How Long Can This Go On?

A mother copes with the challenges of raising an adopted Russian boy with severe emotional problems. (Concord Monitor)

Kathy Needleman adopted Jacob from a Russian orphanage when he was 3. He has always been a challenge: Smart and funny, sweet and imaginative, he also has an explosive temper.

At 10, he is prone to screaming, scratching and even hitting his mother. He has trouble connecting with other kids. He struggles with motor skills and processing information. Among his various diagnoses is reactive attachment disorder, generally used to describe children who have been maltreated, often in orphanages.

This video slideshow by the New Hampshire Concord Monitor documents their lives together, and raises many questions about the complexities of raising troubled children and the support systems available for them and their caregivers.

CHANNEL: New Hampshire Concord Monitor

Length: 2:58

Photography and Production: Veronica Wilson
Interview and Text: Chelsea Conaboy

VIEW: http://www.conmon.com/slideshow/needleman/

SEE ALSO:

“How Long Can This Go On?”
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090125/FRONTPAGE/901250333

“Jacob's Diagnosis and What it Means”
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090125/FRONTPAGE/901250336

Family’s Story Was a Gift to the Community”
http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090127/OPINION/901270320