Welcome to the RAD Guide

Welcome to the Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) Guide!

Are you, a friend or a loved one struggling with Reactive Attachment Disorder and looking for answers? Simply curious to learn more? If so, here you will find the most important facts, resources and interventions available for RAD.

Online Resources for Reactive Attachment Disorder

("The Signs and Symptoms of Reactive Attachment Disorder | Amen Clinics", 2018)

There are many different online resources for reactive attachment disorder.

The first one is https://www.instituteforattachment.org/finding-resources-for-attachment-disorderrad-5-tips-on-where-to-start/ and this website gives five different resources for a child who is suffering from RAD and the parents of that child. The first step the website says to do is find a therapist experienced in trauma and attachment. It can be hard for parents because many of them go to therapists who are not specialized in trauma and attachment disorders. They also would need to be referred to a psychiatrist so the child can be prescribed specific medications, the therapist and the psychiatrist normally work together. The second step that a person going through reactive attachment disorder is, to talk to your school. Parents should go talk to their child's teachers to let them know what they are going through just so they understand how they are feeling and how to help them make the child's day a little more easier. The third step would be to educate yourself, many people don't know about this disorder but to know more about it you could always go online and research or read books about reactive attachment disorder. The fourth step is to find RAD or attachment disorder family and parent support groups in your area. If you are trying to find a support group you could always look online to find one, there are also some Facebook support groups that anyone could join. An example of one could be, https://www.facebook.com/instituteforattchment and it could be helpful for some families who don't have support groups in their area. The final step would be to find local education sources. This is important because many people do not understand this disorder, and it can help parents with a child who has this disorder gain some knowledge about what their child is going through." (Noonan, 2014). 

The second online resource is http://buildingyourfamily.com/adoption/foster-adoption/responsive-parenting-healthy-attachment/. This website tells parents twelve different parenting techniques that they can use to help form healthy attachments with their baby and letting parents know that no matter their child's history they can almost always form a healthy attachment to their parent. It all just takes time for the child to adjust. (Solchany, 2017).

The third online resource is http://media.wix.com/ugd/7f907f_0edad1c61ee1446b94e4cb7993a91786.pdf and it is letting people know what reactive attachment disorder is and letting them know how to treat it because basically, a child who has this disorder is unable to make connections or attachments to people and also have behavioural issues. This article also talks about different treatments and recommends people to go see therapists who are specialized in attachment therapy. (Forbes, 2015).

 The fourth online resource is https://childmind.org/guide/reactive-attachment-disorder/ and this website basically tells people what to look for in a child who has reactive attachment disorder it is a guide to help parents understand what their child is going through, how it can be treated and how it is diagnosed. ("Reactive Attachment Disorder basics", nd). 

The fifth online resource is https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/expressive-trauma-integration/201808/what-is-developmental-trauma and this article is talking about how a child will develop this disorder. It talks about how it starts in the early years of childhood and that it can manifest into other disorders. For example, ADHD, personality disorders, PTSD, speech delays, learning disabilities, and more. This is a very clear guide for families who have a child that has reactive attachment disorder to read and instantly gain knowledge about and help them to get to know their child a bit better. (Gertel Kraybill, 2018).

Written By: Naguiba Youssouf

References:

Forbes, H. (2015). Retrieved from http://media.wix.com/ugd/7f907f_0edad1c61ee1446b94e4cb7993a91786.pdf

Gertel Kraybill, O. (2018). What Is Developmental Trauma?. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/expressive-trauma-integration/201808/what-is-developmental-trauma

Noonan, N. (2014). Finding resources for developmental trauma (a.k.a. reactive attachment disorder): 5 Tips on Where to Start. Retrieved from https://www.instituteforattachment.org/finding-resources-for-attachment-disorderrad-5-tips-on-where-to-start/

Reactive Attachment Disorder Basics. Retrieved from https://childmind.org/guide/reactive-attachment-disorder/

Solchany, J. (2017). 12 Responsive Parenting Techniques to Form a Healthy Attachment. Retrieved from http://buildingyourfamily.com/adoption/foster-adoption/responsive-parenting-healthy-attachment/

The Signs and Symptoms of Reactive Attachment Disorder | Amen Clinics. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/the-signs-and-symptoms-of-reactive-attachment-disorder/

Community Resources

1. Mental health walk-in center

   Program service: crossroads childrens center

   Phone: 613-723-1623 x 333

   Location:1755 Courtwood Crescent, Ottawa, ON.

   Hours: Wednesdays, 9 am to 12 pm

   Every  Thursday, from 12 pm to 8 pm

Summary

This program helps families with better understanding if your child is going through challenges
with behaviour, emotional state, mental health diagnosis (e.g. anxiety, depression, ADHD),
school-related issues, or your child struggles with peers, a family conflict, or any other issues.
This center provides counselling through a single session with experienced professionals,
who help identify challenges and help families to find tools and strategies.

Reference

Mental Health Walk-In Clinic: Ottawa-Carleton, ON: eMentalHealth.ca. (2019).
Retrieved from https://www.ementalhealth.ca/index.php?m=record&ID=18654

2. The counselling group

    Phone: 613-722-2225 x352

    Location: 300-2255 Carling Ave

Summary

This an all aged, English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese,
Creole-speaking center, who have experienced and trained staff that provide a variety of
support services for children, adolescents, and adults. We offer individual, couple, family,
and group counselling. It is also a non-profit.

Reference

The Counselling Group: Ottawa-Carleton, ON: eMentalHealth.ca. (2019).
Retrieved from https://www.ementalhealth.ca/index.php?m=record&ID=24713

3. Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre (WOCRC)

Phone:613-591-3686

Location:2 MacNeil Court

Summary

This is a non-profit resource center that serves all ages. It provides a variety of programs
for children, youth and families. The programs that this center has are Counselling and
Referral,  Early Years Centre for children ages 0-6, Children and Youth Services, Services for
Seniors and People with Disabilities.

Reference

Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre (WOCRC): Ottawa-Carleton, ON: eMentalHealth.ca. (2019).
Retrieved from https://www.ementalhealth.ca/index.php?m=record&ID=9330

Written by Shanice Phillips-Williams

What is Reactive Attachment Disorder?

What is Reactive Attachment Disorder?

Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) is a condition where a child has been subject to neglect or abuse, and they have a hard time or fail to establish the expected bond with their primary caregiver. A child with RAD can be diagnosed at the age of nine months to five-years-old. The child rarely seeks or responds to comfort when upset, shows a limited positive effect, and has unexplained episodes of irritability, sadness or fearfulness in contact with caregivers. (WebMD: Reactive Attachment Disorder, n.d.) RAD can also cause the child to have a hard time interacting with adults and peers.

RAD happens when a child has been unable to consistently connect with their parent or primary caregiver. If a young child repeatedly feels abandoned, isolated, powerless or uncared for, they will learn that they can not depend on others and will begin to believe that they always have to fend for themselves (Smith. M, Robinson. L, Saison J, Segal. J, 2018).

Many factors can contribute to RAD, such as;

•  A baby cries and no one responds or tries to comfort it,
•  A baby is hungry or wet and no one attends to them for hours,
•  No one looks, talks, or smiles to the baby so the baby ends up feeling alone,
• A young child or baby is mistreated or abused (Smith. M, Robinson. L, Saison J, Segal.J  2018). 

The child's needs are sometimes met and other times there are not, therefore, the child does not know what to expect (Smith. M, Robinson. L, Saison J, Segal. J, 2018). 

There are times where circumstances that cause attachment problems are unavoidable. However, a child is too young to understand that and will perceive it as no one caring for them. These feelings of neglect can cause the child to grow up having a hard time trusting others and thinking that the world is an unsafe place. 

( Healthy Place. Peterson, T, n.d).

Some signs of RAD in infants and toddlers include the child having a withdrawn appearance, failure to smile, and failure to react to caregivers trying to interact with them. For example, a child may not reach out for help when they are being picked on, or they also may not respond to a game of peekaboo. (Child Mind Institute, n.d). The child may seem unamused by the movements of others and they are uninterested in watching others as they move around the room. The child will try to nurture and soothe themselves instead of seeking comfort from the parent or caregiver, and when they are upset, they calm down more quickly without attention from the caregiver.