Comments on: The Disturbed Child http://mindforums.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-etiology-symptoms-affected-brain-areas-and-treatment/ Mon, 24 May 2010 14:50:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman http://mindforums.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-etiology-symptoms-affected-brain-areas-and-treatment/comment-page-1/#comment-3893 Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman Sun, 02 May 2010 23:23:53 +0000 http://mindforums.com/?p=347#comment-3893 A fine discussion here. Parenting a child who has experienced chronic early maltreatment is very challenging and difficult. For those who may be interested, I've co-edited a book for such families. The basic approach is Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, which is an evidence-based, effective, and empirically validated treatment. The approach is grounded in attachment theory and is fully compliant with the ATTACh White Paper Against Coercion and their professional Practice Manual and Therapeutic Parenting Manual (see www.ATTACh.org) The book is Attachment Parenting: Developing Connections and Healing Children. See http://www.amazon.com/Attachment-Parenting-Developing-Connections-Children/dp/0765707551/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272842596&sr=1-2 regards A fine discussion here.

Parenting a child who has experienced chronic early maltreatment is very challenging and difficult. For those who may be interested, I’ve co-edited a book for such families. The basic approach is Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, which is an evidence-based, effective, and empirically validated treatment. The approach is grounded in attachment theory and is fully compliant with the ATTACh White Paper Against Coercion and their professional Practice Manual and Therapeutic Parenting Manual (see http://www.ATTACh.org)
The book is Attachment Parenting: Developing Connections and Healing Children. See
http://www.amazon.com/Attachment-Parenting-Developing-Connections-Children/dp/0765707551/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272842596&sr=1-2
regards

]]> By: Dima http://mindforums.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-etiology-symptoms-affected-brain-areas-and-treatment/comment-page-1/#comment-1739 Dima Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:38:55 +0000 http://mindforums.com/?p=347#comment-1739 This is an excellent point! Thank you for sharing. RAD related behavior can be very burdensome on foster parents and their families. The approach requires an enormous amount of dedication and patience and can often be more than a family system can endure. In order to be able to help the child and administer this approach effectively, the parents have to be familiar with RAD (symptoms and etiology). The first step to approaching the child has to be understanding the condition. It is critical that the parents realize this is a disorder (often, the result of maltreatment). The child is not being intentionally 'mean'. On the contrary, I believe that the child is the real victim in these cases. An important component to effective intervention is getting professional help. Parents, including foster parents, often need to work alongside counselors and/or psychologists/psychiatrists. Unfortunately, many families do not have the means to meet such expenses. This raises additional questions; e.g. are foster families provided with adequate support and information? RAD related behavior is more demanding than many people imagine and it affects everyone in the child's life, including siblings and extended family. Often, foster parents realize they cannot deal with such burdensome family dynamic and give up on the child. More often than not, this can only aggravate the situation and reinforce the child's belief that they cannot and should not trust an adult. I am certainly not judging foster parents, but I am convinced that with more professional help and public support we can increase the chances of successful intercession. This is an excellent point! Thank you for sharing.

RAD related behavior can be very burdensome on foster parents and their families. The approach requires an enormous amount of dedication and patience and can often be more than a family system can endure.

In order to be able to help the child and administer this approach effectively, the parents have to be familiar with RAD (symptoms and etiology). The first step to approaching the child has to be understanding the condition. It is critical that the parents realize this is a disorder (often, the result of maltreatment). The child is not being intentionally ‘mean’. On the contrary, I believe that the child is the real victim in these cases.

An important component to effective intervention is getting professional help. Parents, including foster parents, often need to work alongside counselors and/or psychologists/psychiatrists. Unfortunately, many families do not have the means to meet such expenses. This raises additional questions; e.g. are foster families provided with adequate support and information?

RAD related behavior is more demanding than many people imagine and it affects everyone in the child’s life, including siblings and extended family. Often, foster parents realize they cannot deal with such burdensome family dynamic and give up on the child. More often than not, this can only aggravate the situation and reinforce the child’s belief that they cannot and should not trust an adult.

I am certainly not judging foster parents, but I am convinced that with more professional help and public support we can increase the chances of successful intercession.

]]> By: Brad Wright http://mindforums.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-etiology-symptoms-affected-brain-areas-and-treatment/comment-page-1/#comment-1637 Brad Wright Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:48:12 +0000 http://mindforums.com/?p=347#comment-1637 RAD related behaviors often present as challenges for children in care. Do you think following the suggested approach has a possible connection to the outcome of multiple placement breakdowns as foster parents engage in the approach only to find out their family sytem can not maintain such an intensive long term process. RAD related behaviors often present as challenges for children in care. Do you think following the suggested approach has a possible connection to the outcome of multiple placement breakdowns as foster parents engage in the approach only to find out their family sytem can not maintain such an intensive long term process.

]]> By: Dima http://mindforums.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-etiology-symptoms-affected-brain-areas-and-treatment/comment-page-1/#comment-252 Dima Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:51:29 +0000 http://mindforums.com/?p=347#comment-252 Dr. Becker-Weidman,thank you for reading and for the kind comment. I enjoyed reading the articles on your website. Best regards, Dima Dr. Becker-Weidman,thank you for reading and for the kind comment. I enjoyed reading the articles on your website.
Best regards,
Dima

]]> By: Dima http://mindforums.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-etiology-symptoms-affected-brain-areas-and-treatment/comment-page-1/#comment-251 Dima Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:44:06 +0000 http://mindforums.com/?p=347#comment-251 Hello there! First of all, I'd like to thank you for your comment. I appreciate your opinion on the subject. I believe I understand why you might have that impression about Daniel Hughes' methods. However, I disagree he has no respect for children. Unfortunately, good and effective parenting (the very thing these children have not experienced) involves a lot of discipline - positive and negative reinforcers, and even punishment (which should never be physical). These are critical components to any learning process and is especially important with little children, who are yet to form their habits. The important thing to consider here is that children with Reactive Attachment Disorder are not the average happy and healthy kids one might imagine. (I don't know if you have had any experience with kids suffering RAD?) Generally, they are very aggressive, disobedient and, often, tend to lie and try to manipulate. Most importantly, however, they are not in the habit of trusting and loving an adult, so any attempt to hold the child is usually followed by an outburst of anger, kicking, screaming, etc. That is why Hughes explains, in the therapy, you have to even struggle with the child, "until she/he complies". If you think about it, this is the only way to show the child 'I'm not giving up on you and no matter how hard you kick and scream, I will be here.' However, Hughes reminds, the adult should always maintain a friendly tone and never, ever humiliate the child. Most of his principles are listed on the following website: <a href="//www.radkid.org/dhughes.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.radkid.org/dhughes.html</a> I would love to continue the dialogue, so feel free to let me know what you think. Respectfully, Dima Hello there!
First of all, I’d like to thank you for your comment. I appreciate your opinion on the subject.
I believe I understand why you might have that impression about Daniel Hughes’ methods. However, I disagree he has no respect for children. Unfortunately, good and effective parenting (the very thing these children have not experienced) involves a lot of discipline – positive and negative reinforcers, and even punishment (which should never be physical). These are critical components to any learning process and is especially important with little children, who are yet to form their habits.
The important thing to consider here is that children with Reactive Attachment Disorder are not the average happy and healthy kids one might imagine. (I don’t know if you have had any experience with kids suffering RAD?) Generally, they are very aggressive, disobedient and, often, tend to lie and try to manipulate. Most importantly, however, they are not in the habit of trusting and loving an adult, so any attempt to hold the child is usually followed by an outburst of anger, kicking, screaming, etc. That is why Hughes explains, in the therapy, you have to even struggle with the child, “until she/he complies”. If you think about it, this is the only way to show the child ‘I’m not giving up on you and no matter how hard you kick and scream, I will be here.’ However, Hughes reminds, the adult should always maintain a friendly tone and never, ever humiliate the child. Most of his principles are listed on the following website: http://www.radkid.org/dhughes.html
I would love to continue the dialogue, so feel free to let me know what you think.
Respectfully,
Dima

]]> By: Billy Board http://mindforums.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-etiology-symptoms-affected-brain-areas-and-treatment/comment-page-1/#comment-250 Billy Board Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:29:48 +0000 http://mindforums.com/?p=347#comment-250 Hughes? That's Attachment Therapy! Look what Hughes says about treating children. He has no respect for them. Geez, you are legally allowed to do this to kids today? Isn't this child abuse? http://www.childrenintherapy.org/proponents/hughes.html Becker-Weidman and Hughes seem to be two peas in the same pod. Hughes? That’s Attachment Therapy! Look what Hughes says about treating children. He has no respect for them. Geez, you are legally allowed to do this to kids today? Isn’t this child abuse?
http://www.childrenintherapy.org/proponents/hughes.html
Becker-Weidman and Hughes seem to be two peas in the same pod.

]]> By: Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D. http://mindforums.com/reactive-attachment-disorder-etiology-symptoms-affected-brain-areas-and-treatment/comment-page-1/#comment-226 Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D. Tue, 26 May 2009 22:58:07 +0000 http://mindforums.com/?p=347#comment-226 This is a very interesting article. It quite nicely summaries some important information about an important subject quite well. You might want to take a look at an article on my blog: http://artweidman.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/effects-of-child-abuse-on-child-development-brain-and-behavior/ or on my website's blog: http://center4familydevelop.blogspot.com/2009/04/child-maltreatment-effects-on-brain.html regards This is a very interesting article. It quite nicely summaries some important information about an important subject quite well. You might want to take a look at an article on my blog:
http://artweidman.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/effects-of-child-abuse-on-child-development-brain-and-behavior/
or on my website’s blog:
http://center4familydevelop.blogspot.com/2009/04/child-maltreatment-effects-on-brain.html
regards

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