Adoption Acronyms

I was first introduced to acronyms on my first job. This was back in the days before computers and we had to fill out reams of paperwork. We had an acronym for everything. On our first day we received a large binder filled with them arranged both alphabetically and by their use. Since that time acronyms have grown to take over not just work environments, but our everyday lives.

The adoption community has enthusiastically embraced acronyms. We are almost to the point that one needs one of those binders just to get through a simple blog post, but I wonder if we have used them to our best advantage. I see no reason we shouldn’t co-op, change, and claim existing acronyms, as well as make up new ones. For example:

ADD, possibly the most overused, and possibly over diagnosed acronym of all time, especially for adoptees. Attention Deficit Disorder? Bah. It stands for Adult Adoptee Disorder now.

RAD, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Rock Against Drugs, Rapid Application Development, take your pick. Now it’s going to be Really Awesome Demonstration, thanks to..

ULB, Ungrateful Little Bastard. Who shall now me known as Ultimate Little Bastard.

NCFA, National Council for Adoption? I don’t think so. Non-Compliant Frigging Adoptees has a nice ring to it.

ABC, amended birth certificate. How about Absolute Bird Crap?

OBC, original birth certificate. That one is ok, but Owned By Child sounds good too.

CI, confidential intermediary. Certified Incompetent would be more accurate.

KAD, Korean Adoptee, which does work, but per Paula’s suggestion, I think Kicking Ass Daily also describes KADs very well too. I think this one should be an either/or type of acronym.

IA, international Adoption. Infertile Asshats has been suggested, Ineffective Acknowledgment, as to the effects of International Adoption on the adoptee also comes to mind.

BM, Birth mother, bowel movement, and several others I’m sure. Baader-Meinhof, big mammaries or possibly big monsters when used in connection with AP insecurities. Take your pick.

Now for some we can steal from others:

POA, Power of Attorney. Pissed Off Adoptee. To be used when they fond out what somebody did with the original acronym to their birth certificate.

POS, in the popular lexicon, Piece Of Shit, usually used to refer to automobiles. Let’s just use this one for the original acronym ABC.

This is just a partial list, it is intended to be discussed, expanded and debated. All suggestions will be considered.