Disordered Attachment

Question 1

What are the 3 components of attachment?

Answer 1

1. Care seeking (Attachment)
2. Care giving (Bonding)
3. Exploration (Safety)

Question 2

What are t6he 4 types of attachment?

Answer 2

1. Secure
2. Ambivalent (Insecure)
3. Avoidant
   $. Disorganized

Question 3

what is the impact of childhood attachment?

Answer 3

• Impact attachment patterns across the lifespan
• impact child’s ability to regulate emotions and connect and relate to others in adulthood
• Adaptive childhood behaviours may become maladaptive in adulthood

Question 4

What do we want to foster?

Answer 4

1. The ability to seek care.
2. The ability to give care.
3. The ability to be autonomous.
4. The ability to negotiate.
5. The ability to trust.

Question 5

What are Attachment Disorders?

Answer 5

• severe colic and/or feeding difficulties
• failure to gain weight
• detached and unresponsive behavior
• difficulty being comforted
• preoccupied and/or defiant behavior
• inhibition or hesitancy in social interactions
• being too close with strangers

Question 6

What is Reactive attachment disorder (RAD)?

Answer 6

• Impacts a small number of children
• Appears before age 5
• Child is inhibited, emotionally withdrawn behavior toward adult caregivers
• Child does not seek or respond to care/concern when distressed
• Minimal social and emotional responsiveness to others
• Limited positive affect

Question 7

What are the risk factors for developing RAD?

Answer 7

-Severe attachment disruption in early years
-Persistent disregard of the child’s emotional needs for comfort, stimulation, and affection
-Unstable home environments
-Frequent changes in caregivers
-Childhood trauma

Question 8

What are the interventions for RAD?

Answer 8

• Early intervention is critical
• Treatment can be successful with ongoing collaboration between caregiver and child, with a strong focus on re-establishing a stable and secure attachment relationship
• RAD cannot be effectively treated without caregiver engagement
• Parenting interventions and education focused on the child’s emotional needs and increasing the parent’s capacity to recognize and respond

Question 9

What is Disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED)?

Answer 9

• A pattern of behavior in which a child actively approaches and interacts with unfamiliar adults and exhibits at least two of the following:
• Reduced or absent reticence in approaching and interacting with unfamiliar adults.
• Overly familiar verbal or physical behavior (that is not consistent with culturally sanctioned and with age-appropriate social boundaries).
• Diminished or absent checking back with adult caregiver after venturing away, even in unfamiliar settings.
• Willingness to go off with an unfamiliar adult with little or no hesitation

Question 10

what are the risk factors of DSED?

Answer 10

• Neglect
• Inadequate care environments
• Frequent changes in caregivers
• Childhood trauma