Internationally adopted children seem to be more likely to show ADHD-like symptoms than non-adopted children. The aims of this study were to explore the existence of ADHD-like symptoms and/or diagnosis in a sample of internationally adopted children depending on their country of origin and to describe the links that may exist between the display of these symptoms and observed narrative-based attachment patterns. A Catalan sample of 58 adopted children aged 7-8 (24 from Eastern Europe, 23 from China and 11 from Ethiopia) was assessed with The Behavioral Assessment System for Children to identify ADHD-like symptoms, and the Friends and Family Interview (FFI) to identify children's' attachment patterns. Results indicated that children adopted from Eastern Europe showed a trend toward more hyperactivity and significantly more attention problems than girls adopted from China. Children with a secure attachment showed significantly less attention problems and a trend toward less hyperactivity. More studies focusing on the etiology and treatment of these symptoms in adopted children are needed.

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A B S T R AC TThe attachment pattern of a sample of 168 internationally adopted children was explored in this study using the semi-structured Friends and Family Interview. The pattern was analysed in relation to the development of adaptive skills as an expression of the children's resilience.The secure attachment pattern rates were slightly lower and the insecure attachment patterns were considerably higher than those of normative samples from the previous studies. The children from Eastern Europe demonstrated a more insecure attachment pattern (odds ratio [OR] = 2.46; confidence interval [CI] = 1.23-3.94), and their scores on the adaptive skills scales were lower than the scores of children from other countries (OR = 2.62; 95% CI = 1.02-6.72). These results help to identify the groups at risk of failing to develop secure attachment patterns and appropriate adaptive skills, and should provide valuable information for designing effective interventions.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a leading cause of neurodevelopmental disorders. Children adopted internationally from countries where alcohol consumption during pregnancy is very high are at greater risk for FASD. Lack of expertise in diagnosing FASD and mixed neurodevelopmental and behavioral signs due to abandonment complicate a timely diagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of FASD in adopted children. Children between the ages of 8 and 24 adopted from Russia and Ukraine were evaluated for clinical and historical features of FASD. Of the 162 children evaluated, 81 (50%) met FASD diagnostic criteria. Thirty-three (20.4%) children had fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), 28 (17.2%) had partial FAS, 2 (1.2%) had alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD) and 18 (11.1%) had alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND). Of the 81 children in which fetal alcohol exposure could not be confirmed, many had manifestations that would have established a diagnosis of FASD if a history of maternal alcohol consumption was confirmed. In a population of children with a high risk of prenatal alcohol exposure (adoptees from Eastern European countries), at least 50% showed manifestations associated with FASD. The reported prevalence in this study is in line with the results obtained in a previous study as well as in orphanages of origin.

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