Essay Example on Emotional Challenges of Living With Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)

Introduction

Reactive attachment disorder RAD) condition makes young children and also infants to have an insecure, unhealthy bond with the primary caregivers. The condition makes it difficult for them to manage their emotional feelings and they constantly struggle to have connections that can be considered as social and meaningful around other people. They rarely show stability and comfort in the hands of their caretakers even if the parent is loving and caring. They report feeling unsafe and irritated.

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RAD and the Development of Dimensions of Morality

Termini.etal (2009), conducted investigative research to discover the connection concerning reactive attachment disorder and the dimensions of morality and its development. There are three ethical dimensions of development that the study focused on. The cognitive dimension, affective and behavioral dimensions (Termini, Golden, Lyndon & Sheaffer 2009). The moral development of typical children with a history of adoptive or foster care was assessed. The reason why the study chose the three aspects of moral development is that, of the importance of moral development in the life of a person. A successful moral development enables successful socialization because it involves the development of understanding both the wrong and right. Moral development enables the ability to regulate an individual's behavior and adhere to the set standards within the community. The children with reactive attachment disorders are likely to develop social problems in the future, living as social misfits as a result of their condition.nteraction with caregivers at an early age is important in the development of the moral aspects that are crucial in the future of an individual, as they introduce the crucial socialization skills. Internalization of these skills happens at an early age making them conform later in life. The study is based on the attachment theory which suggests that the maltreated children in a family set up, are likely to have any emotional attachments in the future, or with their caregivers enough to internalize any social or moral value. The child who grows up under a protective relationship grows attachments and grows to appreciate the set moral standards in any society. The study used the diagnostic criteria, and also conducted multivariate variance analysis of two groups categorized as the RAD victims and the non-RAD ones, to be the control of the study(Termini.etal,2009). The final findings indicated that the victims of RAD were greatly concerned with punishments from external sources, and had very unrealistic solutions. The other groups were fair in their perception of punishments. Attachment theory concepts are utilized in the study to explain the findings.

Processing Of Non-Verbal and RAD Victims

Children with reactive attachment disorders have an issue with the processing of non-verbal practices.Beverly.et al (2009), conducts a study to find out how the victims of RAD process the nonverbal expressions they encountered daily in life, as compared to the normal children. The study entailed 5-9 participants, come into contact with the adult and children expressions, and other paralanguage tests. The participants with RAD were 17, the members of the control group were non-RAD, but had a history of adoption and foster care( Sheaffer, Golden, Bridgers & Hall,2009 )The rest never had a history of foster care. The study is focused on non-verbal processing. This is the ability of an individual ton decode and understands the facial expression and other paralanguages such as intonation and body posture. Processing of non-verbal cues is necessary and occurs at an early age, hence it can be affected by an immediate primary caregiving environment. It enables social interaction and communication .decoding information on other facial expressions enables us to understand their emotions and what they are deeply feeling. The study concluded that RAD victims had difficulty in understanding and decoding emotions. as compared to the others in the control groups(Sheaffer.etal,2009). It proposes future research as the sampling sizes may benefit the children with RAD, as it might seek to examine the presence or absence of biases in their perception.

Screening For RAD among Children

Screening for RAD is crucial for all teens and children towards the diagnosis of the disorder. The research article by Terradas& Micki (2018).It is a research study on the screening measures and evaluation of two methods of screening. The relationship problem questionnaire. and the reactive attachment disorder checklists were compared in the study, to analyze how reliable the two measures were. The scores on the chronbach scores were relatively higher for the relationship problem questionnaire RPQ than for the other measure. Reactive attachment disorder is among the disorders listed in the 1980s by the American Psychiatrist Association, as an investigative category (Mikic & Terradas,2018). The introduction of measures led to more understanding and differentiation of brain disorders arising from childhood problems.

Maternal Metallization, And Attachment Deprivation

During the early age as an infant, the child socializes with the mother more often and is expected to learn the moral skills from her.Micki.etal(2018), conducted a research study to explain the consequences of early deprivation of the maternal attachments and the neglect by mothers. The study, aimed at finding links between the maternal deprivation and RAD. There is little research in the understanding of the link but the article analyses the metalizing capacity of a mother and the representation of a child's attachment. The research involved the study of children's attachment, models using the Attachment system of coding, and analyzed two cases. It concluded that the mothers of children with RAD had challenges with mentalization. The assessment of the stories from the mothers shows why children with RAD show signs of insecurity with the mother but safe with other people(Mikic & Terradas,2018). The findings of the study confirm the need for caregivers to spend time with the children with RAD despite their resistance as the will slowly develop confidence around them. It provides a basis for the formation of clinical hypotheses that are useful when confirmed with therapeutic results. The diagnosis and the treatment of the children with rad are more of a process of understanding their emotional feelings and the dynamics surrounding them.

Treatment of Children with RAD

Treating them involves a joint psychotherapy session of the diagnosed child and the caregivers involved, parenting training can be applied in the psychotherapy.Shi.l(2014) conducts the study of the treatment of children with the consideration of their emotional dynamics in the study which involves the use of a case review of a 4-year old child named Tom. The victim, of RAD, is under foster care and has undergone a three-step treatment procedure which has resulted in a fruitful recovery. The clinical procedures are best described using the attachment theory. The theory suggests that infants are by default programmed to always get attached to a parental figure, to enhance their chances of surviving(Shi,2014). Whenever they are faced with a stressful situation, that keeps them waiting for the figure to respond, they instantly develop internal models of comfort that triggers them to get another way of surviving, hence coping up with people who are emotionally present for them. The understanding of theory is important in the rehabilitation of the children by slowly showing care and constantly responding to their stressful situations to increase their chances to start coping up with the internal models set in the minds. Tom, for instance, displayed survival behaviors, such as not eating until the forced top, being dramatic, destroying furniture and even stealing food to hide in his bedroom. The behavior was a way of attracting his caregiver's attention. The first stage involved the provision of a safer environment. He was placed in a room full of all toys he would need to feel secure in a home environment (Shi, 2014). The second part of the treatment involved the parents of the child slowly being introduced into the lifestyle of the child and most often, although there was a disparity in how the child behaved and the expectations of the parent. As soon as the interaction started occurring, the third step involved the strengthening of the bonds by introducing more complex activities in the schedule.

Reference

Termini, K., Golden, J. A., Lyndon, A. E., & Sheaffer, B. L. (2009). Reactive attachment disorder and cognitive, affective and behavioral dimensions of moral development. Behavioral Development Bulletin, 15(1), 18-28. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0100510

Sheaffer, B. L., Golden, J. A., Bridgers, K. T., & Hall, C. W. (2009). Nonverbal processing and social competency in children with reactive attachment disorder. Behavioral Development Bulletin, 15(1), 11-17. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0100509

Mikic, N., & Terradas, M. M. (2018). Understanding maternal mentalizing capacity and attachment representations of children with reactive attachment disorder: Two case illustrations. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 35(2), 260-269. https://doi-org.grcc.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/pap0000153

Shi, L. (2014). Treatment of Reactive Attachment Disorder in Young Children: Importance of Understanding Emotional Dynamics. American Journal of Family Therapy, 42(1), 1-13. https://doi-org.grcc.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/01926187.2013.763513