I have spent the last 4 years parenting a child with an attachment disorder. The first two years we didn't have a correct diagnosis and my parenting skills actually made his condition much worse. Those years were pure hell for my family - all of us. But two years ago things took a dramatic turn. It was so very hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't think back then I could see the light. Two people knew he could get better and I chose to trust them. They were my lifeline in more ways that anyone could ever imagine. My son and I have spent the last two years working our tails off. But let me tell you the one factor that I think is the reason why we are about to start a new chapter in this story - MY REACTIVE ATTACHMENT CHILD WANTED TO GET BETTER. He has been the most inspirational individual who has impacted my life. I know that God has such a special plan for him. My sweet baby is about to start going to school again (slowly) after almost 3 years of being on the homebound program.
I have made some really stupid mistakes in the parenting of RAD kids, some because I was ignorant, some because I was stubborn and some because I was lazy. But I think somewhere along the way, I did some things right. By child is about to embark on a new journey that he has worked so hard for.
Attachment and bonding is in my opinion one of the most important aspects of early childhood. The effects of foster care and neglect should not be underestimated.
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When I first began working at DHR, I went to a training on RAD. It was quite interesting to learn how a lack of support and nurture from a parent can cause such tremendous impact on a child. I had always suspected that something negative had to happen to children who experienced such trauma and I was glad to see that it was an actual disorder and had a name. I am amazed at your unending desire to raise, help, and love children who you did not birth (especially that many children). You are a literal example of a social worker "affecting change." I am sure that your reward will continue to be great.
Healing Attachment Disorder
Healing Attachment Disorder is a new term; however, realizing it is not new to many. The Reactive Attachment Child is a child who for various reasons has had problems attaching between the ages of six months and three years of age. Not only that, but affects more than just an emotional or psychological region of the brain as it affects the culture of the family and society as a contributing factor. Something a child does not have control over when abuse or neglect happens to a little one and the brain stem of the brain is affected and the top proximity of the brain as the last to develop affects the infant toddler’s life. Beyond the typical or traditional neuropsychological developmental stages within the life course perspective one may perceive from the Erikson’s perspective or other pioneers of that time. Nevertheless the psychological affects the physiological effects of the infant/toddler.
As there are a couple forms of therapy in which are utilized as the Attachment Therapy and Traditional Therapy. Looking at two different perspectives of therapy the Attachment Therapy favors the “fix the foundation” perceiving as getting to the core or the root of the cause and a rather non-medicating approach as to how a parent and or care giver will address the needs of the infant/toddler as opposed to the Traditional Therapy of a medicated form of therapy typically diagnosing and not looking at the root, but ultimately and completing relying on a diagnosis from a DSM Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel and not looking at alternative forms of healing for disorders . As social work looks at the whole person the “fix the foundation” would favor looking at the whole person. Considering the emotional, psychological, mental, and social environment as the parent/caregiver stimulates the infant/toddler in a mixed group early on in infant/toddler stage to prevent the Reactive Attachment within an infant/toddler.
Critical years of the infant/toddler years as the defining years of the future for the child the healing for the child comes into play with the whole person therapy approach to heal within by a parent/caregiver using alternative behavioral approaches to stimulate all regions of the child’s brain to create synapses in order to increase memory and learning and to engage in learning stimulation that will enhance the cognitive part of the brain to prevent, eliminate, or heal the attachment disorder.
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