Attachment disorder
- Factors in attachment disorder
- Types of attachment disorders
- Attachment disorder behaviours
- Activity 3 - Dealing with attachment disorder
- Activity 4 - Imelda's story
Factors in attachment disorder
There are many factors which put a child at risk of developing an attachment disorder, such as past traumatic life experiences, feeling vulnerable in their family environment or a disruption to the relationship between a child and their care giver for a prolonged period of time.
Some of the factors that contribute to a child developing an attachment disorder are:
- pre-birth traumas, including foetal distress, exposure to substance abuse during pregnancy, or maternal rejection
- extended or repeated separation from the birth mother as a result of illness, parental depression or substance abuse
- physical, sexual or emotional abuse
- neglect
- traumatic separation or abandonment
- frequent placements of a child either within the birth family or with foster families
- parental mental illness
- inconsistent or inadequate care including chaotic and unpredictable nurturing by a child's birth parents
- extreme poverty.
Types of attachment disorders
Research suggests there are three types of attachment disorders:
- the traumatised child - the child has been seriously traumatised in an earlier relationship and is reluctant to trust or hope again.
- the inadequately attached child - the child has had interrupted, unhealthy or broken attachments with their care givers, and has difficulty reestablishing new attachments.
- the non-attached child - the most severe disorder which occurs when a child has been deprived of early opportunities to form an attachment with their primary care giver.
Attachment disorder behaviours
There are a range of behaviours displayed by children with an attachment disorder. It is important that adoptive parents recognise the following behaviours which may indicate an attachment disorder:
- Withdrawal and rejecting behaviour
- Eating difficulties
- Hyperactivity, poor concentration and risk-taking
- Aggression and defiant behaviour
- Lying and stealing
- Poor eye contact
- Sleeping problems
- Self-harm
- Sexual behaviour
- Delayed conscience behaviour
- Indiscriminate affection
Parenting a child with an attachment disorder can be challenging. Adoptive parents who consistently engage their child in a manner that shows empathy, acceptance, affection, curiosity and playfulness will increase the child's ability to respond to the parent in the same manner as would a child who had formed a secure attachment.
Activity 3 - Dealing with attachment disorder
In your learning journal, comment on the following questions:
- How would you cope with a child who has an attachment disorder?
- Would you seek professional assistance if your adopted child displayed any of the behaviours associated with an attachment disorder?
- In your effort to develop a secure relationship with your adopted child, how would you deal with their anxiety?
- In what ways would you encourage an attachment with your adopted child?
Activity 4 - Imelda's story
Imelda is a three year old girl adopted from the Philippines. Imelda spent her first twelve months of life in an orphanage after her birth mother had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital shortly after she was born. Six months prior to being placed with her adopted parents, Imelda lived with a foster family from a different village in the Philippines.
Imelda has been placed with her adopted parents for six months to date. She is small for her age but is gaining weight and growing. She is also beginning to speak some English and becoming toilet trained. At night, Imelda is very hard to settle. When she finally falls asleep at around 1.00 am, her sleep is disturbed and she wakes up screaming at least once during the evening. She often cries for approximately an hour and is virtually inconsolable. Her adoptive parents have been able to distract her with a drink of juice.
Imelda's adoptive parents are becoming very tired and feel 'worn down' during the day due to their lack of sleep, as well as Imelda's frequent temper tantrums. It has been suggested to them to utilise 'control comforting' as a strategy, which involves placing a child in their cot to cry and only attempting to comfort them after a certain period of time. In addition to this, a family member has told them that they are being too soft and that Imelda needs to be disciplined.
In your learning journal, comment on the following questions:
- What do you think are the reasons for Imelda's behaviour?
- How would you respond to Imelda if you were her adoptive parents?
- Who would you obtain help and support from?
- Last updated
- 19 October 2007