Why Adoptees Have Higher Rates of ADHD

Adoptee Counseling
Written By Joanne Bagshaw

Adoptees have higher ADHD rates due to genetic, prenatal, and early life factors.

  • Maternal stress in pregnancy impacts fetal brain development and self-regulation.

  • Early deprivation or trauma increases ADHD symptoms and emotional challenges.

  • Trauma-informed care and addressing systemic inequities support both adoptees and birth mothers.

Read more on Joanne’s Psychology Today page, here. To learn more about Critical Adoption Studies or Reproductive Justice, check out our Reading Room for Adoptees.

Joanne Bagshaw

Joanne Bagshaw, PhD, LCPC, is the author of The Feminist Handbook and an AASECT-certified sex therapist with a group practice in Maryland. She writes the popular feminist blog, The Third Wave, for Psychology Today. An award-winning professor in psychology and women's studies, Joanne has recently retired from Montgomery College. She’s a same-race domestic adoptee from The Baby Scoop Era.

https://www.joannebagshaw.com/
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Radical Rehumanization for Adoptees