[Marsha Higdon]

I have a 17 year old daughter that came home from Korea when she was 4 months old. She had been a foster family with Eastern Children's Welfare for those first 4 months. She was a very bonded infant, todler and early elementary school age child. At about age 10-11 we began to have problems and for the last three years she has been very difficult and is seeing a psychiatrist weekly. He has diagnosed her as RAD and I am wondering if it is possible to be bonded for that early period of time and not have RAD?

[lucyjoy]

NO. RAD occurs between birth(some say conception)and three years of age. It is possible to have issues with attachment at an older age, but that's normally caused by multiple moves.

I would question the diagnosis if she has been attached. It could be teenage rebellion. Society has changed and teenagers do a lot more crazy things then they use to. It's normal for teenagers to question their identity at this age and for adopted children there's the addition of where they came from and who their birth parents are and who'd they'd be if they were raised by them.

Also, as a later unset, I'd wonder about schizophrenia or personality disorders.

[Dr. Art]

It is very unlikely she has RAD. Either the diagnosis is incorrect or the child is/was not as connected to you as you thought. Some children are quite superficial in their attachment and affect but appear close and loving. Assuming that is not the case, then she cannot have RAD. Does the psychiatrist have a lot of experience and training treating adopted and foster children with RAD and have at least 25% of her practice with such children? If not, I'd question the diagnosis. It may be that your child has attachment related issues (See the Primal Wound, an excellent book) and not RAD. Without more info it is not possible to make a real diagnosis. But I'd be sure she is assessed by a therapist who has lots of training and experience with adopted and foster children with attachment issues (not just RAD).

Regards,