FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO FAMILY FUNCTIONING OF ADOPTIVE CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS - A LONG-TERM OUTCOME ANALYSIS

There is scant research into the long-term outcomes of families and th eir adopted children with special needs status. The majority of the re search in this area of study has focused on factors affecting disrupti on and those associated with adoptions that remain intact. Only a few studies have examined long term outcomes of adopted children with spec ial needs. The purpose of this study was to identify family and child characteristics and interventions that contribute to family functionin g. The results suggest that adoptive families with more children, who did not receive family therapy, participated in religious activities a nd fathers with less education were more likely to have a higher famil y functioning score. Implications for practice are also discussed.