Reactive Attachment Disorder

Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) is a very hot topic in adoption right now due to this story.  

Adoption.com defines RAD

 "term used to describe a condition that generally appears in children before age five, and is thought to result from a lack of consistent care and nurturing in early years. The disorder is characterized by the inability of a child or infant to establish age-appropriate social contact and relationships with others. Symptoms of the disorder may include a failure to thrive, developmental delays, a refusal to make eye contact, feeding difficulties, hyper-sensitivity to sound and/or touch, failure to initiate or respond to social interactions with others, self-stimulation, indiscriminate sociability and a an unusually high susceptibility to infections."

It is important to remember not all adopted children suffer from RAD.  RAD is most likely to appear in children who were neglected or abused.  RAD can not only occur in adopted children but biological children as well.  It is most often seen in adopted children who have been institutionalized for a long period of time or moved multiple times through the foster care system.  Children who have been hospitalized for an extended period of time, traumatized, raised in poverty, or in a home with mental illness, alcohol, or substance abuse.  Educate yourself and be aware of the signs and symptoms.

Visit Mayoclinic.com to view the signs and symptoms of RAD.  You may also want to review these helpful websites and read what they say about RAD:
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
www.radkid.org
Attachment Disorder Site