Does My Child Have Reactive Attachment Disorder?

Does your child rarely or minimally seek comfort from adult caregivers when distressed?

Does your child rarely or minimally respond to comfort from adult caregivers when distressed?

Does your child show minimal social and emotional responsiveness to others?

Does your child show limited positive affect?

Does your child show episodes of unexplained irritability, sadness or fearfulness that are evident even during nonthreatening interactions with adult caregivers?

Does your child experience social neglect or deprivation (i.e., persistent lack of having basic emotional needs for comfort, stimulation and affection met by caregiving adults)?

Does your child experience repeated changes of primary caregivers that limit opportunities to form stable attachments?

Does your child rear in unusual settings that severely limit opportunities to form selective attachments (e.g., institutions with high child-to-caregiver ratios)?

Can you confirm that the insufficient care in question 6 may be responsible for the disturbed behavior in question 1 (i.e., the disturbances described in question 1 began following the lack of adequate care in question 6).

Can you confirm that your child doesn’t meet the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder?

Was the disturbance evident before age 5?

Does your child have a developmental age of at least 9 months?

Your child does not have reactive attachment disorder.

It is unlikely your child has reactive attachment disorder. However, if it displays some symptoms related to the disorder, such as unhealthy attachment patterns with parents or caregivers, it may be important to seek medical support. The disorder may appear when the child’s basic needs for affection aren’t met and when caring attachments with other people are not settled.

While it is unlikely that your child has reactive attachment disorder, he is displaying some signs related to the disorder.

Unfortunately, your child is displaying numerous symptoms typically seen among kids who have reactive attachment disorder. As a parent, it may be important to be actively engaged with your child. This includes interaction, playing with him and smiling. Make sure to show enough affection, love and to understand when he needs you. Touch your child, talk gently, and show expressions. Treatment should involve both child and parents and the target is to make sure that the child has a stable living situation and develops positive attachment with the parents. For parents, it may be important to attend parental skills classes. Early intervention is essential to obtain better outcomes.