ABSTRACT
Eric is an eight-year-old boy being reared by gay parents who adopted him when he was an infant. Eric’s biological mother is of Chinese descent, and his biological father is Caucasian. One of Eric’s adoptive fathers is of Chinese descent and one is Caucasian. Eric’s parents have brought him to a social worker because of “behavioral problems.” Eric’s parents complain that he refuses to do what he is told, has trouble keeping up with his school work, and does not get along with other children his age. In fact, Eric’s parents claim that he does not have any close friends and spends a lot of his time playing by himself. Eric shows little interest in age-appropriate activities, and he frequently appears withdrawn and incapable of attending to school or other activities. Eric’s parents are concerned that he will fall behind developmentally and will be held back a grade in school if his performance does not improve.
