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I haven't adopted yet but......
I have a cousin with cerebral palsy. She is also mentally disabled. I grew up knowing and loving my cousin as she is and so I didn't really think about it a great deal. I was almost an adult before I realized that some people are afraid of the physically and mentally disabled because they have never known anyone personally who was disabled. I think that the best way is to include pictures of all family members in a photo album for the child. I would not make an effort to specifically point out the disabilities but when questions arise, answer them truthfully and matter-of-factly. If you show your acceptance of the person with disabilities, you are modeling an appropriate behavior for the child. At some point you will probably have to help the child understand how to deal with the rudeness of strangers (because they will be rude sometimes) but I think the most important thing is for the child to understand that disabilities are not something to be ashamed of and that the disabled person is a valuable part of your family......I hope that helps.....Cheryl
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