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In viewing the website of The Institute for Attachment & Child Development I really
have a desire to learn more about the disorder of attachment. Therefore the
section on “symptoms of attachment disorder in a child” seem very interesting
seeing that my professional development is about the overall well-being of the
children. Within this section it gave many examples of attachment disorders in
children, such as “does not trust adults in authority, manipulative and
hostile, no empathy, remorse, conscience, or compassion for others, also
resists guidance and nurturing”, just to name a few examples. After reading
this information it made me think how so many children in our care that could
be missed diagnosed if not seen by professionals qualified within that specific
field. Sometimes we may look at children as having a behavior problem but
indeed it could be a totally separated issue that has been developing from
birth, such as attachment disorder for instance. This really made me think not
to be quick to think I know what a child is going through when I have not been
through it myself or have the professional qualifications to understand or
diagnose without the proper training.
The Institute for Attachment &
Child Development explains that “because
the behavior of children with attachment disorder* often appears similar to
(and is often misdiagnosed as) conduct disorder, oppositional-defiant disorder,
and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, it is important to be able to
distinguish those children whose behavior problems indicate the presence of
attachment disorder from those who have other disorders. Up until February
1997, the primary tool used to assess and diagnose attachment disorder has been
the Symptom Checklist, developed at Evergreen Consultants, or one of its
variations. The Checklist was developed to describe the symptoms that
therapists had observed when treating children with attachment disorder.
However, no research had ever been conducted to determine the reliability or
validity of The Symptoms Checklist, and its items. The Randolph Attachment
Disorder Questionnaire, (RADQ) was designed to be used by psychotherapists and
school personnel to assist in identifying and diagnosing attachment disorder in
children between the ages of 5 and 18 years. It can be routinely used as a
screening tool to identify whether or not the behavior problems a child has are
consistent with the presence of attachment disorder. Dr. Randolph and
The Institute for Attachment & Child Development are committed to further
research to validate the Attachment Disorder Diagnosis and its treatment. The
Scoring Manual and Scoring Sheets can be ordered through the Institute for
Attachment & Child Development”. (RADQ, 2013).
The
Institute for Attachment & Child Development Resource Library. Reactive Attachment Disorder | Randolph Attachment
Disorder Questionnaire (RADQ). (2013). Retrieved from
Thank you for all the great examples and all that information, I will check it out, because you never know when you will use the checklist and all that information to help a child in need. As educators, we need to be prepared and acquire all kinds of information in order to help our students.
ReplyDeleteHello Edith,
ReplyDeleteI think this is really informative in giving information on attachment. I remember I wrote a paper on attachment and how it effects children and this website would have been a great resource. Thanks for this information.
Child with attachment issues can be mis-diagnosed if the professionals working with them don't understand or aren't aware of the child's background. Thanks for the wonderful resources. It is always helpful to have checklists of things handy, as they are quick and to the point. Thanks!
ReplyDelete