OT Reactive Attachment

[tpettie]

Hi, I'm looking for some info and forums for Reactive Attachment Disorder. I'm a foster mom with a RAD kid in care and not too much knowledge on how to parent this chlld. Resourses and advice needed.

Thanks

 

[Figment1964]

As an adoptive mom with a couple of kids affected by RAD issues I've found 3 books very helpful.

Parenting the Hurt Child : Helping Adoptive Families Heal and Grow by Gregory Keck and Regina Kupecky

Adopting the Hurt Child: Hope for Families With Special-Needs Kids : A Guide for Parents and Professionals also by Keck and Kupecky

Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today's Parents by Deborah D Gray

I know that you mentioned you were fostering but the information may be helpful to begin the healing process for your foster child. It's a tough situation to be in and I wish you the very best!

 

[Morveryn]

Hi,
Some links for you:
Radkid.org
Attachment disorders
About.com - Reactive Attachment Disorder
Attachment Disorder Site

I hope you find something there that will prove useful. I am in the UK and have a daughter who was adopted at 20 months, she's 7 now. She has various problem we were told were RAD, which seems to be the 'IN' thing here at the moment - got an adopted or foster kid? they must have RAD! Anyway, after taking her to a private specialist she has been diagnosed with FAS - fetal alcohol syndrome which can have some similar symptoms.

Good luck and hugs for you both.

 

[tpettie]

Hi,
- got an adopted or foster kid?

You could say both. I have a young man (11) now who was in an adoptive home. His adoptive family was stuggling with his behaviours asked me to provide respite care for them. Which I did and a few months later they asked me to take him long term as they were wanting to get him into a treatment facility. There weren't able to work that out so he stayed with me for 2 years (kind of like boarding school) with me during the week home on weekend. Anyway I took a hoilday over dec he went home for the 10 days I was gone came back to a voice mail message saying he was aprehended and placed into a group home. Now he is with me as a foster care placement. And any ground we gained over the two years is gone and I'm back to ground zero. So now I have to try and help this little man trust again and work out that it isn't his fault that the adoptive family didn't keep him.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Go to www.fosterparents.com/chat. They have a wonderful site and many of them have dealt with kid with RAD. In fact, they have an entire board dedicated to attachment disorders.