting- facilitated by Amanda Zaidman of Constructive Parenting, 6 week group to help parents find joy in parenting again Caring for Kids Who have Experienced Trauma- for parents who have adopted internationally or from foster care.  This curriculum was developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and offers valuable education and skills for parenting children from difficult places. Talking to Your Kids About Adoption- for any parents who want to get more comfortable with the sometimes uncomfortable topics of adoption. Erin Nasmyth, LCSW ASA Executive Director Calendar COMMUNITY BUILDING Family Fun Brewery Events Sunday, March 1 4 to 6 pm at NoDa Brewery CLASSES Adoption 101 Saturday, February 8 9 am to 12 pm at our office Race, Culture & Adoption Saturday, April 25 2 to 5 pm at our office  SUPPORT GROUPS Group for Parents of Adopted Teenagers First Monday monthly 6:45 to 8:15 pm at our office  Group for Adopted Teenagers First Tuesday monthly 6:00 to 7:15 pm at Amelie's in NoDa Group for Adult Adoptees Third Monday monthly 7 to 8:30 pm at our office Growing Attachment in Adoption First & Third Tuesday monthly 9:30 to 11:00 am at our office Creating a Family (Morning) Fourth Monday monthly 7:30 to 9:00 pm North Charlotte Creating a Family (Evening) Third Friday monthly 10:00 to 11:30 am South Charlotte SUPPORT-UCATION GROUPS Talking to Kids about Adoption 3 session group - Wednesday Feb 19, 26 & Mar 4 10 to 11:30 am at our office STAR/Mindfulness Parenting Group 6 session group - Monday Feb 24, Mar 2, 9,16, 23 & 30 10:00 to 11:00 am at our office Caring for Children who have Experienced Trauma 8 session group - Wednesday Mar 18, 25, Apr 1, 8, 22, 29 & May 6, 13

Foster Village Charlotte, NC + Congregations for Kids: Tuesday Feb. 20, 2020 7:00PM

Untold Stories: Voices of Adoptions - Podscast News Hosted by Myrlene and Erin

Podcast News

Do you have a story to share? Do you someone who would like to tell how they've been touched by adoption? If so, email Erin & Myrlene at podcast@adoptionsupportalliance.org.

New episodes and a new podcast host coming soon - making the episodes easier to access! Follow Myrlene on Instagram @adoptee_to_adoptee and ASA on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date.  

Adoption Support Alliance's Additional Services: Counseling for Adoptive Families

Adoption Support Alliance’s Additional Services

Counseling for Adoptive Families ASA offers individual and/or family counseling. Together, we can improve relationships and enhance family life through Individual and Family Therapy, Play Therapy for Children, Lifebook Work, Parenting Interventions and Support, Activities to Enhance Attachment and assisting in sharing your child's adoption story in an age-appropriate way. Please contact us for more information.

To help further our mission and services, please consider supporting us financially.  Adoption Support Alliance is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization.  All donations made to us are tax deductible.  We so appreciate our donors and are committed to using funds received by the organization in a responsible manner in order to work toward our mission and vision.

 Donate Now

CAFO: 6 Take-Aways from Bethany Christian Services’ Decision to Cease International Adoptions

“We’re not just for international adoption.  And we’re not just for local adoption.  We’re for children knowing the protection, nurture and love of family.  That means we’re for both local adoption and international adoption…and much more besides.  And whatever our unique calling and specialization, we can all work together for these worthy ends”.
Jedd Medefind January 28, 2020

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A Wonderful Family Video of Inclusion: Consider Watching As A Family

If you assumed the non-mobile and non-verbal child in the wheel chair, sitting on the sidelines of the playground did not need a friend, this video will reframe your whole perception.

Of course, all kids need acceptance and a friend, even when a child cannot express their sadness or joy due to a neurological difference, there is no less of a longing. A child’s body may not be cooperating with their brain’s commands to move, show facial expressions or perhaps communicate their needs, but their emotions, intellect and thoughts are fully intact and just like your wonderful children, they too long for friendships and interaction on the playground.

You’ll love this short, family video of how one innovative little girl makes a new best friend and one awesome boy gains a friend for life. May this video inspire all of your kids to be just as innovative and cool as these two kids are!

We would love to talk to you about waiting children: info@hopscotchadoptions.org or viviane@hopscotchadoptions.org