Not all adoptions are at birth. Some adoptions are of toddlers on up to teens. You may notice avoidance to affection, pulling away regularly, exaggerated startle reflexes and more.

This may, or may not, be a symptom of trauma, but honoring boundaries is important regardless. Younger or older children can have experienced trauma prior to adoption. The effects of trauma can vary from child to child and from situation to situation. From withdrawn behaviors to acting out behaviors. You may notice high level of anxiety and worry or even nightmares on a regular basis. If the daily functioning of your child is impaired by any of these you may want to seek out professional help. TF-CBT [Trauma focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy] Therapists are trained specifically to help parents and children address known and unknown traumas by developing coping skills to handle feelings of panic, feeling overwhelmed with anxiety, physical responses to anxiety, re-occurring nightmares of past traumatic events, and more.

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