In today’s post, we continue reviewing helpful advice from the book, Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past, by Betsy Keefer and Jayne Schooler.

Say one thing, mean another. Every industry has its own set of politically correct language, and adoption is no exception. Here are the authors' interesting and entertaining suggestions for how to interpret the “adoptionese” that appears on informational listings about children available for adoption:

All boy, very active, impulsive, needs lots of attention, acts out = Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Needs structure and supervision; bossy and manipulative; has had several losses and is grieving; has had many moves = Emotional or behavioral problems; reactive attachment disorder, conduct disorder

Moody or sad = Depression, dysthymia

Victim of neglect = Malnourishment, attachment disorder

Delayed speech; is immature = Emotional problems, developmental delays

Developmentally delayed = Mild to moderate mental retardation

Toileting accidents, still being toilet trained = Enuresis or encopresis, emotional problems

Drug or alcohol exposure in the womb = Fetal alcohol or drug effect syndrome

Trouble gaining weight = Failure to thrive