Reactive Attachment Disorder by Jenny Brackman

The children in these senarios have reactive attachment disorder (RAD).

Imagine the following scenarios: Six months ago, Pete and Kathi adopted a one-year old infant from Russia. Although they have lavished little Kelly with love and affection, she will not bond with them. She seems sad all the time and dislikes affection. Bob and Jamie adopted a six year old boy who had been in foster care since he was two. When they adopted him they assumed they would know how to parent him because they have two older children who are successful and thriving. However, none of their parenting techniques can manage Eric's behavior. He seems to have no conscience. They have tried everything they know and are at their wit's end.

Attachment Explained

Attachment is the process of a child and a caregiver forming a warm, loving, and secure connection in the first few years of life. Young children, especially infants, are helpless in most ways, and have many needs that only a parent can fulfill. These needs are not just physical such as food and hygiene, but emotional needs like eye contact and physical affection. When a parent meets these crucial needs, strong bonds are formed which establish the child's belief that the world is safe and that they can trust people. These beliefs give the child the ability to thrive in social settings (Levy, 1-3).

The attachment process:

(Levy, 143)

1. Need: the child feels the need. 2. Arousal: the desire to have the need met increases. 3. Satisfaction: the caregiver meets the child's needs. 4. Trust: The baby feels loved by the caregiver

Disruption of the attachment process:

When a baby has a need and requests it (usually by crying) and it is not met, he or she feels rejected instead of satisfied. That results in the child feeling anger and hate and shame instead of trust. When needs are refused on a consistent basis, the child grows up believing that "they do not have what it takes to get what they need from another person (Karen, 221). This disruption of the attachment process and its by-products of shame and contempt form the root of Reactive Attachment Disorder.

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References:

Barabeem Howard E., Marshall, William L. Hudson, Stephen M. The Juvenile Sex Offender. Guilford Press: New York, 1993.

Diagnostic and Statisitical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th ed. American Psychiatric Association: Washington, 1994

Karen, Robert. Becoming Attached: First Relationships and how they Shape our Lives. Oxford University Press: New York, 1998.

Levy, Terry M. Orlans, Michael. Attachment, Trauma, and Healing: Understanding Attachment Disorder in Children and Families. Child Welfare League of America Press: Washinton, 1998.

Reactive Atttachment Disorder. Arizona Supreme Court, CASA Division, 2002. www.supreme.state.az.us/casa/training/Attach/attach.html. 13 Dec. 2002.