Originally Posted By
Dr. Arthur Becker-Weidman
Research on adoptable children in U.S. foster care clearly shows that 50% of adoptable children have symptoms of attachment disorder and 80% of maltreated infants have such symptoms.
If the teen was removed from his/her birth parents because of abuse or neglect and the history of the neglect is significant and the child was in the home for 2+ years before removal, then it is very likely that the child has Reactive Attachment Disorder. In addtion, if the child has had 3+ placements after removal from the birth home, it is very likely the child will have RAD. If the child has both sets of circumstances, it is nearly a certainty that the child has RAD...especially if the child is a teen. There are many sub-types of RAD and not all are angry, aggressive, and violent. The saddest cases are those children who are superficially engaging and appear "normal" because they are "as-if" children attempting to figure out what you want.
Arthur Becker-Weidman, Ph.D.,
Center For Family Development
5820 Main St., suite 406
Williamsville, NY 14221
716-810-0790
AWeidman@Concentric.net
http://www.Center4FamilyDevelop.com