AABA

Alaska Attachment & Bonding Associates

 

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Definition 1

  REACTIVE ATTACHMENT DISORDER (RAD)

Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) is a mental disorder listed in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) with onset starting in infancy or early childhood.  Although the DSM establishes clear diagnostic criteria for RAD, it is important to understand that children who experience attachment issues have symptoms that range from mild to severe.  Like other mental illnesses, it is biologically based; research has shown neurological abnormalities in children who have been diagnosed with the disorder.

Attachment disorder occurs when bonding is interrupted between the infant child and the parent (or primary care giver).  The most common cause of disruption is emotional or physical neglect of the child.  The infant who is repeatedly left for hours crying with hunger or a dirty diaper is a likely candidate for developing attachment disorder.  Severe mental illness or drug addiction may sometimes result in neglectful parenting.  Other causes of disrupted attachment include: physical and sexual abuse, or abrupt transfer of the primary care giver (Many adopted children or foster children have attachment disorder).

As a result of this poor bonding with parent/primary caregiver, the child learns that adults are at best inconsistent or undependable, and at worst, dangerous.  These children learn that adults can’t be trusted and these children develop behaviors they believe are essential to their survival but in reality are destructive and negatively impact their ability to develop an intimate relationship with any adult.  Children with these issues believe they must control everything for their basic survival.  Kids with attachment issues internalize the belief that they are not lovable and often have a deep-rooted sense of shame.

Symptoms of attachment disorder include: oppositional behavior, poor eye contact, defiance, pathological lying, inability/refusal to be comforted, sabotaging, constant talking, manipulative behavior, and fear of intimacy.  Children who have attachment disorder may also have concurrent depression, anxiety, trauma/PTSD and attention deficits (ADD/ADHD) or other mental illnesses.  Children with attachment disorder are sometimes misdiagnosed as having Oppositional Defiant disorder (ODD).

In all but the most severe cases, the symptoms of attachment disorder occur mostly at home with the primary care givers.  Typically the mother figure is the recipient of the most hostile and aggressive behavior.  The rest of the word (school, neighbors, family) often see a charming, talkative, engaging child.  This can leave the parents/primary care givers feeling isolated or worse, criticized or second guessed by other people in the child’s support system.

It is important for parents dealing with a child with attachment issues to get professional help as soon as possible.  Most standard parenting techniques do not work with children with attachment issues; in fact successful interventions are often counterintuitive.

Definition 2

Reactive Attachment Disorder

 RAD is a condition in which individuals have difficulty forming loving lasting relationships.  They often have a nearly complete lack of ability to be genuinely affectionate with others.  They typically fail to develop a conscience and do not learn to trust.  They do not allow people to be in control of them due to this trust issue.  They can be surface compliant for weeks if there is no loving relationship involved.  With strangers they can be extremely charming and appear loving.

Uneducated adults misinterpret this as the child trusting or caring for them.  They do not think and feel like a normal person.  Some famous people with RAD that did not get help in time: Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Edgar Allen Poe, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Ted Bundy.

CAUSES

Any of the following occurring to a child under 36 months of age puts a child at high risk for developing RAD:

Abuse (physical, emotional, sexual)

Neglect

Sudden separation from primary caretaker (i.e. illness or death of mother or severe illness or hospitalization of child)

Undiagnosed or painful illness such as colic or ear infections

Inconsistent or inadequate day care

Chronic maternal depression

Several moves or placements (foster care, failed adoptions)

Unprepared mothers with poor parenting skills

In-utero trauma, drugs, alcohol exposure

RESPITE CARE PROVIDERS

Tight structure and powerful nurturing from the real parents is the most effective way to get these high risk children back on track.  Respite care providers have been chosen to be entrusted with the healing heart of these children.  It is essential that these children not be given privileges that have not been earned at home. Television, movies, Nintendo etc. are not an option for these children.  Sweets are a vital part of bonding and should only come from real parents (foster, adopted), not earned, just given.  These children are   aware of this.  Feel free to feed the rest of your family goodies so the respite child can see how other moms love their families.  It will not harm these children.  Do not deprive your family of their special things in front of these children.  It makes RAD kids feel powerful and perpetuates the belief that adults are stupid suckers, easily manipulated.  This keeps them from feeling safe which slows or halts the healing.