Attachment Disorder

Attachment Disorder   I have not attended many trainings, and I know there isn’t much training out there. And what’s current? The list of behaviors probably doesn’t change much. What is the connection with ACES - Adverse Childhood Experiences.  I went to a luncheon with a man who was a nationally respected doctor who helped organize, sponsor, collect data from studies. The conclusion was that HOPE - positive experiences can help overcome some of the negative. A perfect example is a little girl who was in a bombing in Syria - she has been exposed to horrific ACEs. But if she is surrounded by loving family, has been transferred to a safe environment, has a positive experience in the refugee camp, then her ACEs will not have as much negative affect on her adult life, including illnesses, etc. The talk did not focus on attachment, behaviors, etc. There were many CASA workers there, and a CASA worker’s job is to work with foster kids and make sure their case gets ...

The Attachment Disorder Dilemma Attachment Disorder Updates Hi - just a quick comment to let you know I'm out here, trying to offer support when I can.  The news has brought news of relevance to parents of children with RAD - as I lovingly term them, CWAD.  Children with attachment disorder.  Anyway, I had a mom say to me after the awful Newtown news, that she could relate to being the mother of that young man that was so "sick."  I realize that is true.  It was awful to believe that someone has that ability, but some of you parents - P-CWAD - have seen those moments in your children. The second news segment that just happened is about Russia banning adoptions to the US.  As another person said, that's probably good news for some of the parents, because sometimes the children from Russia have many, many issues.  But there are those children that provide a great deal of joy.  And there are parents who are currently waiting for some of thos...

Hi -News from the Office - I work in Illinois with many foster/adoptive families. Well, things aren't looking so good right now for those families. The state of Illinois, as with many other states, is in dire financial straits. Well, it seems they are willing to play games with the children and families that have adopted these special children with many difficult needs. I do not believe it is the state department dispensing of the children's needs, but the politicians deciding it is not their problem - they are more invested in political battles. I am not sure what these families will do, also at a time when insurance companies are more restrictive, when jobs are being lost, and money is slim - they will be left on their own with the disturbed children they care for. I am anxious to see what happens. Again, it would be my deepest wish that children would not be born into families that do not have the love, desire, and or capacity to take care of them - that is the true cr...

One of the questions I ask clients is "Do you think there is some level of conscience to connect with inside the child?" They can often tell me. I trust parental instincts and their gut about what is going on - I do not just consider myself the expert - what do the parents believe to be true and I help them understand and look through new lenses to understand behavior and also to validate their parental experience. They are often being judged and considered wrong by friends and family. Some symptoms include: superficially engaging and charming; poor eye contact; lack of cause and effect thinking; absence of guilt and no remorse; chronic, nonsensical lying; triangulations of adults; refusal to answer simple questions; false allegations of abuse; and learning lags . I will continue with more in my next blog. One of the tasks is to learn to discern what the symptoms mean, as there are many overlapping diagnoses. I often see the children with bipolar disorder, pervasive developme...